Seven Ways To Care For Your Piano

A piano can be a great heirloom and it can stay in good shape as long as you take good care of it. Here are some piano care tips that will surely help you keep your piano looking and sounding good.

1. Before you bring the piano into the house always prepare the area where you are going to situate it. In addition, make sure that the area is well ventilated. Moisture can damage the strings because it can cause it to corrode. Pianos are mostly placed against a wall or a window. But be careful though because the rain can go through the window. Water can ruin your piano's outside finish.

2. Constant temperature changes can also damage your piano especially the strings. So keep it away from temperature regulating devices such as heaters or coolers. When the strings are corroded, the sound quality is affected thus it may not sound as good as the day you brought it in. Humidity can also damage your piano especially if it constantly changes.

3. When you are playing the piano, make sure that your hands are clean. It is also not advisable to keep on cleaning the keys as this can damage the finish as well as result to water getting in between the keys. However, when the keys get dirty avoid spraying anything unto it. Instead, use a moist cloth to clean the keys. Do not forget to wipe dry. When cleaning in between keys you can use compressed air or a paintbrush.

4. If you're not using the piano, do not forget to keep the piano cover in place. Remember that these are attached to the piano for a reason, so use whenever you can. The piano cover will keep the dust from accumulating in between the keys and in between the strings.

5. When a key is out of tune, do not attempt to tune it yourself; leave it to the professionals. On the other hand, do not wait for your piano to get out of tune before you call the technician. In other words, have your piano tuned regularly.

This is important because the technician is not only focused on tuning the piano; he or she also checks the overall condition. In case your piano needs some repair, do not let anyone else touch it. The piano technician should be the only individual allowed to do repairs.

6. Do not put vases filled with water on top of your piano or anything else on top of the lid. Remember that the piano may be an important piece of furniture but that doesn't mean that it should act like a shelf. Placing vases on top of it is very risky because water can spill damage not only on the finish but probably on the strings. Other items on top can also scratch the finish.

7. The insides of the piano can serve as breeding places and hiding places for rats and other insects. This usually happens when the piano is left unattended. So even though no one plays with it, always keep it clean and do not forget the insides. Remember that rats can damage the strings and eventually affect the sound quality.