I made quite a few a few beginner mistakes on my new machine and it was *so* *noisy*!! Should have read the manual...! :( I took it in to the shop for maintenance and they worked their magic - it sews like a hot knife through butter now. Thank you!!!! read more

I brought my vintage Babylock BL 415 here as it didn't respond without tons of power behind the foot pedal. He immediately that it's likely the stitch length regulator cam arm. He told me it probably needed sanded down. He gave me a two week estimate but called me a few days after saying I could pick up. My machine now sews smoothly without having to press down hard on the pedal. I would definitely come back again read more

i bought an old kenmore sewing machine and had no idea what was wrong with it. i brought my machine in and they fixed it in a few days!! could not recommend these guys enough! read more

Paul Morris at Brothers Sew & Vac in Bethesda gives old fashion service that's hard to find these days. I needed a new vacuum cleaner. Paul first asked about the type of surfaces in my house. He asked about rug types, number of bare floors, and were there children and pets in the house. With that information he patiently went thru the different types of machines he carries, pointing out the pros and cons of each. I never felt rushed. I bought a Sebo E2 Turbo and could not be happier. While I was waiting, a customer came into the store commenting on how happy she was with her recent sewing machine purchase. Clearly everyone gets great service at Brothers Sew & Vac in Bethesda. read more

so glad I took my vacuum here for service rather than buying a new one! but I also know where to go when the day comes when I do need a new vacuum. read more

Two weeks ago my Oreck XL vacuum went on the fritz. The motor was still working but the brush roll wouldn't turn and there was an ominous odor of burning. After multiple DIY attempts to figure out the problem failed, I finally looked up Oreck- authorized servicers in my area, and I was so lucky to find Brothers just down the street! I brought in the vacuum today, and the mechanic took a look right away. After verifying that the brush roll and belt were both fine (just like I'd checked!) he did some further digging and found the culprit - a soft cat toy was caught in the motor! I really need to get better about picking those up before I vacuum. After reassembling the vacuum and confirming that it worked (perfectly), the mechanic handed it back to me, good as new. I've never been to Brothers before, but the professionalism and courtesy that I experienced make me certain that I'll be back for future servicing and maintenance needs. read more

I'm thrilled with the work Brothers Sew & Vac did to tune up my hand-me-down machine. They cleaned it out, including the rust (yes) (I know), got it running well, and walked me through how to fix some mistakes I'd been making. I really appreciate the kind, helpful service. Thank you! read more

We had a great experience - Brothers repaired our Hoover using parts they were tossing out! Their workbench is staffed with a professional who knows how to shape materials to craft bits and pieces that fit when exact replacement parts from the manufacturer are not available. I forget the gentleman's name - it sounded like his name begins with an 'A' - but his intelligent and sensible ways restored the ability to steer our upright in fifteen minutes at no charge. read more

I highly recommend Brothers Sew & Vac located on Connecticut Ave, DC! They are so pleasant and knowledgeable. Not only did they fix my 40 year old sewing machine but Assane kindly showed me how to operate it correctly. I learned new things after all my years of using it. The turnaround was quick, my experience was extremely pleasant, and my machine sounds better than ever. Terry M. read more

I was given a vintage sewing machine that required much needed TLC. It's a block from the Cleveland Park metro station which is convenient, and the store is kind of amazing if you like vintage-y vacuums and sewing machines. The tech who greeted me was Mohamed who gave it a once over and a quoted price and answered a bunch of questions I had and said the machine would be ready by the following Friday. I was impatient, and ended up calling the store to see if it was ready and Mohamed remembered my voice (which is awesome), and said it wasn't ready yet but he hoped to have it fully fixed up by the afternoon (it was Thursday). He told me to call later that day at 3 and that's when I spoke to Jay, the store owner, who said the machine was ready. I was nervous because it was the first time taking a vintage sewing machine in for repairs, heck, I haven't even taken my newer machine in since I got it! Jay was fantastic and allayed any fears and apprehension I had. I ended up chatting with him for 30 minutes, picking his brain about the machine and he was a joy to talk to. He showed me which knob did what, and how to prevent various problems from cropping up. They did a great job polishing the sewing machine, and the newly installed motor was smooth as it plowed through multiple pieces of leather. The bill was exactly what Mohamed said it would be, and I bought extra needles and threads at Jay's suggestion. He walked me around the store and showed me a bunch of vintage machines and desks, each with their own story. I loved it. I could see instantly the love for repairing vintage machines when I spoke to Jay. Weeks later, and I've put the machine through it's paces and it is still sewing like a dream. The hiccups are mostly user errors, and sewing through glued leather pieces which can gum up the needle. Absolute joy to work on and I have Brother Sew & Vac to thank. Special thanks to Mohamed for fixing my machine and giving it the TLC it needed. Strongly recommend this store for repairs. read more

