A couple of other tips in addition to the excellent advice above. If you're going to try to get stains off of the plate, check your cleaning solution on some hidden part of the plate first to make sure it won't damage or remove the bronze finish. damhik
I have accumulated a variety of brushes to get under strings in the front and rear, The long bristled, 2.5", automotive brushes are good for getting down past the tuning pins. I did a lot of searching on eBay and found some auto detailing brushes and gun cleaning brushes of various sizes and stiffness that I keep in my sound board cleaning kit for those areas.
I highly recommend removing the lid (by taking out the hinge pins) prior to starting as a good deal of access is from that side of the piano. An hour and a half to 2 hours is not too long for this job. You want to have the right tools beforehand. I have a Metro Datavac that is quite small (15"x7") and powerful, fits in a small gym bag along with my brushes, cloths, liquids, and sound board cleaning tools.
https://metrovac.com/collections/electronics-it/products/datavac-pro-series-micro-cleaning-tools-mdv-1ba?variant=19061593342025#tab-descriptionNote: How I remove hinge pins;
If they are L shape, grab the pin with a pair of pliers and tap out by hitting the pliers.
If they are straight with some sort of knob at one end, tap out from the other end using a drift punch or nail set, then grab the pin next to the knob with pliers, probably needle nose and tap out by hitting the pliers. I carry a very small 2 oz. jewelers hammer for the tapping. (do all this with the lid closed) To get the pins back in, use the pliers/drift punch and hammer if necessary. Everything is done with an eye to avoiding the finish at all costs. You will need help getting the lid off and on, the piano's owner can help on smaller grands.
On your piano in the pics, those stains on the sound board are not going to come off easily. The customer needs to know in advance that while you can improve the condition a lot, it's not going to be like new. That ship sailed long ago.
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Steven Rosenthal
Honolulu HI
808-521-7129
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-23-2020 19:38
From: Susan Kline
Subject: Any tips for cleaning this?
If you end up getting approval to clean the soundboard, be aware that if you remove the action you can reach the highest section of the soundboard from in front and underneath, and use a rag or a shop towel with some kind of cleaning solution on it. The rest of the soundboard you'll need to clean in more conventional ways. I believe that Bill Spurlock licensed Pianotek to sell some of his tools when he retired, including his soundboard cleaning tools. A lot can be done by working a barely damp shop towel under the strings at a break, and then very carefully moving it around through the strings, using something thin, avoiding scraping the board. The natural choice would be a thin screwdriver, but the safer choice would be one of Bill's soundboard cleaning tools, which has a thin brass piece on the end covered with action cloth, all on a brass rod. This can be pushed between the strings. The bass area can be reached from in front and from the tail end. If you have help, it might be worth removing the lid for better access.
Original Message:
Sent: 5/23/2020 4:06:00 PM
From: Margaret Jusiel
Subject: RE: Any tips for cleaning this?
I'm going to add 2 things: 1) When it comes to dirt near a decal on the soundboard, BE VERY CAREFUL!!! Unless someone else has expertise in this area and can wisely advise you, DO NOT do more than dust anywhere close to the decal. (I can tell you stories, fortunately not caused by me.) 2) I will dust the soundboard and around the pins etc. and clean the keys as part of my service call fee, but take what Wim said to heart because what you do now will set a precedent. Whatever you do for free now will not only be expected for free in the future, but will be expected by others for free as word of mouth gets you more business. Make sure you set your standards, NOW.
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Maggie Jusiel
Athens, WV
(304)952-8615
mags@timandmaggie.net
Original Message:
Sent: 05-23-2020 15:25
From: Willem Blees
Subject: Any tips for cleaning this?
Hi Brian
There are tools available to get under the strings. You can use Simply Green mixed with water as a cleaning agent to clean off the area by the pins the best you can. It looks like the "dirt" on the plate might be rust, which you can't clean off.
I understand you wanting to impress the customer and do a good job. But just because you don't have much experience cleaning the piano, which hopefully you'll be able to do, don't do it for nothing. Make sure charge extra. But don't just do the work, and then hand her a bill. Tell her what you want to do, how much it will cost, and then get her permission to do the work. You don't want to do the work, and then not get paid. And who knows, maybe she doesn't want to have the piano cleaned.
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Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
Mililani, HI 96789
Original Message:
Sent: 05-23-2020 14:11
From: Brian Graves
Subject: Any tips for cleaning this?
This will be my first real piano tuning customer (not just practicing at home). I'd like to impress them by going above and beyond just tuning. Is there a good way to clean these ugly stains under the strings and around tuning pins?
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Brian Graves
Pflugerville TX
512-669-0400
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