When you have your upright piano comfortably home, there are a few things you should know about the care it requires. Your upright (or vertical) piano should be treated as a fine piece of furniture.

Dusting.  There is a fine art to dusting an upright piano and many steps to be taken to ensure proper cleaning. The piano should be dusted regularly to keep floating dust particles, and any other foreign remnants, off the piano’s surface and also to help protect the finish of the piano. Any soft, lint-free cloth will be fine to gently smooth the dust particles from the piano surface. Dusting will also rid the piano surface of fingerprints. If you choose to use a dampened cheesecloth to clean the piano, make sure any traces of water are completely wrung from the cloth as any water residue is apt to damage the wood of the piano. You can purchase special dusting cloths, containing special polishing ingredients, made especially for pianos to help keep their luster and shine. There is also a certain direction in which you should dust. Always run your dusting cloth in the direction of the wood grain, and always in a straight line – never dust using circular swipes.

You never want to wax your upright piano as the wax would build up on the surface. Objects (such as vases or picture frames) should never be placed on the piano (even though they might look nice) as they will affect the sound and tonal quality of the instrument.

Never attempt to clean the inside of your upright piano unless you are an expert, or have been trained by an expert. Let a professional technician clean your piano.

Tuning.  Pianos need maintenance and regular check-ups, much like your automobile. How often your piano will need to be cleaned depends on the amount of use it receives. A piano has over 200 strings stretched at a high tension to make those beautiful sounds that spring forth when you play the instrument. The strings rest on a soundboard which moves up and down if the humidity changes. This can cause the sound, or pitch, of the piano to change. You should have your upright piano professionally tuned at least twice a year, depending on use. Another good investment might be a humidifier, as that will help keep the humidity in the piano room at a more consistent level.

The Piano Factory’s Hollywood Piano Company at www.hollywoodpiano.com offers some amazing deals on several varieties of quality upright pianos. Check out their web site for offers on pianos and tips and maintenance on how to care for your fine instrument.