Aside from regular maintenance of your piano by a qualified technician, you will want to know how to take care of several aspects of the instrument in your home that do not require you to call in a technician.

CASE CARE

Your piano most likely has been finished with a high-quality lacquer applied in many coats and hand-rubbed between coats. It is designed to be impervious to moisture, but will not resist standing moisture or solvents.

Do not use any spray, cleaner, or wax of any kind.  Very often these chemicals contain silicone, and usually it is not listed on the container.  Silicone is very detrimental to the lacquer finish, and has a tendency to creep. If you have a housekeeper, please share this information. To clean the case lightly, use white, non-colored paper towels. Spray distilled water onto the paper towel, tap the towel with your hand to disperse the water and gently wipe; follow-up with a another dry, clean paper towel. Wipe with the grain of the wood. For sticky fingerprints, use a solution of distilled water and Murphy's Oil Soap, diluted with water about 1oz. of soap to 16 oz. of water. Spray this onto a paper towel, not onto the surface, tap the towel with your hand to disperse the liquid, then wipe in the direction of the wood grain. Again, follow up with a clean, dry paper towel.

Be careful not to set items of liquid on the piano.  A soft drink or alcoholic beverage spilled onto the strings, soundboard or onto the dampers can cause serious problems.  Call your technician immediately to rectify the situation.  Flowers in a vase or potted plants set on the lid can also be a potential problem.  Potted plants can definitely be kept around the piano; just be careful when spraying them to aim the spray away from the piano. Pictures in frames, over a period of years, will mar the finish also.  Pencils, paper clips, and coins have a tendency to find their way into the action cavity.  This can interfere with the playing of the keys and means another call to the technician.

If there are to be home renovations, cover the piano with a heavy blanket or thick sheet; do not use plastic sheets of any kind.

KEY CARE

For piano keys, do not use water or chemicals. For stubborn dirt, dampen a paper towel with a solution of water and mild detergent, such as Ivory Flake.  Try to keep the paper towel just slightly damp, being careful not to get too much water on the keys.  Follow up with a soft, dry cloth. When wiping the keys, raise them slightly instead of depressing them to avoid getting any dampness on the sides of the adjacent keys.

CLEANING THE INSIDE AND UNDER THE STRINGS OF THE PIANO

Do not attempt to clean inside the piano or under the strings.  Please call your technician to do this.  Also, do not attempt to clean the strings.  It is important to keep fingerprints off the strings since acid from your fingertips will cause corrosion of the metal.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Ideally, at 70 degrees F, the humidity should be kept at approximately 40-45%. A room humidifier is highly recommended for winter; in the summer, air conditioning will generally maintain ambient conditions. The piano should be kept away from open windows and drafts of any kind.

To preserve the overall finish of the piano, it should be kept out of direct sunlight.