Cleaning piano keys was not my first choice for today’s topic…
In all honesty, today I started writing an entirely different post then the one you are about to read. But, as I started to write that post, I became distracted by the crumbs, fluff, and dirt embedded in my keyboard (yeah for blogging honesty!).
So, I cleaned my keyboard and sat down to write today’s post. Unfortunately my mind was thinking about grimy computer keys, which got me thinking about dirty piano keys.
And, since we are entering cold and flu season, dirty piano keys seemed like a relevant blog post. So… here we are.
Be Afraid of Dirty Piano Keys
Studies have revealed, in all their disgusting glory, that computer keyboards can be 5 times dirtier than a toilet seat. So can you imagine where your piano keys lie on the “gross scale”? I’m guessing somewhere between a “backwoods outhouse” and a 1970’s “Woodstock Honey Pot”.
I’m not joking… seriously!
Just like on computer keyboards, it is very likely your piano keys are harvesting e. coli, coliforms, staphylococcus aureus, and enterobacteria… to name a few.
Here’s how all the nastiness goes down.
1. Busy piano keys become warn and pitted.
2. Sweaty hands release oil that “hangs out” on the keys.
3. Numerous unwashed hands play the piano keys.
4. Dirt and germs bind to the piano keys thanks to the yummy layer of oil from grimy hands.
5. Dirt and germs become locked in the pitted surface of the piano keys.
So how do you clean piano keys?
How do you clean up the biohazardous site that is your piano? Tell us in the comments below. We’d love to hear your ideas and, I am guessing, so would all of the people reading this post who are currently trying to suppress their gag reflex.
Lorrie Sterling says
October 28, 2011 at 7:19 amI wipe down piano keys between lessons with Clorox wipes and I keep GermX and Kleenex in abundance !!!
Also an extra wipe down of keys at the end of every teaching day.
I love my students…… But little kids means icky germs! Lol
Emily Davidson says
October 28, 2011 at 7:40 amWhen I studied piano tuning, my teacher said to use Lysol wipes on the keys, tops and sides of the sharps as well. Of course, don’t use drippy ones! You’ll be horrified and gratified at the same time at all the dirt that comes off on the wipes. Also, I INSIST that every student use hand gel before each lesson and after every sneeze and cough!
Kimberly Bennett says
October 28, 2011 at 7:56 amI do the same thing! Clorox or lysol wipes and hand sanitizer before the kids play. Even if they sneeze, I squirt some into their hands! It’s incredible how quickly the keys get dirty!
Amanda Furbeck says
October 28, 2011 at 8:49 amI have my students wash their hands before their lesson. It helps cut down on the spread of germs immensely. Nothing like good ole soap and water! 🙂
Nikkol says
October 28, 2011 at 10:19 amI have hand sanitizer for students to use before AND after playing the piano as well as the synthesizer and stage keyboards. I also wipe down all the keyboards with santized wipes in between students… both my young and older students (oldest will be 85) thank me because they don’t want to get sick. 🙂
CrossEyedPianist says
October 28, 2011 at 11:00 amI ask students to wash their hands and I wipe down the keyboard with anti-bacterial wipes. I am sure the cold/cough I’m just getting over was caught from a student! The other day Sam wiped his nose on his hand and then discreetly wiped hand on piano! Ugh. I also have tissues in my studio so students can help themselves.
It annoys me when parents send kids who are obviously unwell/infectious/dripping with cold to lessons, just because they want their money’s worth. Far better for student and teacher to stay away.
The autumn term is always the worse for coughs & colds because the kids have been away from school for 6 weeks over the summer. I take vitamin C and Echinacea to keep my immune system boosted
Joyce Hoke says
October 28, 2011 at 2:44 pmrubbing alcohol on a cotton cloth – like a man’s hankie – that way it’s not too drippy and the alcohol disinfects
Andrea says
November 4, 2011 at 12:29 pmGreat ideas everybody! Thanks for sharing…stay healthy!
Kelly says
January 7, 2014 at 12:41 pmMy students have had the stomach flu, colds and bronchitis already this year already – yuck! I don’t actually wipe down my piano keys. I encourage kids to wash their hands, and I use doTERRA essential oils. They are anti-bacterial without killing all of the beneficial bacteria that live in your body. I use a diffuser and diffuse the antibacterial oils during every lesson. It has been very effective in keeping any germs that come into the house from spreading through my house. Plus, they smell amazing, and my students think the blue glowing light of the diffuser is pretty cool too. 🙂 My own children – who take lessons from me and use the piano regularly after my other students – have not gotten sick at all this year!
Daphne Walters says
January 7, 2014 at 2:34 pmKelly, thanks for posting! Are they supposed to help remove bacteria from the air?
Kelly says
January 8, 2014 at 10:37 amYes Daphne, it kills germs in the air. We use the oils topically on our bodies to protect from germs as well. I used to use Sol-U-Guard as well! Now we use the essential oil that’s in Sol-U-Guard. 🙂
http://essentialforlifeblog.wordpress.com
Daphne Walters says
January 7, 2014 at 2:37 pmMy tuner always told me to spray windex on a cloth. It cleans them well, but it does not disinfect. I use a product called Sol-U-Guard – spray it on a cloth and wipe down the keys. I also offer my students rubbing alcohol free hand sanitizer. Kleenex is always nearby! You’ve got to love the ones who keep playing while they sneeze/cough…
Lisa says
January 7, 2014 at 3:23 pmAll my students wash their hands and also use hand sanitizer before playing. I also periodically wipe the keys with lysol wipes. I hardly ever get sick.