After posting about my trip to teach at the 2026 Quilt!Knit!Stitch! show in St. Louis I started thinking about all the trips my needles and tools have taken with me. Then I realized that I don’t remember ever really cleaning my tools.
In my studio I clean my sewing machine on a monthly basis and, while I’m at it, wipe down rulers, cutting mats and table top surfaces.
I did a deep dive on the Internet and decided to give it a try.
If you want to join along, here are some of the most common supplies suggested:
- Beeswax (Caution: Watch what happens if you use solid wax on unstained bamboo needles)
- Emery board/sandpaper – Note: I would not recommend this on metal or stained/polished wooden needles only on unstained bamboo use 400 grit if you have a broken tip or 800 grit if you just need to clean up snags)
- Metal polish (I used Brasso)
- Soft cloth, microfiber cloth or muslin
- Lukewarm water
- Wax paper
- WD-40
In addition to the list above, I pulled out my favorite cleaning supplies – vinegar and Ivory dish soap.
I started with the bamboo needles and worked my way to the metal. I added a quarter cup of vinegar to about a half gallon of tepid water.
On the microfiber cloth I put a pea-size amount of Ivory soap and dipped it in the water. I scrubbed each needle and dried them, repeating the dot of soap as needed.
For polishing the bamboo I tried wax paper (too grippy), hard beeswax (too crumbly and potential to damage the unfinished needles) and lastly food-grade walnut oil. My favorite was the oil. Easy to apply, no risk of nicking and just the right amount of grip without being greasy. But easy does it, a little goes a long way!
I only had to use the low grit side of the emery board on one of the fixed bamboo needles. It’s one of my favorite sock needles so one of the tips had a snag. Just a few swipes with the emery board and it was good as new.
The difference before and after was minimal. So I moved on to the stained and polished interchangeable needles. Since the oil wouldn’t penetrate the stain and sealant I used the waxed paper after cleaning each one. I like the results, similar to waxing a surf board.
Next, I washed and polished the metal needles. Using the Brasso polish made a huge difference especially on my thimble.
Next up, the interchangeable cords. I wiped down the cords, polished the metal tips and finished with a small amount of WD-40 on a polishing cloth on the screw tips.
After the needles and cords I washed and dried all my other tools not currently tied up in projects. Now everything is fresh and clean!
I even washed all my handmade project bags.
Below is a list of manufacturer-specific instructions. One even warns users to not use their needles to open a wine bottle! Maybe they use Addi Ewenicorn needles.
- Addi, scroll down to Cleaning and Care
- Chiaogoo
- Knitters Pride (now KnitPro) care and maintenance
- Latern Moon
- Muud (Danish maker of leather knitting storage)
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
Ewe be you,
Coach Dawn
