In what is perhaps one of the less-anticipated flow-on effects of COVID-19, we’ve been getting a lot of calls from parents and teachers wanting to know how to keep pianos clean and safe for their students and themselves. The good news is that it’s pretty simple:
1. Ensure that your students wash their hands before and after playing. It can feel a little rude to insist that somebody wash up before they touch your stuff, but it’s important, it’s in line with WHO and other medical advice, and it’s your prerogative to keep your environment clean and safe.
2. Between students, wipe down the keys, fallboard (key lid), front board and music desk areas of the piano – anywhere your students are touching – with antiseptic surface wipes. Most wipes are soft enough that they won’t scratch the piano’s polish, but if you’re concerned, try using an antiseptic/antibacterial spray onto a soft, clean microfibre cloth. You’ll need to leave a minute or two for everything to dry before the next student begins to play.
At the end of the day, we need to look after each other and take reasonable steps to reduce the spread of this virus, so we can all get back to the business of living healthy, musically rich lives as soon as possible!
