If you’ve been playing the piano for a while, you likely are already aware of the importance of keeping your piano in the best shape possible for a long-lasting instrument, and an essential part of this is knowing how to clean piano keys.
Properly maintaining a piano is a must, and this involves cleaning piano keys, without causing damage. Over time, oils from your skin, dust, dirt, and grime will collect on the keys, causing them to look worse for wear. Even if you practice washing your hands before playing, your keys will experience wear. However, with the right tips and tricks, piano keys can remain in the wonderful condition through the years.
Thankfully, mastering how to clean ivory piano keys is a task you can do yourself, without calling in the experts. To do so, you will need to keep a few things in mind, and our team at Greene Music has the tips. Whether you bought your piano at Greene Music or need some advice, our experts will instruct you on how to take care of the piano to ensure its longevity. Let’s begin.
Why Should You Clean Piano Keys?
A well-functioning instrument is essential to any musician’s practice, and pianos are no exception.
To maintain a clean and functional piano, cleaning the piano keys is just as important as tuning your piano. With oils from your skin, dirt from your fingers, and dust that circulates in-room mounts, it can create a buildup of bacteria on your piano keys. This can make a piano look aged or dirty. However, with regular cleaning of piano keys, you can maintain the longevity of this beautiful instrument. This not only will allow you to play for years to come but maximize its potential value through the years, too.
What Kind of Piano Keys Do You Have?
Before learning how to clean piano keys, we must first determine which keys you’re looking to clean. Different materials require different maintenance, and piano keys often come in two different forms – plastic and ivory.
First, are plastic keys. Plastic keys are often smoother and whiter than their ivory key counterpart and are typically found on digital pianos and keyboards. This key material is cheaper than that of ivory keys, especially as ivory has become an increasingly rare material.
Ivory keytops are sourced from elephants and their use is mostly banned worldwide. They are most often seen on pianos that were made before the 1950’s. While ivory keys do have a white tone, they are not pure white. Instead, you can determine if your keys are ivory if they feature more of an off-white hue. Oftentimes, this key material will turn yellow as they age, so knowing how to clean yellow piano keys is especially important with ivory materials. Ivory keytops are also known for cracking and chipping.
Before cleaning your piano keys, do the research to find out which material your keys are. As we progress through our explanation of the cleaning process, the differentiation between the cleaning methods and materials will become clear, so this knowledge is a must.
Alternatives to Elephant Ivory Key Tops
Most pianos are now made with ABS polymer (plastic) keytops for both white and black keys, which feel a bit more smooth and slippery. This has been the standard for 70 years. However, the material doesn’t look or feel much like elephant ivory.
Besides the danger to the world’s elephant population from the ivory trade, ivory hasn’t proven to be an optimal material either, and some of the world’s finest piano builders have developed alternatives.
Yamaha created a synthetic ivory substitute called “Ivorite”, which has the desirable porous, slightly grippier texture that pianists enjoy without problems like staining, cracking, yellowing, or chipping. Ivorite is found on their most premium models, including the 9’ CFX concert grand, CX Series, SX Series, CF Series, and the YUS Series upright pianos.
Schimmel from Germany has their own recipe for reproducing an “ivory feel” with a “Mineral Key Top”, which also has a more matte-textured surface that doesn’t reflect glossy highlights.
General Tips on Cleaning Piano Keys
Whether you are cleaning ivory piano keys or plastic ones, there are a few tips that are common across the board when it comes to how to clean piano keys.
To clean piano keys, our basic tips include:
- Avoid harsh cleaners when cleaning piano keys. Those that contain chemicals or polish will be abrasive to keys.
- When using a cloth to clean keys, avoid those that have an abrasive fabric. Instead, opt for lint-free clothes. Please avoid using tissue or other materials that break down, as this will become stuck in between the notes, which will hinder playing.
- Keep the cloth you use to wash keys clean. Typically, it’s best practice to use a new cloth every time you clean the keys of your piano. Especially in the case where keys are particularly dirty, you might want to switch to a clean cloth during the process to keep them fresh.
