Spring cleaning, as you know, is the time when you really have to make everything look and be as new as possible. There are certain articles of furniture that you can’t clean with just a dusting, like the piano. No matter what type it is, it’s certain to sound better after a deep clean. After all, it’s one of the most enjoyable instruments that one can have in one’s home, take proper care of it, so you can enjoy it for many years to come. You have no idea where to start from? Here are some simple instructions:
1. Get some white vinegar and a gallon of water. Warm the water and add 2 tbsp. of the vinegar. Now you’ve made a suitable all-purpose cleaning solution. Fill a spray bottleful of it.
2. Dampen a lint-free cloth with the mixture. Start at one end of the keyboard and wipe each key individually. When it feels dry, re-dampen the cloth.
3. Take another clean cloth and wipe the keyboard again to remove any moisture and make it shine.
4. With the same solution that you used for the keyboard, wipe the entire outside of the piano case using a dampened clean cloth.
5. Apply furniture paste wax, following the directions on the label carefully. Try not to use too much or too little. When you’re finished, buff it with a clean cloth.
6. Look for any spots of wax that you’ve missed. If there are any, fix them – the wax doesn’t only condition the wood but also repels the dust.
7. Move on to the pedals. Take a soft brush and brush them (you can even use a soft paintbrush or a toothbrush). This way you can easily remove the grime that has built up.
8. Get some liquid brass cleaner and apply it on the pedals, strictly following the label’s instructions. For an applicator you can use an old rag.
9. When you’ve applied that, buff them with a clean cloth. Check if you’ve gotten everything off, and that you haven’t splashed some on the wood.
10. Finally, clean the strings with a fine quality steel wool. Rub it from left to right. Remove all the rust and keep rubbing until they start to shine.
11. For the bass strings, use a coarser type of steel wool.
12. Finally, clean the soundboard of all the wool remnants.