Brothers Sew & Vac - Appliances & Repair Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I paid $300 bucks for a motor replacement for my vintage canister style vacuum cleaner. Got it back and the motor was extremely, unbearably loud. Took it back in to fix the sound, got it back a few days later with no difference in sound. As I was handed my vac, it was handed to me outback. I was unable to check out the results in store. The very first gentlemen I worked with was nice (South American name if I can remember correctly). But, the other was a little stand offish. Needless to say, my money wasted. The just sits in my closet. Too loud to use. I'll beg someone else to spend my money. read more

The bottom line: Some of the friendliest service in Cleveland Park. I'd often walked by this store and said to myself (or my wife), "how does a vacuum cleaner/sewing machine store stay in business here?" I now know. I have visited twice, for various vacuum inquires/purchased, and have been blown away by the great service. It's the kind of service we should (although often can't) expect of neighborhood stores. Reminiscent of smaller town ma & pa stores where everyone knows everyone....Before I wax too 1950s, I'll cut myself off....but, if you're in the area and need any floor assistance, head here! I do need to add the caveat that I haven't had machine service from this location yet. Just tremendously friendly advice and a purchase of vacuum bags. read more

I have been sewing masks for months now and my Bernina 830 (pure steel, made in Switzerland) seized up and shut down mid mask no warning. No YouTube video was going to help me. Since I could no longer bring it to Chantilly G Street fabrics where they knew how to fix and service Berninas, I was distraught. And in denial. I oiled it, and waited (maybe it just needed get seep in deep). No it was frozen. I took a chance after reading reviews where I was going to bring my precious machine. Am so glad I took it to Brothers. Many stores have COVID-19 backup waiting, they fixed mine in 2 weeks. Picking it up and dropping it off, it was evident they knew all about Berninas 830s. They fixed, the cost was 199 which I thought was very reasonable for a Bernina. I will absolutely go back. The machine will outlive me and to find repair and service experts are priceless. Service was nothing but friendly and professional. Parking on Conn Ave, not so fun but it could be worse. I completely recommend this shop for sewing machine repairs. read more

We've been using Brothers for several decades both to purchase and to service vacuums. They are knowledgeable about different brands and give solid advice. Always professional, and prompt. I know of no better place to service or repair vacuums. read more

I found Brothers Sew and Vac to be very kind and competent. I had three vacuums serviced, two were not worth fixing. The price was reasonable for the one vacuum we did fix. I was especially happy that they could dispose of the other two vacuums for us so I did not have to haul them back home and find a way to dispose myself. The turnaround time was also satisfactory. read more

Paul was amazing. Great service. Put in a new motor for my old horse vacuum. He is so pleasant to work with.

What a find Brothers. Great Customer Service & super appliances & Repairs work well done. All adds up they care about their customers! Every time! Thank You! read more

