Cleaning Up a Moldy Piano
Lots of people who are new to the world of antique collection have made the mistake of purchasing an old piano without inspecting it carefully first, thereby letting its sometimes nasty odour slip right under their noses (pun intended). Cigarette smoke, rodent and bug infestations, and mold growth can all have a role in this foul smell. The pianos with mold in them will have a distinct musty smell which you should deal with promptly, because mold can travel through the rest of the house if not intercepted in time, and can be quite costly to fix if allowed to spread. Fortunately, you can do this in your home quite easily.
What causes it?
Pianos that are stored in dirty garages or damp basements – ideal places for mold and bugs to do their work – are most prone to developing an unpleasant smell over the years. This is especially true if the basement the piano was stored in got water damage due to a flood, tornado or hurricane. The CDC has warned that these pianos, along with other household furniture, could be harmful for the health of inhabitants if not properly treated.
What you’ll require:
Here is a handy checklist of all the things you’ll need to clean up your musty, smelly piano. Luckily, all the things on the list are fairly common household items:
- Water
- Vinegar
- Soft cloth
- Gloves
- Face mask
- Household bleach
- Baking soda
- Furniture polish
- Murphy’s Oil
What to do:
- Begin by cleaning up the exterior of the piano. A soft cloth dipped in furniture polish should be used to wipe down wooden pianos. When you are cleaning up the exterior of pianos that aren’t wooden, employ a feather duster to gently dust them. A slightly damp piece of cloth can be used as well. The piano keys should be cleaned with a damp cloth. The ones which are especially dirty can be dealt with using a tiny amount of whitening toothpaste that is wiped on them using a slightly wet cloth.
- Strong odours like cigarette smoke can be removed from the pianos exterior by wiping it down with a mild cleaning product e.g. Murphy’s Oil.
- Vinegar solution should be used to clean the piano’s inside. Milder smells can be removed by mixing 2 cups vinegar with 2 cups water. With a soft cloth dipped in this vinegar solution, thoroughly wipe down the piano’s interior and leave it to air dry.
- Now comes the more tricky part – be sure to put on the gloves and face mask before proceeding. A stronger cleaning solution e.g. a solution of bleach may be required for pianos infested with rodents or bugs, or mold spores / mildew stains. In a room with plenty of ventilation, mix 3 cups of water and 1 of household bleach. Use this solution with a soft cloth to wipe down on the rodent/bug excrement, or mildew / mold
- If the smell lingers on, put an open baking soda box inside the piano and replace it every three months
If you are doubtful about your abilities to handle the job, there are plenty of professional mold remediators that can remove the mold infestation from your piano for a fee.
