Do you keep your piano covered ?

[m1469]

I close my piano up every single night (except for the two nights I have accidentally forgotten) and I am wishing to keep very good care of it.  I have been thinking about getting a piano cover just to help keep the finish nice and to keep dust from collecting on it (it's pretty dusty where I live so dust collects very quickly).

Do you recommend it ?


Thanks,
m1469

[Waldszenen]

Pianos should always be covered when they're not played, because dust is abrasive. Moisture in the air can also screw up the finish after a while.

[m1469]

Okay, thanks Waldszenen.  I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid or not as the two previous owners of this instrument did not have a cover and it is in prestine condition (though I can see some scratches in the polish).

I love my Frydryk  .


*goes and practises*


Thanks again,
m1469

[zheer]

Do you recommend it ?

  Well you know if you can find a nice cover, something arty,you know there are many shops that sell eastern , mid eastern or even african covers for furniture, you could have it covered all the time and even put works of art on the piano.
   I would love to have a piano room full of all sorts of art work,it's some much more intresting and am sure a good source for insperation. just a thought.

[m1469]

Well you know if you can find a nice cover, something arty,you know there are many shops that sell eastern , mid eastern or even african covers for furniture, you could have it covered all the time and even put works of art on the piano.
   
I would love to have a piano room full of all sorts of art work,it's some much more intresting and am sure a good source for insperation. just a thought.

oooooo... this is a great idea .  I will need to look into as I would like to find something that fits the paino.  Thanks, zheer.

[ted]

I still replace the length of green felt over the keys when I have finished playing; it came with the piano in 1971. In a local flea-market, I found a large, very attractive black rug - one of those ones with a tiger's face on it. It covers the whole piano very nicely. However, I do not play with it on as it markedly muffles the sound. I always put it on if too many people are coming to keep an eye on. I've had drinks stood on the piano, once some little perishers rolled their toy cars on it and once I found half-eaten sausage rolls dropped into it.

So yes, it pays to have a cover at the ready.

[m1469]

Half-eaten sausages on it ?  What the ?  I can't imagine how I would feel under those circumstances. 

Well, here is a concern that I have, especially if I get something that is not meant to be on the piano.  My piano-love has high gloss finish, and I am worried that taking something such as a piano cover on and off of it, that this will scratch it, too.  Wouldn't it ?

I do put the length of felt over the keys every night and I close the fall board and close the lid and everything.  I even locked it once but then I became afraid that I would lose the keys and never be able to open it again .


Okay, thanks
m1469

[ted]

Mine certainly hasn't scratched anything but it is very soft material.  The sausage rolls were inside. Somebody had actually lifted the front part of the lid, popped them in and closed it again.

[m1469]

hmmm... I wonder if I found something that I adore if I could sew some sort of liner into it if needed (not that I know much about sewing).

Now, as far as the people purposely putting the half-eated sausages inside, I am flabbergasted  .  I don't want to offend you if they are your friends, but what were they thinking ?  That putting them in there is the equivelent to dropping them off the face of the earth ?   Or that the piano would literally eat them and they would be gone forever ?  I mean, what ? 

Okay, I will stop now.

[ted]

Be assured that those particular people, not close friends, will never again attend a party at our house. Drinks are the worst though. It is surprising how many people, even intelligent ones, sometimes even musicians, see nothing wrong in putting drinks on the flat top of a grand. I've seen some grands with circle marks all over them. Other pianos have burn marks where cigarettes have dropped off ash-trays. Some pianists stand cups of tea on those side panels of the music stand.

I descend like a ton of bricks on anybody I see doing this sort of thing, whoever the piano belongs to, but during a party it's difficult to be there all the time and precautions have to be taken.

[pianolist]

I thnk that real ivory keys need plentiful doses of (sun)light to keep them uniformly white, don't they? In this community, the pianos presumably get played so often that it isn't a problem, but it's not a good idea to keep ivory keys covered for extended periods of time.

[allthumbs]

m1469

If you don't like the esthetics of covering the entire piano, you can get a quilted blanket to custom fit over just the harp/strings/tuning pegs. That way you can leave the lid up if you want.

Covering the keys is a good idea even if the fallboard is closed when not in use.


