[pianotech] Cleaning very old plate-now scrubbing bubbles contents

[Douglas Gregg]

Joe,
For your information and for the comfort of others, you can check out
the Material Safety Data Sheet on Scrubbing Bubbles and it tells us
that the contents are

1. N-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride
2. N alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride
3. diethylbenzyl glycol butyl ether
4. isobutane

If you want to know what each agent is, you can google each one and
find a description of each chemical with its properties and uses. This
is a very useful way to investigate a new product without having to
guess what it is made of or how it works, or whether it is dangerous
or corrosive, etc. It can also give you piece of mind to use it for
your work.

Item 1 and 2 and quaternary ammonium compounds that are very widely
used and mild disinfectants. I know from my work with disinfectants
for exotic diseases at Plum Island Animal Disease Center that these
compounds are approved for use against many bacterial and some viruses
and can be used at ports and in airplanes. If you can use them in
airplanes, they certainly have to pass the anti-corrosive requirements
that FAA is very strict about.

Item 3 is is commonly used solvent that evaporates quickly. So that is
good. It will be gone.

Item 4 is isobutane and is used as propellant that helps make the foam
and is used in many aeerosol cans. It also evaporates quickly. It is
flammable. So if you smoke, don't light up when using this product.

So the bottom line is Scrubbing bubbles is not corrosive and residues
should not be any problem in a piano. Not even if your piano has an
aluminum plate and can fly.

This also makes sense that it would not be corrosive if you are using
it in bathrooms with metal faucets and other fixtures that could get
corroded with strong chemicals.

Doug Gregg
Classic Piano Doc
Southold, NY 11971


Message: 9
Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 18:27:29 -0700
From: "Joseph Garrett" <joegarrett at earthlink.net>
To: "Rob McCall" <rob at mccallpiano.com>, pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Cleaning very old plate
Message-ID: <380-22012532312729937 at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Rob,
That is true, but, before I use something to clean a customer's piano, I
want to be very sure that it will not cause problems down the road. Or, to
put it another way, if a piano has suffered smoke damage, (plastics,
especially), it is possible to "clean" it to a client's  satisfaction, at
the time. However, the corrosivenss of that stuff will continue to erode
any metal in that piano, eventually rearing it's ugly head as a need to
take the piano COMPLETELY apart and clean ALL Surfaces before re-assembly
of the piano. DAMHIK!<G> I like to think long term, as much as possible,
and so should we all, imo.<G>
Regards,
Joe
BTW, If I recall Doug has several degrees in that realm, so he would be
able to answer my question, himself.<G> (don'tcha think?<G>)
G


> [Original Message]
> From: Rob McCall <rob at mccallpiano.com>
> To: <joegarrett at earthlink.net>; <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 5/22/2012 6:19:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Cleaning very old plate
>
> One thought that comes to mind...
>
> This piano was destined for the dumpster. It would've ended it's life in
a miserable fashion, filthy and full of cat poop.  So, even if there are
long term residual effects, the procedure Doug used nonetheless extended
the life of this particular piano. YMMV...
>
> Regards,
>
> Rob McCall
>
> McCall Piano Service, LLC
> www.mccallpiano.com
> Murrieta, CA
> 951-698-1875