After a move, it is always exciting to get settled and adjusted to your new home.

Along with this comes a lot of cleaning, organizing, rearranging, and trying to configure what is the best layout for the house. Now if you have a piano, it can add a lot of extra steps to your moving process.

You have to hire a moving company that can handle a piano and can make sure that it arrives safely at its new destination. Of course, once the dust settles after your move, and you have put everything away your piano might not be in its most mint condition.

Learn how to return your piano to the optimal condition in this post.

How to Clean Your Piano After a Move

Depending on how much your piano went through during your move, will determine the lengths as to which you need to clean it.

How to Dust Your Piano

Dust is the usual culprit after a move that plagues your piano.

A feather duster is the best solution to help eliminate all of the surface dust that has settled onto the piano. Especially for the keys, it is important to dust lightly so they don’t get scratched.

Even long after your move, it’s also a good practice to try to clean your piano regularly to help prevent dust build up.

Shiny and clean piano finish cared for with maintenance and cleaning

Wood Cleaning & Polishing Your Piano

Now that you have cleaned up the surface level dirt and grime on the piano, you can determine how much in-depth cleaning you need to do for the rest of the piano. It is not always necessary to treat the wood and polish your piano. You will have to be the judge deciding whether it needs it or not!

If you do polish your piano, you never want to apply the polish directly to the surface of your piano. You will want to use a gentle white cloth so no color can be transferred. You preferably want to use a lint-free one so no residue is left on the piano!

How to Clean a Piano with a Black Finish

For pianos with a black finish, the main issue is fingerprints.

You can use a very soft microfiber cloth to wipe down the surface of the piano without even using any product. Typically pianos with a black finish show scratches way more than any other finish so it is imperative to treat and clean the piano with the utmost care using a gentle cloth.

Additional Piano Finish Care Tips

The best way to keep your piano in great working condition and keep its appearance at its peak is preventative care. Here are some more quick tips for piano upkeep:

  • Wash Your Hands
    Every time before you play the piano or handle it in any way, you should wash your hands thoroughly. That way any dirt or oil that is on your fingers will be washed away and help keep the piano clean during play.
  • Limit Sun Exposure
    Keep your piano out of exposure to the sun to lengthen the life of your piano finish.
  • Temperature
    Make sure your piano is stored in a climate controlled room. Temperature will have a huge impact on its overall condition, as changes in humidity and temperature can affect internal piano functions such as tuning.
  • Avoid Scratches
    Never set objects like frames on the piano that can scratch up the surface.
  • Avoid Spills & Rings
    Setting a beverage on your piano can be a dangerous risk! One false move and you could have a sticky situation on your hands that can severely affect your piano function. Even without a spill, setting drinks down on your piano can leave watermarks and rings on your piano finish.
  • Close the Lid
    To protect your keys, always keep the lid closed if you aren’t currently playing.

All of these daily piano finish care tips can help keep your piano clean and functioning at its best for the long run.

Moving is the perfect excuse to get your piano a checkup. You can have a professional come out and tune it and you can even have a professional come out and clean it! For the most part, a piano can be cleaned quite easily on your own and the preventive steps explained above will make that even easier.

Trustworthy Piano Moving Services in Portland & Kent

To reduce the servicing required for your piano after a move, you can use a trustworthy moving company that can properly move your piano to your new home.

Our professional piano moving experts at West Coast Piano Moving & Storage know how to keep your piano safe during a move so that you can focus on only minor piano finish care to prolong your piano’s life well after your move. We can also store your piano in a climate & humidity controlled space if needed.

Reach out & let us ensure your piano moves safely to your new space!