I really hate giving negative reviews, but after thinking about for a month I feel that I must. TL;DR: I was charged $90 without advance notice, treated very poorly, and my machine still has the exact same problem as it did before being "repaired." I've just dropped it off at another repair place to try again. I bought a nice, mid-line Juki serger (for the uninitiated, a serger is a kind of sewing machine) last year, and at some point the tension got out of whack. I finally decided I had to part with it for a couple weeks to get that taken care of. To be clear, I sew all of my own clothes. I sew at least weekly, if not daily. I have won sewing competitions. I have been sewing my clothes for at least 25 years. I know how to sew, and I know how a machine should work. I called beforehand to make sure they serviced Jukis, and the guy on the phone told me they do. I metro-ed over, and as I was walking through the parking lot a guy said, "Is that a Juki?" It turned out to be the repair guy. As you can probably gather from reading the other reviews, Brothers has a Dr. Jekyll and a Mr. Hyde. One of the guys is really nice, and the other one is horrid. Unfortunately, it's the actual repair guy who is horrid. So he sees me walking through the parking lot and immediately says, in a dismissive tone of voice, "You have it threaded wrong." As mentioned, I KNOW HOW TO F-ING SEW. I am sure they get plenty of people bringing in machines from grandma's attic who don't know a stretch needle from a ballpoint, but it is really irritating to be treated like I am stupid based on no evidence whatsoever (except that I have a fairly new $350 serger.....). Sergers are notoriously hard to thread, but I used the manual and was fairly certain I had it threaded correctly as I put hundreds of hours on it over the past year. He said that the needle threads did not go through the hook on the needle bar. Why do you think the manufacturer put that hook on the needle bar? For decoration???? On the very off chance he was right, I checked the manual when I got home. I was right and he was wrong. Not a good sign in a repair guy. After telling me that I had it threaded wrong, he actually expected me to just tuck my tail between my legs and go home because clearly all the problems I was having were my own stupid fault for being such a dumb, stupid, useless person. I'm not kidding. He was on his way to the post office and I asked if the store was open while he was gone, and he was shocked that I still wanted to take it in and sort of sighed and was like fine, I'll look at it. So I went into the store, which was being manned by Dr. Jekyll. He was super nice, told me it was $45 to look at it and they'd call me with an estimate for the actual repairs, and gave me my claim ticket. They work fast, I will give them that--if indeed they worked on it at all. About a week later I got a call to come pick it up. I hadn't gotten a call to authorize more than the $45 charge, so I was a bit surprised to be charged $90. I didn't really have a choice so I paid it. When I got it back it was, unsurprisingly, threaded wrong. Mr. Hyde didn't bother to look up the manual online or anything, because obviously he knows everything especially how stupid I am and how I don't know how to sew or thread a serger. With the serger threaded incorrectly, there is no way to actually know if it is operating properly--and the biggest problem with my serger is the left needle thread, one of the ones he had threaded wrong. The tension problem was just as bad as before I paid $90 for apparently absolutely nothing. I was really hoping that the only metro-accessible sewing machine repair place in town would serve my needs. I will never, ever be going back. read more

Stores like this don't exist anymore! What a treat. I have an old Hoover that has served in my household for many, many years without any maintenance whatsoever. One day it turned on, blew up a cloud of smoke and then died. I thought that the many years of service had entitled it to rest in peace, and began researching new vacuums. But then I thought, if it's served me this long, why not try and save it? I brought it in to Jose at Brothers and I said "I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it to repair this old thing or if I should just replace it." He said "Let me take a look" and brought it behind the counter. He looked it over for a minute and said, "You've got a good machine here; One hour and twenty bucks and I'll have it good as new. Got any shopping to do in the neighborhood? Just come back in an hour and it will be ready." It just so happened that I did have some business in the area and when I came back an hour later the old Hoover was good as new, for LESS than the price quoted, just $19.00. The service here is great, and despite what a very few of these other reviews say, I was never sold a bill of goods. I was in and out and on my way with a vacuum I expect will serve me for many years to come. And if it ever has any trouble, rest assured I'll be back to Brothers. read more

I brought in my serger because it was making a noise. I did get a free estimate - they told me the timing was off and needed a "complete overhaul" for $125. I'd used it once. I turned them down & got my machine back covered in dust without some of the parts replaced (I brought it in with a screw out & a knife out, but I got it back with several screws back in the bag. I don't know where those extra screws go!). Anyway, I got a reference for a guy who comes to your house. He charged me $30 plus a $30 travel fee to "fix" it because it turns out I was just threading it wrong. The timing was totally fine. These guys lied to me. I won't go back. (ETA: I've gotten a lot of messages asking for the info of the guy who came out. It was Jeff Clary or Carper, (301) 760-9821. Not sure whether he's still doing it. Hope that helps!) read more

