<HTML>In a message dated 9/3/02 10:50:01 AM Central Daylight Time, davidlovepianos@earthlink.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Does cigarette smoke have the same corrosive properties? What is the substance of choice to clean the smoke smell from unfinished wood? David Love </BLOCKQUOTE> I think if someone smoked very heavily over a long period of time, (20 - 30 years), and did it right around the piano, the same problem will occur. The soot from a house fire, however, is much more caustic than cigarette smoke. That is why the damage is much greater, in a shorter period of time. I have used Murphy's oil soap with good success to clean the smoke smell off wood. Unfortunately, the smoke smell is not just on the outside of the case. It's usually also inside the piano. So although the outside of the case might smell good, the inside is still going to smell like smoke. In that case, you might want to use a product like Fabrize. Wim </HTML>