Piano Care – How To Care For Your Piano

Here are some tips for excellent piano care! Make your piano last a very long time with these simple steps.

• Keep YOUR PIANO tuned regularly

  Your piano has enough string tension in it to lift a 2-car garage, so if you let that tension go away, it can take some work to get your piano back in proper condition. The industry standard recommended tuning frequency is every 6 months, but in any case, try not to let it go beyond a year or so. Your piano will thank you!

• Place your piano against an inside wall away from heat, cold, or moisture sources

  Sunshine, heat vents, ovens, or radiators tend to dry the piano out which shortens the life of the internal components, fade the finish, and can cause the piano to go out of tune very quickly. Cold, outside walls can cause the piano to go out of tune more quickly in winter. Moisture sources, such as fountains, humidifiers, fish tanks, etc. can cause dampness problems inside the piano. Newer homes don’t have quite the problems older ones may have. Regardless, your goal is to avoid drastic changes in humidity and temperature as much as possible. Ideal piano humidity is 42%. A great idea is to buy a hygrometer such as the one shown below. This way, you will know your piano’s humidity at all times.

• Keep the key lid in the down position

  When you are not using the piano. This will prevent some major accidents from occurring and keep dirt and grime off those “ivories” as well.

• Don’t use furniture polish

  To clean the wood surfaces of your piano. Instead use a furniture cleaner product or, better yet, a slightly dampened, clean cloth. Do not spray anything directly onto piano surfaces. Over-spray can get into the piano and cause the delicate parts to degrade and eventually fail to function.

• Keep the keys clean

  All it takes is a quick wipe down with a warm water solution and soft cloth to keep your piano keys in great playing condition. You should do this around once a month with normal use.

• Why should you maintain your piano?
• How should you clean your piano?
• Questions about your piano? Contact Bill today!