Instead of running to numerous hardware stores looking for a replacement belt, I called Brothers and confirmed they had it in stock. As soon as I walked in a pleasant gentleman came up and helped me find exactly what I needed. He even gave me a few tips on replacing it. Will definitely go back if I need other supplies or a repair. read more

I had a problem with my vintage Bernette serger; I forgot to pull up the thread pole and the machine got screwed up. I used to fear going to a sewing repair because of bad experiences before: over quote, mishandling, machine not fixed properly etc. I came to Brothers Sew and Vac based on Yelp review, and boy oh boy were the reviewers spot on! Gold class service! Assane took a quick look at my serger and figured out he could fix it within a short time, which he did. I stayed by his side (I am fascinated by how people fix machines) and was impressed by how thoroughly he made sure the machine would work as precisely as it possibly could. The fee was very fair, and I could not be more pleased. I am going to bring my vintage Elnas for annual tune up here! read more

Oh to think I let one critical review delay my journey to this store. I am soooo happy that I moved forward anyway!! Jay is a joy to be around and on top of it he's deeply talented. He diagnosed the suction problem of my hepa vacuum within 5 min and fixed it within another 5 min. I thought I would need to keep it there for a week or so. On top of it, it was hugely economical!!! I highly recommend this location for quality, speed and cost -- it's rare to find all three. DC has a gem with this repair shop. read more

This review relates to SEWING MACHINE repair. i have a 25+ year old Bernina machine that was making some disturbing noises. Assane fixed the problem within a few minutes and, because I have NEVER had the machine serviced, I agreed to have them do a "tune-up". I was assured that it would be ready in 3 hours. I started to call ahead to check but the time had been stated with such conviction, I went back about 3.5 hours later without calling and sure enough, it was ready to go. The staff are very professional and congenial - I would definitely return if I have another problem and would recommend this location's services to others seeking sewing machine repairs. read more

I rarely write reviews but i just showed up here telling/showing them that i was sent the wrong vacuum belt by an online retailer. They tore open one of their packages of the same belts to show me that what they would sell me was exactly the same as what I had, and told me exactly how I would need to fix it (I wasn't engaging my roller). They also said if I couldn't figure it out I could just bring in my vacuum and they would do it for free. Sure enough, I got home, did what they said, and my belt that I bought online worked fine. Pretty refreshing to see this, these guys were very helpful even though they didn't see a dollar from it. From what I could tell, they also had a good selection of vacuums and parts. Great store, great staff!!!! read more

just saw a negative review and had to respond.....Assane and Joe (the repair guys) are really good at what they do. I sew professionally and both my machine and serger are vintage, to say the least. Assane has kept both of them running well. As far as being charged $90 for a tune-up, that's the minimum charge for most places around the country.....we all have to earn a living! He has always been extremely friendly and helpful to me. don't let one weird review in a sea of 5-stars sway your thinking, folks. read more

Old Skool vacuum repair place keepin it real here in Cleveland Park. I was on a manhunt for a new filter for my Dyson, which apparently is next to impossible to find (all of the big stores that sell Dysons don't sell the replacement filters), and I needed to find it right away since it was the day before I was hosting a party and needed the rugs to not be covered in cat hair. Not only did these guys save the day by having one in stock (the only one left, so hopefully they order more), they made sure the whole vacuum worked properly when the filter was put in, and they were ridiculously friendly to boot. I never expected to have such a win of an experience at a vacuum store, but there you have it. read more

Called several times in one day to ask about what they had in stock, features of a particular vacuum (our old one had died), store hours, etc. Jose was very patient and helpful, and answered all my questions carefully even though there were several people waiting behind me. He did not try to sell me all the fancy accessories - even dissuaded me from buying the HEPA filter right away, said I should try the standard one first. So far am happy with our new vacuum and with the level of service I was shown. (I also left our old hoover for an estimate, will see what they say about repairs!) read more

