Pianos
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Restraint is the name of the game when it comes to cleaning a piano. It's no small task, and most professionals recommended that do-it-yourselfers limit their input to the basics. A thorough cleaning is needed every three to five years and, thank goodness, a professional will come to your house to save you the trouble of transporting such a large instrument. The smaller jobs you can tackle yourself include polishing the exterior, vacuuming the keyboard, cleaning the keys, and dusting the soundboard.
If your piano's casework is covered with a high-gloss, black lacquer finish, it needs only dusting with a soft, dry cloth. Give it some extra elbow grease if you're buffing away fingerprints. (See Lacquer for more details on caring for this finish.) To brighten mahogany pianos, wipe with non-silicone furniture polish. Put the polish on a soft cloth very sparingly--just enough to remove that last bit of dust clinging to the wood.
To clean the piano's keyboard, go over it with a vacuum, using the brush attachment. To clean plastic or ivory key tops, mix solution of mild dish-washing liquid and water. Dip a cleaning cloth into the solution and wring it out thoroughly. Clean each key individually and dry it immediately. As you clean, make sure that no liquid drips down the sides of keys. Both plastic and ivory key tops can warp and pop off when wet. Rinse with a barely damp cloth and dry off with a clean towel.
Ivory keys, which yellow with age, can be cleaned with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol--but remember the yellowing of ivory is natural and can't be completely whitened. An alternative: Dab some regular (nongel) toothpaste on a damp cloth and rub the keys. Wipe the toothpaste off and buff with a dry cloth sunlight also helps whiten real ivory keys, so try to position your piano so that it gets some sun (but not direct sunlight) and leave the cover open, (Sunlight has the reverse effect on plastic keys--it yellows them--so for plastic, leave the cover closed.) To protect your tuning, don
place your piano against a poorly insulated outside wall.
Cleaning the soundboard is the trickiest task in cleaning a piano. Grand pianos, with their open lids, collect a lot of dust. Use the bare hose of your vacuum cleaner, held just above the soundboard but not actually touching it, to suck way dust and dirt. You can cut down on dust by shutting the lid when the piano isn't being used or by placing decorator felt (available in piano stores) over the soundboard.
On an upright piano, cleaning the soundboard requires removing the bottom panel, which is heavy and therefore requires extra care. A spring that releases the panel is usually found beneath the key bed. Before vacuuming, look for small parts that may have fallen out of the piano or into the piano cabinet--a broken hammer, for instance. Again, the vacuum hose should hover above the soundboard and strings, never coming into direct contact.
WATCH OUT
Never polish the top of a piano bench--the polish will combine with skin oil and perspiration and soak deep into the wood, making it virtually impossible to get out.
Pillows
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Attention, allergy suffers: Pillows can be a big source of sneezes. Dust, body oil, perspiration, and dead skin particles gather also harbor dust mites, microscopic organisms that many people are allergic to. And if you have goose down, dust and dirt act as abrasives and shorten the life of the down. So at least twice a year, give your pillows--which are usually stuffed with either a synthetic fiber, goose down, or feathers-- a good cleaning.
Most fiber-filled pillows can just be stuck in the washing machine. While you should always follow the instructions on the pillows care tag, generally you can use the cold-water cycle for fiber-filled pillows and tumble them in the dryer on low heat. Or you can dry on a clothesline: Hang the pillow in the sun by one corner. Make sure it is completely dry before using.
Down and feather pillows should be machine-washed or dry cleaned depending on the manufacture's suggestion. Some recommended dry-cleaning only, claiming that machine-washing down and feathers reduces their natural resilience. If you do decide to dry-clean your pillows, take them to a cleaner with experience cleaning down. If there are any lingering dry-cleaning solvent fumes, air the pillows until they are all gone.
