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Cleaning M&M Wheels


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I was just looking around the info on the APQS site and read something I did not know.

It does say to clean the rails with alcohol, which I always do. It also says to clean the older type of wheels with alcohol, which I always did.

I got M&M wheels in April and have been cleaning them with alcohol when I clean my rails. Same routine I have been doing for 4 1/2 years since I bought my Liberty.

BUT...the information says DO NOT clean your M&M wheels with alcohol!!!!!

Do you all know that? What damage have I done to my M&M wheels?

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Sandra,

Don't worry, you're fine. We don't recommend using alcohol on the M & M wheels over long periods since it can act a bit like a drying agent. I'm sure you haven't had the wheels long enough (no one has) to do any damage with the alcohol. Just stick with a soft rag for wiping out the wheels.

If you ever have any questions, just give us a call. :)

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Thank you, Dawn. I will definitely stop using the alcohol on my wheels.

I was going to call or e-mail you on Monday, but thought this would be a good topic for others with M&M wheels to read about. I figure there is probably someone else out there who isn't aware of this.

Thanks again for jumping in here on a Sunday night to answer my question.

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Originally posted by DoryJM

I waxed my rails for the first time the other day. My Edgeriders (still haven't put my M&Ms on) were sticky in places. Now I feel like I'm quilting with a Bliss. What a difference a little wax made!:P

Dory, how did you wax your rails? What did you use?

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Sandra thanks for asking that question as I just saw that and wondered that too as I had also used alcohol to clean my wheels although I haven't had to clean them very often as they seem to keep rolling smoothly...good to know!

Oma, I have waxed my wheels in the past when I had ER wheels and just used the same turtle wax for my car.

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I thought that the m and m wheels were a similar material to the er wheels. I still use alcohol on my er's and am careful to carefully check the underside of the top edge because it's easy to miss seeing the black oxide gunk that has built up there if you don't get under and look up. I guess my concern would be that this same oxidation builds up on the m and m's, but you would never see it because the wheels are black. Is there something else we can use that will completely clean our wheels but not dry them out?

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Hi Ladies,

Could someone provide a little more information about waxing the wheels? I still have the original wheels and have never heard of waxing them. Details please....what, where, how much, how often? I think this is something that might be helpful to me.

Thanks in advance!

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I didn't wax my wheels...I waxed the rails. I went out to the garage and looked through the car care products my husband has and found one that said it was a car polish. I brought it upstairs, sprayed it on a clean cloth and cleaned my rails. Boy they seemed dirty...black came off onto the cloth. Then I used a different clean cloth and wiped it all down again. The polish I used said I didn't have to wait for it to "haze" over like the old Turtle Wax brand. It seemed to clean a lot of gunk off the rails. I did run the M&M wheels over the cloth...back and forth...a few times and black gunk off them too. I'll let you know how much better my Liberty moves when I start on my quilt.

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Sharon,

We originally advised waxing the rails with the original wheels to help slow down the oxidation process on the rails. It was recommended only once a month or so, using car wax that is not simonized. Johnson and Johnson makes a paste wax for flooring that works well, too. Apply a small dab to the rail with a soft cloth and allow to dry. The polish vigorously with a clean soft cloth until you have no more black residue on the rag. You do not wax the wheels, only the rails. Do not apply too much or it will build up inside your wheels, actually hindering them. That is why quilters use the rubbing alcohol...to remove the build up in the wheels and the oxidation on the rails.

The M & M wheels do not need alcohol to clean them since their surface is not porous like the older wheels, which tended to cling to the oxidation. Hope that helps!

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Nancy - I believe the only part of the Bliss rail system that needs attention is the carriage and the wheels. I neglected to clean these for a while and wondered why there was an ever so sligh 'catch' in the movement of my Blissed machine. I noticed a build-up on one of the black wheels. Once I cleaned the carraige and the wheels everthing was smooth as silk again.

I'd like to hear what others say about cleaning the Bliss rail system.

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