This appears to be the same company that tried very hard to sell me a brand new vacuum--at over MSRP--rather than fix my old one. They were very pleasant, but unethical. (Another shop was able to fix my old one for way less than these guys quoted.) Caveat emptor! read more

This place is the real deal. Brought my vacuum in for repair. They called me with an estimate which required a secondhand part because the model has been discontinued. They contacted me when it was ready. On the first use a piece snapped off so I returned to the shop and they replaced it with a new one instantly, no hassle. They know their stuff. Parking can be scarce so bring someone with you to drop off. Highly recommend for repair. read more

I've had my problematic sewing machine repaired here twice. The first time, I was charged $90 for a pretty massive repair. The second time, the guys at the store recognized me and remembered the problem and fixed it for free! They took the time to explain the flaws in the machine to me and encourage me to consider saving up for a more reliable machine, but did not try to sell me on anything. I really appreciate the honesty and service at this place. I have never felt like I am being swindled or overcharged for their work. Plus, the guys are super friendly and nice. read more

Still getting excellent service from them after many years. They repaired an old vacuum cleaner that my MIL gave us, and it is like new. They were patient when I could not pick it up right away. read more

Please go to this place if you are eager to be royally ripped off. I have a $450 Miele Dynamic U1 and the brush on the bottom recently stopped spinning because the belt came off. I took it to Brothers and they recommended $200 in repairs, $50 to change a filter that cost $25 online, and $150 dollars to change the belt and do extensive cleaning of dust inside the engine "that may cause if to overheat." I was skeptical and took it instead to an authorized Miele dealer in Bethesda, Strosnider's Hardware, and they changed the belt FOR FREE because the vacuum cleaner was still under warranty. The only reason this place is still in business is because there are too many rich people in the neighborhood who pay whatever they "recommend." Disgusting. read more

Great place! They were so quick, helpful, and affordable! In 10 minutes and less than $14, he cleaned and fixed my vacuum's belt and roller, discovered that the internal filter was clogged, replaced it, and gave the vacuum a test run. Good as new! I'm so glad I came in. read more

I went here looking for a new belt for my vacuum, but completely forgot what size belt to get. The owner offered to send me home with both sizes available, but said I only had to pay for one and I could return the other. Excellent service and very friendly. read more

These guys are great! I brought my vac in because it seemed to be overheating and the roller at the bottom wasn't working. What had happened was that it overheated and melted a little plastic piece at the bottom which was impeding the roller. He said this overheating tended to be a problem with bagless vacs. They don't make replacement parts for them and so the only thing to do was to buy a new one. I hated to do that, not because I didn't want to spend the money but because it seemed silly to throw the entire machine in the landfill just because that one little plastic piece melted. The engine was fine. Everything else about it was fine. He said yeah it was dumb that they don't make them like they used to but he offered to take a look at it anyway. He took it in the back and a few minutes later came back and said he'd fixed it! He had scraped away the melted plastic with a knife, just enough to let the roller work again and the thing was fine! "Just don't let it overheat again" he said. He refused payment for the repair. Definitely going back here again next time! read more

Friendly and helpful staff. I had my 70's Hoover cleaned and repaired. I probably could have been convinced to just buy a new vacuum, haha. The salesman explained what each of the attachments were for, and even gave me a free attachment brush. They wrote down my phone number wrong, though, so I kept having to check with them to see if my order was ready. read more

What a great place. They fixed my vacuum for less than $5 while I waited. I've moved away from DC but this place spoiled me for life.

Brought in my Miele power brush after a major part broke in half. Expected to be told that it couldn't be replaced and I would need to buy a whole new brush. Wrong! These guys replaced the part on the spot. Took 5 minutes and $19.99 instead of well over $100 for a new brush, and our vacuum is back to its happy self. Thanks so much! read more

I brought my vacuum in to fix the brush, which was no longer spinning. They helpfully explained that there's a button for that (‍facepalm) and then cleaned my vacuum filter for free. Second time here; first time was just as pleasant -- they had the needed part in stock and replaced it in a jiffy. Highly recommend! Great that they're supporting the renew/repair economy in a throw-it-away world. read more