Piano Tuning, Pianos
Covid-19 Update
| Graeme Harvey | Wed, 18 Mar, 18:50 (5 days ago) | ||
| to bcc: me |
The following COVID-19 piano hygiene guidelines have been sent to us by APTTA for all our members to follow and recommend to clients.
The Corona Virus (COVID-19) is having a major impact throughout the world and that includes the world of music teachers and piano owners. The Piano Technicians Guild is making the following suggestions.
1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has specific tips for preparation, protection and care. You can view this information at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/protect/index.html
2. Special care should be taken when using disinfectant products on a piano. Our thanks to Greg Cheng, RPT, for his invaluable assistance in developing these recommendations.
General Recommendations
• Generally speaking, a soft disposable towel, using warm water and hand/dish soap is safe to use on virtually every finish, key, and case parts. Always follow up with a dry soft disposable towel to dry any standing liquid. Cheng recommends the Wypall L30 disposable towel.
• Cleaning pianos is a gentle process not a scrubbing process. Pressing hard or vigorous scrubbing may lead to scratching or removing the finish. Always proceed with caution and use common sense. Remember to wash your hands after you have thrown away the towels.
If using disinfectant products
• Use alcohol-based disinfectants, do not use bleach-based disinfectants or any product containing citrus.
• If using a spray or liquid bottle, use a disposable towel like WYPALL L30. Put the disinfectant on the towel and not the piano.
• After use, immediately put the towel or disinfectant hand wipe in the trash and wash your hands as the CDC recommends. Do not use reusable towels or cloths.
• Always follow up with a dry towel and never leave any liquids on the piano or keys.
Keys
The keys are the most important part. Generally speaking, most disinfecting wipes or sprays (see General Recommendations) should be safe to use on the keys.
Case Parts
Case parts finishes vary greatly and can be easily damaged by disinfectant wipes and sprays. A soft disposable towel, using warm water and hand/dish soap is safe to use on virtually every finish, key, and case parts. Always follow up with a dry soft disposable towel to dry any standing liquid.
Again, cleaning pianos is a gentle process not a scrubbing process. Pressing hard or vigorous scrubbing may lead to scratching or removing the finish. Always proceed with caution and use common sense. Remember to wash your hands after you have thrown away the towels or wipes.
Pianos
Covid-19 and Your Piano
Covid-19 Notice – Most people feel uncertain about the effects of Covid-19 and how it will affect them. We wanted to let you know this concern is important to us because you deserve to feel safe.
We are taking proactive measures to consider your well-being during each appointment. These are outlined below.
For piano owners concerned about keeping their piano clean, especially the keyboard, we offer the following suggestions.
Keeping Piano Keys Safe and Clean
Our guidelines for cleaning your keys and preventing damage:
Most acoustic and digital piano key tops are made of synthetic materials which may react adversely to various cleaning and disinfecting agents. We advise the following practices for cleaning and protecting you keys.
- Avoid cleaners (both liquid and saturated wipe-type cleaners) that contain harsh ingredients including alcohol (isopropyl), chlorine, ethanol, benzene, peroxide and salts. These ingredients contribute to discolouration and cracking.
- If a hand disinfecting agent is used (i.e. hand sanitiser), which contains the various cleaning and disinfecting agents noted above, ensure that hands are completely dry before contacting the keyboard.
- Clean your keys with a damp, lukewarm, soft cloth (such as microfibre cloth) containing a small amount of dish washing detergent, wrung out so that water cannot drip between keys. Wipe the keys in a ‘toward the player’ motion.
- Follow up this first clean with a second microfibre cloth dampened with lukewarm water wrung out so that water cannot drip between the keys. Wipe the keys in a ‘toward the player’ motion as done with the cloth treated with dish detergent.
- Finally, use a third, dry microfibre cloth to dry the keyboard, again wiping the keys in a ‘toward the player’ motion, till all keys are dry.
- Keep the key cover (fall board) closed at all times when the piano is not in use to avoid contamination from coughs and sneezes.
- Always wash hands thoroughly before and after playing.
These cleaning guidelines also apply to the casework of your piano.
We are taking proactive measures to consider your well-being during each service appointment:
- We are washing our hands and wiping down our tools with disinfectant at each appointment.
- We are limiting personal contact, so please understand if we don’t shake hands when we walk in the door or need to make additional requests to limit exposure.
- Your technician is going to call in sick and reschedule appointments if they experience any symptoms, so please bear with us if we need to reschedule.
- We are asking you to please reschedule your appointment if anyone in your household is exhibiting symptoms or has had recent contact with anyone else who is ill.
We are doing everything reasonable on our part to prevent the unnecessary spread of any illnesses, including Covid-19.
Please stay safe and rest assured we have your well being at the forefront of our minds.
We wish you and your family the best during this challenging time.
To schedule (or reschedule) a service appointment click this link;
https://gazelleapp.io/scheduling/F4DJtP2kSTl6G084C67BdJTS