Cheers

allthumbs

[penguinlover]

I also live in a very dusty area (a desert).  I have a very glossy black baby grand.  I don't have a cover for it, but keep the lid down, and keys covered when not in use.  My piano is in the living room, so covering it wouldn't look very good.  I have covered it with blankets when we have a party where the piano won't be used, especially when children are present.  Locking it sounds like a good idea when there are people who would put food in it.  Drinks are not permitted anywhere close to the piano.  In fact, I am not a nice person where this is concerned, no matter who's piano it is.  I am amazed at how many people carelessly endanger their pianos with drinks!

My main problem is not scratching the piano as I get the dust off.  The dealer told me just to use a damp cloth, with no "Pledge" or anything.  The problem is, this doesn't work in my area.  So what do I do?  I start with a damp cloth, then proceed to a little dusting spray.  But dust scratches, I can't figure out any way around it.  Any suggestions?

m1469, I understand your fear of losing the keys.  I have two, and really can't tell you where they both are right now.  Needless to say, the piano is not locked!

[alzado]

We have had our grand since 1988.  I wish I could say that I keep it covered, or at least closed, but perhaps I'm too lazy?

I do keep the lid at half-stick (is that the right term?)  This somewhat reduces the dust.

My piano tuner once asked me if I am a "banger" or a "pounder."  I asked him to explain.  Apparently strong pianists who love to really slam keys for their fortissimos are very hard on pianos.  It makes sense -- I would think the felt on the hammers would get compressed much more, and faster. 

I am not sure I agree that dust is abrasive.  But who am I?  Surely no expert.  But when one dusts the inside of a piano -- working a soft cloth under the strings -- the resulting dust is fluffy and puffy.  Grit is abrasive, sand is abrasive -- but I think, not fluffy dust.

Of course, the stuff looks like heck, doesn't it?

Nice to communicate with you again-- you are one of my favorite posters.

[m1469]

Thanks, alzado, nice to communicate with you too .


Okay.  I said "to heck" with aesthetics, for now.  I went ahead and ordered a cover that is meant for the piano.  I will keep it covered most the time except for when I have some kind of piano event.  I just really want to make sure I have something that fits the entire beast and that it will not scratch it (or that I will have to sew something in to prevent it from scratching the finish).

Dust *is* definitely abrasive.  Dust is basically fine sand.  Imagine rubbing sand paper (of any grate) on a high-gloss polish (which is basically what a person is doing when they dust with the wrong cloth).  Scratches may not show up overnight, but over time it most certainly will (or sometimes even instantly).   

And actually, the same thing is true for cars.  Dust will scratch the finish even doing something as simple as whiping one's finger in the dust on the car (or writing things like "wash me"  ).   Cloth that is made for whiping the car can often be used for pianos, too.

Also, there are special dusters to get the soundboard and piano strings with.

Now, I have to say, it makes me cringe to hear that somebody would suggest using a damp cloth to dust the piano.   It is a known fact that water makes wood stain and warp ... which is why liquids are generally not welcomed around wooden instruments such as pianos.  It is the same thing for wood flooring... if water is spilled on the floor, it warps and stains.  However, I am no expert on this matter.  I just know that I would never go about dusting the piano this way.


Cheers,
m1469

[penguinlover]

It did me that way too m1469, but that is what the dealer said, and it doesn't seem to have hurt the piano. I have done it for several years now.  It is not wet, but barely damp.  I wouldn't pour water on the piano, that would certainly ruin it.  But just a little dampness that wipes right off seems to help with the dust.  You are right, dust is abrasive, very.  Our dust is very harsh out here.  Why can't it be like a poweder, you know soft?  But anyway, it isn't. It will be a battle we coustantly fight.

[alzado]

I will probably just show my ignorance here . . . but here goes.

My grand piano is glossy black, using a polyurethane varnish.  This type of varnish is essentially a liquid plastic.  I'm sure it can be scratched, but a lightly moistened cloth should not hurt the finish. Nor should it be able to penetrate the finish to the wood.

There's a big difference with pianos that have a velvet finish, or utilize traditional varnishes.  These would be more vulnerable to moisture.

I have committed heresy here on the forum in the past, stating that I use lemon Pledge to clean my piano.  I used to use a very expensive finish incorporating a wax, called Plush.   Unfortunately, after quite a few years, I noted much cloudiness, even though I tried to rub out the Plush when I applied it.  Turns up to be old wax build-up that was oxidizing and looked awful. 

The Pledge was a product that cuts the wax buildup.  Using Pledge and much elbow grease, I did manage to get my piano back to her old glossy self.  It took time, lots of work, and multiple attempts.  Because Pledge has a volatile base (some sort of volatile distillate) it does not and cannot build up like waxes.    It also cuts old wax rather effectively.

