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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hey Sarah,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, it's nice to know someone else =
hasn't died
from not using Lysol. I agree, I clean stuff that's =
dirty.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hmmm. I haven't seen the =
commercial. Is
it an aerosol spray or are they making a pump these days? I =
suppose the
aerosol could fly up into the key bushings, etc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When I was hired on at a university, =
one of my
first duties (for my own comfort and peace of mind) was cleaning =
*massive*
quantities of finger grease off each and every keyboard before I =
tuned.
We're talking keys *thick* with gunk. I used Cory =
Key-bright. I must
admit I sprayed it rather liberally and then waited until the grease =
turned
grayish-white. I wiped off the mess with cloth diapers. I =
don't know
how much of the cleaner may have dripped down between the keys =
(I was
spraying to get the stuff below the keytops, too), but in five years I =
never
noticed any effect on the keys. Who knows, maybe my successor
is cursing me this very day. :-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I do remember early in my career, being =
called to
clean....uh.....*puke* from between and under keys for a piano
teacher. After scraping up the stuff, I used a damp rag with soapy =
water
to clean up the rest and then the customer's hair dryer to help dry
things. There was still some *odor* and the best thing I =
could think
of was to sprinkle some baking soda in, leave it for a while and =
then I
went back a week or two later to vacuum it up. Seemed to =
work. The
piano wasn't one I normally serviced, and years later when I did start =
tuning
for this teacher, she had upgraded to a Steinway B. I never =
thought to ask
her about the other piano and she never mentioned anything to me about =
it,
either.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I vaguely remember hearing of some =
piano professor
spraying with Lysol during the flu season, but can't remember if it was =
when I
was in college as a music major or when I was on staff at a
university. Oh, well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=sarah@graphic-fusion.com =
href="mailto:sarah@graphic-fusion.com">Sarah
Fox</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 17, 2004 =
1:39
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Lysol on =
keys!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Barbara,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I don't use Lysol either, and so =
perhaps I'm not
one to talk. However, I can only imagine that it leaves a gummy =
residue
if not thoroughly wiped away. (I *think* it contains not =
only an
antiseptic but also a detergent.) I'm generally skeptical of any =
"cleaning" product that is applied but not washed away (like "hand =
sanitizer"
-- ick). I would think that any Lysol that makes its way between =
the
keys (especially when they are rather liberally soaked) is sure to =
have some
effect on the front rail punchings and eventually migrate into the =
bushings,
gumming them up with regular use of the product. (Can you =
imagine a
piano teacher spraying down her keyboard between students?!) =
Also, I
would think the moisture wouldn't be really nice for the keysticks, =
keyframe,
and keybed, and it might do funny things to the ivory. Perhaps =
I'm being
overly cautious, but I'm of the school that if in doubt... =
don't.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with a moist cloth to clean the keys =
and a
handwashing before playing to avoid soiling the keys.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dunno... I wouldn't do it to =
*my*
piano! ;-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PS For the piano teacher concerned =
about germ
control and liability, a box of latex gloves for the =
students... Or
perhaps the piano manufacturers could design a fallboard to sterilize =
the keys
with UV or ionizing radiation when closed. LOL!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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