Cleaning piano plates

[Withindale]

Is anyone able to suggest a good way to clean off the grime that accumulates on the gilded surface of piano plates between tuning pins and under strings, or is it better to leave well alone until a rebuild (which may be a long way off)?

Thank you for any suggestions.

[Colin Nicholson]

There are several different ways, depending on the condition of the gold frame, if coated in clear lacquer, and if there are wrest pin bushings??.... if none of those, then use compressed air and a DRY toothbrush - you can buy air in cans from most PC stores (for cleaning motherboards etc). For cleaning under the strings, use a soundboard steel & cloth.

[Bob Pierce]

Ask your tuner to do this as part of your tuning/service.

[Withindale]

Ask your tuner to do this as part of your tuning/service.

Great idea.

Air, as Colin suggested, from a compressor got rid of the loose stuff and those little toothbrushes shifted much of the grime between the agraffes.

[vernon]

Try not to use your compressor in someone's front room

[Withindale]

Try not to use your compressor in someone's front room

It was raining and the piano was not so easy to move but no one was looking and it was fun.

Actually, the instrument had been pretty well cleaned so there was precious little left for the air to shift.