I am new to the forum and I hope I am in the right place to ask this question.
I have very recently changed my old, terrible upright for a used grand piano. Brand Goetze, with a practice pedal (!?!).
I was told that it is an instrument from the first decades of the '00s (I am not an expert, but I believe it needs to be refurbished, especially regarding the action, which is stripped down to the bone, and which I will take care of as soon as my pockets allow me to ^^).
The most urgent problem, however, is cleaning. The area where the previous owner lived and where I live is terribly humid (we are soaked in rice fields, for lack of a better term). I have noticed 2 or 3 spots where white mold has appeared (one of which is on the soundboard, under the crossed strings).
I will get a hygrometer as soon as possible to keep the humidity under control. But in the meantime, I would like to know what the best way to clean it is without ruining anything. And furthermore, how should I keep it? Is it better to leave the lid open to let the air circulate, or does doing so risk dust buildup? Perhaps these are trivial questions, but with the upright, I never had to worry about these problems...
Such a radical cleaning must be done by a Technician. The strings, the soundboard, and the rest of the action may have been damaged by humidity. This needs to be checked, as well as verifying that the parts function with a coefficient of friction that falls within standard values. Then, it is also necessary to see the condition of the key felts, the gaskets, and the skins, as well as the felts on the rests' heels. In short, an expert Technician will be able to verify all this and eventually recommend the necessary interventions.
Ok, thanks for the advice. I'll look for a technician around here... In the meantime, I've started dehumidifying the room a bit (which isn't bad for the walls, the books inside, or my bones either..).
I'll take this opportunity to thank you for the welcome and congratulate you on the forum and the video tutorials.. very enlightening!
The most urgent problem, however, is cleaning. The area where the previous owner lived and where I live too is terribly humid (we are soaked in rice paddies, for lack of a better term). I have noticed 2 or 3 spots where white mold has appeared (one of which is on the soundboard, under the crossed strings).
I will get a hygrometer as soon as possible to keep an eye on the humidity. But in the meantime, I would like to know what the best way to clean it is without damaging anything.
Riann
Hi, two pieces of information. There are Piano Life Saver systems produced by the Dampp Chaser Co, which are perfect for controlling the % of relative humidity in the piano. Once installed, the % stabilizes around 48%, protecting the instrument from fluctuations in environmental humidity.
For cleaning, I recommend Sweeper for the soundboard. Practical and easy to use, it reaches all parts of the board and frees it from dust.
You can find all the information at www.crescendosrl.it
