Imagine playing on a dusty or sticky piano. Imagine what that piano might look like inside too. So part of piano playing is piano maintenance. Here are some tips for keeping pianos clean.
Let’s start with something basic: a clean, fine knit cloth. Use
plain water to lightly dampen it. This is an easy way to remove dust and finger
marks. If your piano has a high-polish finish, you should use a microfiber
polishing cloth (often used to clean eye glasses). Don’t use chemical-impregnated
wipes.
You should disinfect piano keys. Here hydrogen peroxide is an
inexpensive solution; just dampen a cotton pad with it and wipe the kyes from
back to front. Be sure to dry the keys afterwards with a towel.
Waxing and polishing is not a great idea because those products
can lead to build-up coatings that then have to be removed by professionals.
And, of course, don’t put any objects on top of the piano as
they can damage the finish and negatively impact the sound of the piano.
The best prevention? Clean hands!