<HTML>In a message dated 12/17/01 2:31:06 PM Central Standard Time, kjones@well.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">What I'm wondering is what I should do to protect the finish and make future clean-ups easier. I've been thinking that waxing the practice room P-22's is the thing to do. What about classroom grands with black lacquer finishes, can I put wax on those, or is there something better for the flat black finishes (mostly Steinways). Do most of you have a regular cleaning schedule, or do you just clean up as necessary? Since working here I have been continually amazed at 1) how quickly the piano majors can knock a piano out of tune, and 2) how quickly the pianos get filthy. Thanks, Keith Jones, Associate Member PTG </BLOCKQUOTE> Keith DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT apply any kind of wax or polish to a black satin lacquer finish. This will just make it streak. The best way to clean a black satin lacquer finish is with a damp rag, or if it is really dirty, use a little soap on the rag. (soap, as in liquid dish detergent). That's for both the Steinway's and the PT22's. The PT22's, BTW, might be a satin polyester, instead of laquer. But they are cleaned the same way  Be sure to use a soft rag. As far as cleaning the outside of the pianos, I try to keep the performance pianos looking half way decent. But I don't clean the outside case of the classroom, teaching studio or practice room pianos. I do clean the action when I get to it. I am starting to clean the keys of the pianos I am regulating with "SIMPLY GREEN" in a spray bottle. This gets most of the dirt and grease off. (There is one piano major who cleans the keys of every piano she plays with alcohol. This keeps her from catching colds from other students. It is also helping me do my job). When I first started working here I thought I could get by with tuning the practice room pianos (for piano majors) about once every two months. This semester I'm going to an every other weeks schedule. This is still twice as often as the previous tuner, who tuned all the pianos twice a year, whether they needed it or not :) Personally, Keith, I think you might be spending too much time on keeping the pianos clean. I don't think the students care as much about the cleanliness as they do about the tuning. Wim </HTML>