[pianotech] Clean up ivory stains

[John Delacour]

At 10:19 -0300 20/4/10, John Ross wrote:

>After you get the residue off, the stain will probably still be there.
>It will then need to be bleached.
>I have heard of bleach that will do the job, being available at a 
>hairdressers.

I use it all the time -- Cream Peroxide 18%, but you must use it with 
sunlight or ultra-violet light for it to have any effect.  The UV is 
slower but you don't risk so many fronts popping off as if you use 
the sun.  You can use liquid peroxide but you need to be running back 
and forth painting the keys with it and you'll go blind if you do it 
in the sun.

I find the best way to do it is one thick coat of cream peroxide 
overnight under the UV strips.  Then wipe this off and apply another 
thick coat and leave them all day under the strips.  That will be 
enough for the average job, but more peroxide and more time will 
eventually remove all stains.

The ivory will swell slightly, so after wiping off the cream leave 
the keys for a few hours before doing any polishing.

JD
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