Caring for Your Piano
Have it tuned regularly. Your piano is designed to be in tune under specific tension, so if the tension is reduced for a time, additional effort will be necessary to put it into proper condition. Mr. Steve recommends every 6 months.
Don't use furniture polish to clean the wood surfaces of your piano. Simply use a clean, slightly dampened, cloth. Don’t spray anything directly onto the piano surfaces. Overspray can get inside and cause delicate parts to deteriorate and eventually fail to function.
Keep the keys clean. Usually, just a quick wipe with warm water on a soft cloth will keep your piano keys in great playing condition. You should do this once a month or so.
Hygrometer
Place your piano against an inside wall away from heat, cold, or moisture sources. Sunshine, heat vents, ovens, and radiators tend to excessively dry the piano. Sunshine will fade the finish. Heat and dryness can cause the piano to go out of tune quickly and will shorten the life of the internal components. Cold winter temperatures, such as might exist near outside walls, can cause the piano to contract and go out of tune more quickly. Moisture sources, such as aquariums, humidifiers, and fountains can contribute to dampness inside the piano wich might lead to swelling or deterioration of internal components. Older homes typically have more of such problems than newer homes. Nevertheless, your goal is to limit extremes in humidity and temperature as much as possible. The ideal humidity for a piano is 42%. You might consider buying a hygrometer such as the one shown to the left. This way, you can know the room’s humidity near the piano and even see the minimum and maximum since the last time you checked.
