It is often seen that pianos are very sturdy from the outside and that most of the people do not even realize how delicate it is from within. It is because of this that a piano technician is required to tune and clean the piano at least once every year if not several times. But due to hectic schedules this 'one time cleanup' also becomes tough and people often tend ignore the cleaning process. But actually if you delve deep into the importance of the cleaning process and learn how to clean your piano all by yourself, you will see that it is not a tough game. In fact it is easier than you can imagine.
Unless you have a piano which is very badly stained, you can take care of the cleaning process at home. If it's too badly stained, you'll have to go to a professional. But if you clean regularly, you won't come to such a serious matter that you have to use a professional piano technician. There are certain ways by which you can take care of your piano. To prevent your piano getting stained or spots on it, regularly clean it with a soft rag. You should always keep this in mind that harsh chemicals would always damage the surface of the computer. The delicate ivory keys if exposed to harsh chemicals and sprays will seem to look older and worn out. Cleaning the ivory keys requires a bit of effort but if done carefully they are not difficult to be maintained. You must keep this point in mind that you should not immerse the ivory keys directly into hot water. You can use an old toothbrush or a soft scrubber to scrub off the stains. You must not at all spray any kind of furniture polish. And make sure you never use any sort of air-freshener whatsoever, near the keys of the piano.
If you are determined to get the stubborn fingerprints off your piano than make use of a mini colourless toothpaste on a small soft cloth and rub it gently. Scrubbing is not at all required and might lead to further scratches on the delicate surface which would make it look even more ugly. But then make sure that the next time you use your instrument you wash your hands prior to that.
You can also occasionally, leave the piano outside in your lawn on bright and sunny days in order to let the keys stay bleached and not turn into a pale yellow color. The keys that have turned into a dull and stained color should be scraped and then it can be recovered by that of a professional piano cleaner. Furniture polish is strictly prohibited as this leads to the discoloration of the delicate keys of the piano.
You must dust your piano regularly and can give an occasional wipe with a weak cleaning solution. Piano cases are constructed of various materials and to clean them you either need to dust them off with a feather duster or a bit of moisture taken from the breath together with soft leather skin also work wonders for this purpose. But always keep this in mind to use the instructions of the manufacturer, for this purpose. Keep your piano clean and that will ensure its long life.