How to Clean Ivory

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Ivory always seems to yellow with age and lose its beautiful soft gleam. Many pianos look old and worn because the ivory keys are discolored or broken. You can keep ivory lovely with proper care and regular cleaning.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Baking soda
Lemon juice
Soft, damp cloth
Mild soap
Water

Step1

Know the tricks Ivory will only keep it's lovely off white color if it is exposed to light. Ivory of any kind including piano keys cannot be kept covered all the time or they will naturally darken and grow yellow.

Step2

Keep ivory well dusted. Use a soft clean cloth to dust ivory. Be cautious with it as it can scratch easily. Wash ivory objects in a gently soap and water mix. Do not let pieces soak as this can loosen any glues used in the pie. Rinse the pieces and dry them. Use a soft clean cloth to gently buff the piece to a soft shine.

Step3

Treat piano keys kindly. Use a damp cloth dipped into a bit of baking soda. Gently rub each key separately and wipe them with a clean damp cloth to remove baking soda residue. Buff the keys dry with a soft cloth.

Step4

Whiten ivory. If the ivory is not badly discolored it may be whitened. Mix equal parts of lemon juice and water. Don't get the solution on any metal parts. Wipe the ivory with a damp cloth and then buff with a dry cloth. If your ivory is badly stained, you will need to have a professional clean it. A jeweler can clean ivory pieces. For piano keys, you may have to call a music store that sells and services pianos to find a workman able to do this.