- When cleaning the keys, use a brushing motion from the back of the keys to the front. Don’t wipe keys in a side-to-side motion, as this will end up pushing dust and dirt into the space between keys.
- Do not spray anything directly onto keys, even your favorite cleaner.
- It’s best practice to clean one octave of a keyboard at a time. Be sure that all keys are dry before moving on to the next grouping.
How to Clean Ivory Piano Keys
Due to the rarity of the material and the fine finish, cleaning ivory piano keys takes particular care. While we’ve shared the basics of cleaning piano keys, there are quite a few tips to know when cleaning ivory keys specifically. From basic cleaning to how to whiten piano keys, here’s what you need to know about cleaning your ivory keys.
- When cleaning ivory keys on a piano, use a white or light-colored cloth. If you use a colored, bright-colored cloth, the color may wipe off the ivory material. This is because ivory is a porous material and one that can become discolored somewhat easily. So, to maintain their pristine finish, choose your cloth color carefully.
- Do not use soap or chemicals on ivory keys. Just warm water will do the trick to clean this piano key material.
- Before beginning the cleaning process, start by dusting the keys with a soft duster. For this, you can even use a paintbrush with extra soft bristles. To do this, always dust away from the piano so you don’t lead dirt within the piano’s cracks where it can build up. This will cause issues for your playing in the long run.
- Next, wet your light-colored cloth and ring it out. A slightly damp cloth is best. Avoid using a very wet cloth that will drip within the piano.
- Now, focus on each individual key, breaking it down by an octave to create groups of keys to focus on. Start by cleaning the key, and then clean the black keys with a new cloth. Since many pianos with ivory keys have black keys that are made out of wood or plastic, it’s important to wipe them with a different cloth than the white keys, as these painted keys may transfer color onto the ivory ones. Keep this in mind as you tackle how to whiten piano keys, avoiding wiping the white and black keys with the same materials.
- After wiping down the keys, ensure each one is completely dry before moving on to the next grouping. It’s important to protect the wood beneath from moisture since this can cause damage to the piano, so taking the time to allow keys to dry is worth the wait.
- In the case of an antique piano with ivory keys, it’s important to take extra care. More antique pianos are made of two parts of ivory, and rubbing them excessively may cause one of the halves to unstick, revealing a half-wood-half-ivory key.
How to Clean Plastic Piano Keys
Beyond following the general cleaning tips for all piano keys, there are a few additional tips to know when figuring out how to clean plastic piano keys. These include:
- Use a slightly damp cloth to clean plastic piano keys. It’s best to use a damp one, and not dripping or super wet, as this will drip within the keys.
- To begin the process, fill a bowl with warm water and add a dash of soap. This should be a mild soap that doesn’t use any harsh chemicals, like the one you use to wash dishes. Dip your clean cloth into this water, and wring it out thoroughly before touching it to the keys.
- To clean plastic keys, focus on one individual key at a time. Start by breaking it into octave groupings, cleaning each key within the section. Clean all white keys first, then go through the process again on the black keys before moving to the next section.
- Avoid applying too much pressure when cleaning the keys. Focus on polishing the keys, and cleaning just until they are shiny and white.
- Keep a second soft cloth on hand to wipe down the keys once you are done. Drying the keys will help avoid damage and remove any residual soapy residue that may remain on the keys.
How to Whiten Ivory Keys
Knowing how to whiten piano keys, particularly ivory ones, is important to maintain this rare, beautiful material. Ivory keys are becoming increasingly unlikely to come across, and so maintaining them is all the more important.
Unfortunately, over time, ivory keys do begin to show their age. This key material will begin yellowing, but with the right cleaning methods, you can clean yellow piano keys for a beautiful finish. There are a few ways to approach whitening piano keys and to help find the best approach for you, we are breaking down the top five below.
Use an Eraser
One of the first ways to clean yellow piano keys for a whiter finish is to use an eraser. Using a white vinyl eraser, specifically, is a cheap method for achieving this whiter finish. Simply rub the eraser away from the piano, avoiding the eraser shavings from falling between notes. This method may take a lot of time to cover all of the keys on the piano, but it will help achieve the ideal shade of white.