If you machine-wash down pillows, consider using a special down detergent, such as Down Wash, available at most camping stores (for use on down-filled sleeping bags). Or use a gentle cleanser, such as Woolite. Don't wash more than two pillows at once. Tumble dry down pillows on low-to-medium heat. Toss in a couple of clean tennis balls to help fluff the feathers. Be prepared to wait-it might take four or more hours to completely dry them. To line dry, hang the pillow in the shade by one corner (not in the sun, as you would fiber-filled pillows, discussed above.) Direct sun can make the feathers sweat, which creates an odor. Follow up a line drying by fluffing in a dryer on low heat.
See also Down.
Simple SOLUTIONS
For Fluffy Pillows >
A quick way to freshen pillows is to tumble dry them on low heat for 10 minutes. It's much easier than a complete washing, and it removes some dust and dander. Do it twice a year, in between washings, to keep your pillows clean and nonallergic.
Plastic containers
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Plastic is the miracle product--tough, resilient, easy to clean. That is, until certain foods, most notably tomato-based sauces, etch their way into its pores and cause what seem to be permanent stains. But don't give up hope. Where there is a cleaning will, there is a way.
Nearly all plastic food containers are dishwasher safe. The includes all Tupperware and Ziploc brands. You also can hand-wash them in hot, soapy water, using a sponge or nylon-bristled brush to scrub away stuck-on food.
To remove stubborn stains, such as the ones left by tomato sauce, try a plastic-cleaning dishwasher additive, such as Cascade Plastic Booster, available at supermarkets and discount stores. Following the manufacturer's directions, add the proper amount to your dishwasher before running the machine.
To remove other stains, mix a paste of baking soda and warm water and scrub with a nylon-bristled brush if the stain is light. For heavier stains, try one of the following techniques:
To clean large plastic storage containers not meant for food, wipe out with a moist cloth. For stubborn stains, scrub with a sponge or nylon-bristled brush in a solution of warm water with a squirt of mild dishwashing liquid.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Restraint is the name of the game when it comes to cleaning a piano. It's no small task, and most professionals recommended that do-it-yourselfers limit their input to the basics. A thorough cleaning is needed every three to five years and, thank goodness, a professional will come to your house to save you the trouble of transporting such a large instrument. The smaller jobs you can tackle yourself include polishing the exterior, vacuuming the keyboard, cleaning the keys, and dusting the soundboard.
If your piano's casework is covered with a high-gloss, black lacquer finish, it needs only dusting with a soft, dry cloth. Give it some extra elbow grease if you're buffing away fingerprints. (See Lacquer for more details on caring for this finish.) To brighten mahogany pianos, wipe with non-silicone furniture polish. Put the polish on a soft cloth very sparingly--just enough to remove that last bit of dust clinging to the wood.
To clean the piano's keyboard, go over it with a vacuum, using the brush attachment. To clean plastic or ivory key tops, mix solution of mild dish-washing liquid and water. Dip a cleaning cloth into the solution and wring it out thoroughly. Clean each key individually and dry it immediately. As you clean, make sure that no liquid drips down the sides of keys. Both plastic and ivory key tops can warp and pop off when wet. Rinse with a barely damp cloth and dry off with a clean towel.
Ivory keys, which yellow with age, can be cleaned with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol--but remember the yellowing of ivory is natural and can't be completely whitened. An alternative: Dab some regular (nongel) toothpaste on a damp cloth and rub the keys. Wipe the toothpaste off and buff with a dry cloth sunlight also helps whiten real ivory keys, so try to position your piano so that it gets some sun (but not direct sunlight) and leave the cover open, (Sunlight has the reverse effect on plastic keys--it yellows them--so for plastic, leave the cover closed.) To protect your tuning, don
place your piano against a poorly insulated outside wall.
Cleaning the soundboard is the trickiest task in cleaning a piano. Grand pianos, with their open lids, collect a lot of dust. Use the bare hose of your vacuum cleaner, held just above the soundboard but not actually touching it, to suck way dust and dirt. You can cut down on dust by shutting the lid when the piano isn't being used or by placing decorator felt (available in piano stores) over the soundboard.
