Piano Care

Tuning

New pianos and newly strung pianos should be tuned 3 to 4 times during the first year. After this, most pianos should be tuned twice a year. Pianos used for performance or for recording need to be tuned more often. When pianos are not tuned for several years or more, the pitch drops and the piano will need a pitch raise at the next tuning, which costs you more and is more stressful for the piano.

Interior

Keep fluids away from the piano. Juice, soda, even water spilled into a piano can cause severe damage. Never touch the bass strings. Residue from fingers cause corrosion, which can cause the bass strings to buzz and lose clarity and power. Remove dirt with the exhaust from a vacuum cleaner. Only a specialist should clean the interior of a piano.

Keyboard

The fallboard should always be open to allow free circulation of air around the keys. Keys should be cleaned only with a soft cloth, dampened very slightly with water or club soda (or Windex if the keys are really dirty). Never put fluid directly on the keys.

Furniture

The case should be dusted with a lamb's wool duster (available in most hardware stores). To remove smudges, use a soft, clean cheesecloth or an old clean cotton tee shirt. Ten percent of denatured alcohol in water or Windex may be used if necessary. Do not rub against the grain and do not apply fluid directly to the piano.

Temperature

Pianos are damaged by extreme heat as well as extreme cold. Ideally, a piano is kept in a room in which the temperature is normal and constant (68° F). The temperature should not be allowed to fall below 45° F and should not exceed 90° F.

Humidity

Extremes of humidity as well as large changes in humidity are both harmful to pianos. Ideally, a piano will be maintained in a room in which the relative humidity remains constant year-round. In a dry climate, such as found in the Southwestern U.S., a relative humidity in the 20% to 30% range is a good objective. In a varied climate, such as found in the Northeastern U.S., the relative humidity should be kept between 40% and 45%. Room humidifiers should be used whenever possible in those parts of the world in which there are cold, dry winters. A Dampp-Chaser unit that is properly installed helps maintain constant humidity in a piano year-round (but cannot correct situations that are extreme).

Sunlight

Direct sunlight harms a piano's finish, causing it to bleach and crack over time, and can cause keytops to yellow. The heat that direct sunlight causes destabilizes the piano interior and its tuning. Therefore, if a piano must be placed in a spot where there is direct sunlight, a window shade and/or piano cover is essential.