Whiten with Toothpaste
Similar to how toothpaste can help whiten our teeth, it can assist with whitening piano keys, too. Using toothpaste and a fine, soft-bristled toothbrush, gently clean the keys one by one and immediately wipe them after brushing using a damp cloth. This way, you can keep them from getting sticky or causing residue building up.
Decrease Yellow Hues with Steel Wool
Another option to clean yellow piano keys is to use grade #0000 super fine steel wool. This is likely the most dangerous way to clean keys, and one we lean on more as a last resort. This is due to the fact that steel wool is rougher on keys and can create scratching and other additional, unwanted damage. But, if this is the tactic you choose, be sure to wipe incredibly gently, lightly shaving away the yellow layer from the keys.
Rely on the Sun
Another, natural way to lighten piano keys is with sunlight. This can be done by simply placing your piano and the keys where they can directly be exposed to the sunlight. However, it will be important to cover the rest of the piano so it’s not exposed to the sun since this can cause fading, as well as warping from the heat and humidity. Essentially, the sunlight will work to brighten the color of the keys, bleaching the ivory after extensive exposure. However, since pianos are especially sensitive to heat, it may be necessary to call in a piano tuner after this exposure to tune your keys again.
Use Plain Yogurt
When whitening piano keys, there are even solutions in your fridge. Our final option for whitening ivory keys is to use plain yogurt. For this method, lightly apply the yogurt onto the keys, keeping it from going between each key. Leave it for around 30 minutes, and then wipe away with a damp cloth.
To achieve whiter piano keys on an older piano, you don’t have to fully replace the set. With these five tips, you can get piano keys whiter, ensuring even your older, prized piano looks new and well managed.
What Should You NOT Do to Avoid Damage to Your Piano Keys?
When cleaning piano keys, there are a few cleaning methods that may feel intuitive but can harm your piano. To better prepare for how to clean piano keys, here are a few things to avoid to prevent causing damage to your keys.
- Do not use cleaners or polish with chemicals. This type of cleaning solution will be too harsh for piano keys, causing damage that you won’t be able to reverse. A mild soap will suffice.
- Do not use a paper towel to wipe down your keys. This type of cloth is a bit abrasive, so opt for soft cloths that are lint-free instead to prevent damage or residue.
- Do not wipe keys from side to side. This will cause a buildup between keys that will cause more harm in the long run.
- Do not use the same soft cloth to wipe white and black keys. Opt for separate cloths to prevent black keys from smearing or rubbing off on the pristine white ones.
- Do not use spray disinfectant during flu season. While it’s tempting to kill bacteria this way, it can destroy the surface of the keys, and even get within other piano parts to cause further damage.
How to Prevent Your Keys from Becoming Dirty
Part of learning how to clean piano keys is knowing how to prevent them from getting dirty in the first place. To prevent unwanted buildup and keep piano keys cleaner for longer, follow these tips.
- Keep up with frequent dusting and wiping down of keys. Even leaving your keys exposed for one day can create a noticeable layer of dust.
- Wash hands and be sure they are totally dry before sitting down to play. This will help limit oils from the skin, as well as dirt or grease, from sitting on keys.
- If keys are plastic, keep your piano out of the sunlight, as for plastic keys, this can be a factor in yellowing. If keys are ivory, keep the piano in indirect sunlight, as this can have the opposite effect of plastic keys and maintain their whiteness.
- When your piano is not being used, keep the lid closed, or use a dust cover if it does not feature a lid. This helps protect keys from spillage and dust buildup. However, if your piano is in conditions where it can cause humidity below the lid, open it now and then to let the keys breathe.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, to maintain a clean, pristine, and well-functioning piano, learning how to clean piano keys is essential. Not only will the proper cleaning methods keep dust and dirt at bay but will help with whitening piano keys, too, for a piano that withstands the test of time.
From mild soap to toothpaste and erasers, there are tons of tips and tricks for cleaning piano keys and maintaining their color. For more guidance on your specific piano, our experts at Greene Music are here to help. With years of experience with different pianos, we can help advise on the best way to maintain your instrument. For more, contact us today.