On an upright piano, cleaning the soundboard requires removing the bottom panel, which is heavy and therefore requires extra care. A spring that releases the panel is usually found beneath the key bed. Before vacuuming, look for small parts that may have fallen out of the piano or into the piano cabinet--a broken hammer, for instance. Again, the vacuum hose should hover above the soundboard and strings, never coming into direct contact.
WATCH OUT
Never polish the top of a piano bench--the polish will combine with skin oil and perspiration and soak deep into the wood, making it virtually impossible to get out.
Pillows
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attention, allergy suffers: Pillows can be a big source of sneezes. Dust, body oil, perspiration, and dead skin particles gather also harbor dust mites, microscopic organisms that many people are allergic to. And if you have goose down, dust and dirt act as abrasives and shorten the life of the down. So at least twice a year, give your pillows--which are usually stuffed with either a synthetic fiber, goose down, or feathers-- a good cleaning.
Most fiber-filled pillows can just be stuck in the washing machine. While you should always follow the instructions on the pillows care tag, generally you can use the cold-water cycle for fiber-filled pillows and tumble them in the dryer on low heat. Or you can dry on a clothesline: Hang the pillow in the sun by one corner. Make sure it is completely dry before using.
Down and feather pillows should be machine-washed or dry cleaned depending on the manufacture's suggestion. Some recommended dry-cleaning only, claiming that machine-washing down and feathers reduces their natural resilience. If you do decide to dry-clean your pillows, take them to a cleaner with experience cleaning down. If there are any lingering dry-cleaning solvent fumes, air the pillows until they are all gone.
If you machine-wash down pillows, consider using a special down detergent, such as Down Wash, available at most camping stores (for use on down-filled sleeping bags). Or use a gentle cleanser, such as Woolite. Don't wash more than two pillows at once. Tumble dry down pillows on low-to-medium heat. Toss in a couple of clean tennis balls to help fluff the feathers. Be prepared to wait-it might take four or more hours to completely dry them. To line dry, hang the pillow in the shade by one corner (not in the sun, as you would fiber-filled pillows, discussed above.) Direct sun can make the feathers sweat, which creates an odor. Follow up a line drying by fluffing in a dryer on low heat.
See also Down.
Simple SOLUTIONS
For Fluffy Pillows >
A quick way to freshen pillows is to tumble dry them on low heat for 10 minutes. It's much easier than a complete washing, and it removes some dust and dander. Do it twice a year, in between washings, to keep your pillows clean and nonallergic.
Plastic containers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plastic is the miracle product--tough, resilient, easy to clean. That is, until certain foods, most notably tomato-based sauces, etch their way into its pores and cause what seem to be permanent stains. But don't give up hope. Where there is a cleaning will, there is a way.
Nearly all plastic food containers are dishwasher safe. The includes all Tupperware and Ziploc brands. You also can hand-wash them in hot, soapy water, using a sponge or nylon-bristled brush to scrub away stuck-on food.
To remove stubborn stains, such as the ones left by tomato sauce, try a plastic-cleaning dishwasher additive, such as Cascade Plastic Booster, available at supermarkets and discount stores. Following the manufacturer's directions, add the proper amount to your dishwasher before running the machine.
To remove other stains, mix a paste of baking soda and warm water and scrub with a nylon-bristled brush if the stain is light. For heavier stains, try one of the following techniques:
- Scrub with a solution of 1/4 cup dishwasher detergent mixed with 1 cup warm water. (Rinse well.)
- Soak in a solution of 1/4 cup bleach mixed with 1 quart warm water (Wash in soapy water afterward and rinse well.)
- Let the container stand in direct sunlight for a day or two.
To clean large plastic storage containers not meant for food, wipe out with a moist cloth. For stubborn stains, scrub with a sponge or nylon-bristled brush in a solution of warm water with a squirt of mild dishwashing liquid.
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