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This photo is of an actual sewing machine that Dr. Bob at Superior Threads took apart when his friend asked if he could figure out why her machine wasn't working properly.  The machine looked fine from the outside, but this is what he found on the on the inside.  The parts were covered with lint.  Lint is an accumulation of fluffy fibers. A little bit of lint is to be expected, but this sort of accumulation needs to be prevented.  

Superior Threads says:

The lint which we find in our sewing machines is mostly from threads, fabric, and batting. Cotton produces more lint than spun polyester. Lint is a result of friction (or rubbing) against the thread. Think of how many contact points the top thread touches during the threading process. There are thread guides, tension discs, levers, and the needle. Each contact point causes friction which results in lint coming off the thread. A little lint is to be expected. However, excess lint can be bad for your machine because it can cause your stitches to be misaligned, feed dog operation malfunctions, fabric puckering, and thread breakage. Regular cleaning and maintenance is recommended for all sewing, serger, and longarm machines. Many machines come with a lint brush to remove lint from the bobbin case area, thread guides, and the needle area. Please refer to your machine manual for proper care procedures.

What is the key to reduce or eliminate lint? Don't use low quality or cheap fuzzy threads.  By stitching with high quality cotton threads, you will notice that there will be less lint buildup inside and outside your machine.

By using threads which produce less lint, your machine will stay in better working condition. This results are less frustration and more time to embroider, quilt, sew, and serge. 

Here are some suggestions from Dr. Bob that should help keep your machine in working order.

Quality Cotton 
MasterPiece is an extra-long staple Egyptian-grown #50 cotton thread.  The extra-long staple results in less lint. MasterPiece is mercerized and gassed.  Gassing is special process to eliminate much of the fuzz from the thread.  MasterPiece is designed for piecing.  It will lie flat in the seams without adding bulk.  It is also an ideal applique, detail quilting, and bobbin thread. 

King Tut is a #40/3-ply extra-long staple Egyptian-grown cotton thread.  King Tut goes through the same processing as MasterPiece.  It is the highest grade cotton thread in the world. 

Quality Spun Polyester 
OMNI is a poly-wrapped poly core thread which is popular for quilting, clothing construction, and general serging.  A smooth, tight twist reduces the amount of fluff it displaces.

Tailor Made is designed for clothing construction and for use as a serger thread.   Tailor Made has a tighter twist than other Spun Poly threads and undergoes advanced processing to reduce the fluff. 

Multi-filament Polyester 
Some polyester threads are virtually lint free.  These are the smooth, multi-filament polyesters such as So Fine #50, So Fine #40, So Fine #30, Magnifico, Fantastico, Rainbows, Bottom Line, and more.