How to Clean an Antique Piano
Antique pianos require more than just a light use of a feather duster when you discover the piano needs to be cleaned. Along with proper room placement, the cleaning of an older piano sometimes requires extra care so it looks presentable during parties or family events. Use basic house cleaning supplies you likely already have on hand to clean an antique piano.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Vacuum brush
- Soft dusting cloth
- Paper towels
- Paste wax or furniture polish
- Ethyl alcohol
- Gentle cleaning cloth
- 1/4 cup mild liquid detergent
- 2 cups water
- Dampened cloth
- Dry cloth for wiping
- Vacuum crevice tool
Instructions
-
Cleaning Wood Finish
-
1
Inspect the condition of the lacquer finish on your antique piano. Dust the top of it with a gentle vacuum brush if it merely has the usual accumulation of dust.
-
2
Use a soft dusting cloth for other basic dust cleaning on your lacquer finish. Know that paper towel use is also acceptable and won't leave any scratches.
-
-
3
Spread on a light coat of paste wax onto a dry cloth and apply to the finish of your piano. Wipe the piano surface gently with the grain of the wood. Take another dry cloth and buff the surface while turning the cloth in a circular motion until the wax hardens to avoid smears.
-
4
Apply a couple of dabs of polish to a dry cloth and wipe gently over the piano surface until the finish has a gloss again.
Cleaning the Keys
-
5
Look at the keys on your piano to see if they've yellowed. Know that you can't remove yellow stains off the keys, but soil can be cleaned with a soft cloth dampened in ethyl alcohol.
-
6
Wet the cloth very lightly with the ethyl alcohol, since too much moisture can loosen the antiquated ivory off the keys.
-
7
Pour approximately 1/4 cup of mild liquid detergent into a small pan and mix with 2 cups of water. Dip a soft cloth into this cleaning solution and wipe the keys to remove grime.
-
8
Wipe the keys again with a clean cloth dampened in just water. Dry the liquids off the keys with a soft dry cloth.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Use a standard vacuum crevice tool to clean up particles around your keyboard.
Never use soap on your antique piano's keys for cleaning because it can stain or leave a film on older ivory.
