Piano Care

Editor's comment/ Look after your piano. If you get it tuned regularly (twice per year is ideal) and you keep it in a cool environment with a constant temperaure, away from draughts. It will last a lifetime.

The first thing to do to look after your piano is make sure it's
stored in a suitable place. This means finding somewhere that
isn't too damp. Keep your piano away from heaters, air
conditioners and fire places.

Also try and keep your piano (if it's an upright) away from an
outside wall of the house. Keep the piano out of long periods of
direct sunlight too, as this can damage the finish and also affect
the tuning.

This all sounds very particular but anything to do with heat and
moisture will put your piano at risk of going out of tune and have
other long term negative side effects. Ideally you want the piano
somewhere that the humidity and heat levels are at a nice constant
level. The contracting and expanding of the wooden parts will
affect the quality of the piano.

You should have your piano tuned twice a year. Also, it helps to
get it "re-conditioned" or "regulated". This is when a trained
professional piano technician will fix and adjust any wear and
breakage. It's a very good idea to keep a piano properly
maintained and your piano will love you for it.

Try not to put drinks or vases on your piano either. It's very
easy to have an accident and very difficult to clean up the mess
it will make inside your piano. Sometimes the damage can be
irreversible. Also be careful of objects that may scratch or
damage the finish on your piano.

When cleaning the piano use a feather duster first. The dust
that accumulates can cause tiny scratches when you polish it.
Then use a soft damp cloth. Don't use polish, despite what the
labels might say, because this can also sometimes damage the
wood. Just get the excess moisture off with a dry cloth. This
process can be used on the actual keys as well. However use
separate cloths for the black and white keys.

If you really want to get more thorough with cleaning your piano
there are some products that are designed specifically for
pianos. Go down to your local piano shop and talk to the people.
They will undoubtedly have the right products and advice for you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex
The Rapid Piano Expert

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