OT cleaning piano keys

During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and doors
open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could bite
one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got to
go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just barely
damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts. Polly

Polly, check with an expert, but............my dad used to clean ivory with
rubbing alcohol.

--
Carolyn in The Old Pueblo

If it ain't broke, you aren't trying. --Red Green
If it ain't broke, it ain't mine. --Carolyn McCarty

If at first you don't succeed, switch to power tools --Red Green
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer. --Carolyn McCarty

"Polly Esther" wrote in message
ink.net...
During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and doors
open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could bite
one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got to
go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just barely
damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts. Polly

http://ne.essortment.com/howtocleanpia_rsqq.htm This covers the bases
well. A beautiful piano is a joy, I hope yours can be non stickified easily.
Diana

Polly Esther wrote:
During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and doors
open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could bite
one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got to
go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just barely
damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts. Polly

Spray your cloth damp with windex or some such to remove the oil, then do
the soft cloth with milk thing. They'll be fine.

Karen, Queen of Squishies
and proud owner of a 1908 Steinway beauty

Polly,

I have something called KEY-BRITE by Cory. It is made specifically for
piano keys. Cleans like a dream on my baby grand. I have even used it on
the keys on my computer keyboard and I could not believe how easily it
cleaned up all the grime.

Debbi in SO CA

Polly Esther wrote:
During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and doors
open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could bite
one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got to
go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just barely
damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts. Polly

Wonderful answers, thank you all. Polly

"Debbi" wrote in message
news:ULxZe.267309$E95.9727@fed1read01...
Polly,

I have something called KEY-BRITE by Cory. It is made specifically for
piano keys. Cleans like a dream on my baby grand. I have even used it on
the keys on my computer keyboard and I could not believe how easily it
cleaned up all the grime.

Debbi in SO CA

Polly Esther wrote:
During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and
doors open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could
bite one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got
to go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just
barely damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am
wondering if any of you have any thoughts. Polly

Oh Karen - I had a 1908 Steinway, too.
I don't have it any more (the sound board was beginning to go); but I
treasured it for many, many a year.
..
In message CCxZe.162249$084.19942@attbi_s22, Queen of Squishies
writes
Spray your cloth damp with windex or some such to remove the oil, then do
the soft cloth with milk thing. They'll be fine.

Karen, Queen of Squishies
and proud owner of a 1908 Steinway beauty



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Old, fine furniture used to be cleaned with a soft cloth and a solution
of white vinegar (for removing bloom, greasiness and general dirt). If
the keys are ivory, that probably wouldn't be a good idea, but it would
be fine for the body of the piano. As to the keys, the usual rule of
thumb for 'whether or not ivory' always used to be that, if the key
covering had a split across the white notes, just below the black notes,
and the wider part could be a detectably different colour from the
narrow part (so one assumed they were cut as economically as possible
from the ivory), they were ivory. You could usually see a grain in the
ivory ones, whereas the 'plastic' covers would tend to be one-piece and
the same colour from one to another, with no visible grain.
I used to do the milk thing too!
Whatever you try, do try on one of the end ones, not those in the middle
- a sample piece you know g
..
In message . net, Polly
Esther writes
During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and doors
open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could bite
one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got to
go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just barely
damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts. Polly



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

white vinegar...

Polly Esther wrote:

During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and doors
open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could bite
one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got to
go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just barely
damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts. Polly



--
Dr. Quilter
http://community.webshots.com/user/mvignali
(take the dog out for a walk)

Dumb question probably but, what does the milk do?

DS
"Polly Esther" wrote in message
ink.net...
During our weeks without electricity, we had to keep our windows and doors
open. Every day seems to bring more surprises from that exposure.
Yesterday's was the oily, slimey feel of our piano keys. The piano is a
fine one, the keys may even be ivory. I don't know. I guess I could bite
one like the pirates do to check to see if a coin is really gold.
Anyhow, I don't want to harm the piano but the greasy touch has got to
go. Until Katrina, I cleaned the piano keys with a soft cloth just barely
damp with milk. Yes. Really. I suppose I'll try that but am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts. Polly