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Il vaut mieux nettoyer non seulement le cadran, mais aussi le balancier.

Il vaut mieux nettoyer non seulement le cadran, mais aussi le balancier.
It is better to clean not only the dial, but also the pendulum.
From Lesson 334:Correlative conjunctions (non seulement... mais aussi)·French

Questions & Answers about Il vaut mieux nettoyer non seulement le cadran, mais aussi le balancier.

Why are non seulement and mais aussi placed right before the nouns in this sentence?
The phrase non seulement... mais aussi (not only... but also) connects two parallel ideas. To sound natural, you should place each part immediately before the matching elements you are emphasizing. Here, it elegantly connects the two direct objects: le cadran and le balancier.
Could I use mais encore instead of mais aussi here?
Yes! The structures non seulement... mais aussi and non seulement... mais encore are completely interchangeable. mais encore sounds just a little bit more formal or literary, but both mean "but also" and work perfectly in this sentence.
Why does this sentence use Il vaut mieux instead of C'est mieux?
Il vaut mieux is a very common fixed expression meaning "it is better" or "it is preferable" (from the verb valoir, meaning "to be worth"). While you could say C'est mieux de nettoyer, French speakers frequently prefer Il vaut mieux when giving advice or stating the best course of action.
Why isn't there a preposition like de between mieux and nettoyer?
This is a classic trap! The expression Il vaut mieux is always followed directly by an infinitive verb, with no preposition in between. If you were to use a similar expression like Il est préférable, you would need the preposition: Il est préférable de nettoyer.

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