was Cleaning Ivories (Germ city)

[A440A@aol.com]

John Musselwhite writes:
>I now carry a small spray bottle of a key cleaner/disinfectant in my
toolsalong with clean old face cloths. Since children (and adults!) are
infamousfor not washing their hands before they play, and since hands are the
mainmeans of transferring germs,  I've learned to clean the keys BEFORE I
touch
them even if they look clean.

        I also suffer some of the "Howard Hughes" syndrome. Many of my
tunings are done on public pianos,  and I really don't care to share the
germs; however, there are  several of my customers that would go nuts if I
cleaned the ivory.  They are into some kind of weird "traction" , and I have
learned to live with it.
      I would suggest to all technicians  the purchase of a set of white,
thin leather gloves.  Baseball batting gloves are my own preference. I first
used them as a pit crew member on a Nascar racing team.  They don't
 interfere with sensitivity and ........
1.  It improves traction on the lever, requiring less muscle for grip, and
allowing better control/less fatigue.
2.  It will be the first time many customers,(and they all ask at first),
learn that it is poor form to touch the strings with your bare hands.
3.  Your hands stay clean
4.  Your hands stay warm
5.  Your image assumes a "white glove" aspect, and rightfully so.

I don't try to regulate with them on, but for tuning, they have been the best
investment for the money I ever found.

Regards,
Ed Foote