One poster responded to me that no trace of Pledge should ever reach the pinblock or it will loosen the pins.  So I make a real effort to avoid getting the product in such a place.  Actually, I spray a little pledge on a dusting cloth, and never spray it on the piano itself.

If persons DO respond to this and tell me I should not use Pledge, I hope they do not recommend that I go back to a wax type product. 

Best to all--

[penguinlover]

My piano has that glossy black finish.  I have resorted to spraying Pledge on a cloth, all cotton, to dust.  It keeps the dust from settling some  too.  I use it very sparingly.  My piano is still fairly new, got in in 99.  It is scratched though already.  I am sure it is because of dust.  Desert dust is abundant and harsh.  So I guess I break the rules, using a damp cloth, and Pledge.

[alzado]

Penguinlover --

People keep saying dust is highly abrasive.  We live in the north of the USA in a river valley where moisture levels are high.  I do clean the dust out of my piano and it is fluffy.  The "desert dust" you describe sounds like it would be gritty and abrasive. 

The way you dust your piano is pretty much what we do here.  However -- if a person is ill-fated to have a piano with a cloudy build-up of old wax, Pledge might have to be used more liberally.  Again, sprayed on the cloth, not on the piano.  Or if not Pledge, then some other solvent with a volatile base that can cut old wax.

The volatiles in a product like Pledge COULD be bad for old traditional varnishes, such as for persons who have very old (restored?) pianos. Old traditional varnishes can be touchy. But these modern liquid plastic finishes (e.g., polyurethane) are pretty much immune to distillates.

Enjoy your piano--

[gb01]

I can understand your desire to keep your piano in pristine condition, but I think you have to counter that desire with the practicalities of playing the thing.

I have a baby grand which I play every morning before going to the office and every evening for about 2 to 3 hours. If I had to keep covering it up and then uncovering it I would very quickly lose the desire to play the instrument. Although  I have a very nice quilted made to measure piano cover I very rarely use it and then only when I am away from home for more than a week.
The only thing I do when I finish playing the piano is to replace the long red felt key cover and close the lid. I often leave the main soundboard lid open, especially at week-ends, but close it when the house cleaning and vacuuming of floors etc are being done.

I admit it is very difficult to keep the polyester black lacquer free from dust, scratches and marks. I clean my piano's surfaces with a very very slightly damp, lint free cloth. It's important to remove dust and debris from the cloth frequently otherwise it will just get re-distributed over the piano. Use a vacuum cleaner to do this.

Finally don't become a slave to trying to keep the piano clean, it's principal function is to be played and give pleasure from the sounds it makes(I hope), not from being a piece of objet d'art

[penguinlover]

I agree with you totally.  That's why my piano is not dust free.  I wouldn't play it as often if i had to undress it every time.

[m1469]

Well, I guess I see your point.  However, I feel that covering the piano is a necessary means to helping it remain a top quality instrument.  I wouldn't dream of not keeping it covered.  Plus, my piano feels loved when I tuck it in at night and when my piano feels loved, it's more apt to giving me what I want  .

But, you don't have to take the cover off all the way each time you want to play it.   I don't ever open my piano full stick because I don't have a living room the size of a concert Hall, so instead I only fold the cover back and open the piano on top of the fold.  I keep it on half stick during the day.  Folding the cover back and forth is really not much more of a hassle than is putting on/taking off the felt from the keys and closing/opening the lids at the beginning and ending of each day.

My excuses for not practicing really have nothing to do with whether or not I have to open it and close it, or undress it and redress it.  If they did, I believe I would be very much fooling myself  .


m1469

[penguinlover]

Well, I don't hardly every open the top because my house is super small too.  I open it for parties and company or performing.  That sure helps out keeping it a bit cleaner.

[berrt]

in the 60's there were covers even for cars. people put it on during the night or when not using the car for some time (at least in germany there were these things).

then it showed that covering/uncovering, wind movements of the cover etc. really destroyed the finish of the cars.

possibly, for a piano, a cover does more harm then good as well.

B.

[mycrabface]

I've always always ALWAYS covered my piano. On my old piano, I used to cover the keys too with the red cloth, but now I'm just too lazy to. If you don't cover, your piano will get cold and start shivering and you'll have to clean the dust off frequently. I also put a cloth on the piano top (the cloth came with the piano).