If you are a piano owner then you might know that one of the most difficult jobs to do is to keep it maintained because of the fragility and complex structure of it. Dusting, cleaning is complex because it includes a lot of hard to reach parts. You have to do a lot of tasks on regular basis to keep it in excellent condition. Cleaning improves the playing quality of it and also, increases its life. But an owner needs to carry out the right methods to complete the task accurately. If you are looking for the ideas to do it perfectly then check out these tips from the best out of state movers who specialize in piano moving services:
Collect the required tools:
Various tools can be used to clean a piano. Some people pick the piano cleaning tools without knowing that their selected tools can also damage this fragile instrument. Just pick those tools which can clean the piano without damaging it and such tools are a clean piece of cloth, feather duster, key cleaning solution, and piano polish. Keep in mind to only buy the polish which is specifically designed for piano cleaning, not the normal polish which is used for cleaning household furniture.
Dusting the keys:
The dust present on the keys can also enter the piano’s soundboard which leads to the damage to its music production ability. Always use a feather duster to remove the dust and make sure that you do not apply much pressure as you do not want to scratch the piano. Do dust off the instrument from time to time so that there is no dirt within it. Doing it regularly helps you to eliminate the dust entering the hard to reach parts of it.
Polishing the piano:
A piano needs polishing when there is excessive dirt or scratches on it. If your instrument needs polishing then apply the polish specifically made for piano to a clean and dry cloth. Rub the cloth on small sections of the instrument and remove excess polish wipe it with a dry microfiber polishing cloth. Avoid using regular furniture polish or lemon oil on the instrument as it can fade its shine.
Soundboard cleaning:
If you are confident enough to clean the internal components of the piano then only it is recommended to remove the dust and dirt from the piano’s soundboard on your own because its internal components are much delicate. In order the clean the components you can use a compressed air nozzle or vacuum.
Disinfect the plastic and ivory keys:
Disinfection is an important thing and you need to be careful while doing this. Hydrogen peroxide and cotton pads will work for it. Just dampen the cotton pad in hydrogen peroxide and wipe the piano’s plastic keys. Make sure that you remove the excess moisture by wiping the plastic keys with a clean and smoother piece of cloth. For ivory keys, just sprinkle disinfectant and clean them one by one. Don’t move to another ivory key without drying the last one with a dry cloth.
Pay attention on the exterior:
After cleaning the keys now it is the turn to clean the casework. It is easy to clean the exterior as compared to the keys. Remove the dust or finger marks from the piano by wiping it with a clean and damp cloth. Then take a dry cloth and remove the excess moisture. Be gentle when cleaning the instrument as you do not want to leave any scratches on the exterior. Keep in mind not to use a wet but damp cloth because a wet cloth can leave visible moisture behind.
Additional things:
- You should eliminate playing piano with dirty hands because it is a fragile item and you know the complexity of cleaning and caring for it.
- You should not use a rough or dry cloth for dusting of keys because it will lead to the scratching of the keys. Also, you should avoid using mineral water and other kinds of sprays like polish, perfume, aerosol, and so on because they can change the colors of the keys.
- If it is kept under direct sunlight then make sure you use a climate-controlled protector for it so that it can be protected from direct sunlight and higher humidity.
- Close the lid of the piano whenever it is not in use so that it does not get dirty over time. Also, don’t place anything on it to keep it safe from any kind of scratches and damages.
Wrapping it all up!!!
People usually end up decreasing the life of a piano because they don’t know the right method of cleaning it. If you don’t want to be one of those people then you should use all the above techniques so that you can keep it well maintained and safe from any kind of scratches.
