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What Do You Clean Your Keys With?


Guest Roffensis

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Guest Roffensis

As one lady organist once advised, milk :lol: is the finest to clean keys of Ivory, so now you know......

 

I thought I'd start an absolutely fascinating topic, one so very close to all of our hearts. Whatever you use, Jiffy and a Brilloz pad, Toilet duckness, Limescale remover, here is your chance to reveal all, it's paramount to know that our manuals are being taken utmost care of.

 

R

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Lard and KY jelly seems to keep them supple and moist

 

The most important first job of any tuning visit was to clean the keys. Water or meths would normally do but if the console was cleaned up your tuning automatically seemed to be at least 25% better to the organist even if you had not had a chance to start the tuning before he came in and insisted on trying the organ.

 

I am sure Peter DeVile, being a highly skilled tuner knows the importance of this.

 

FF :lol:

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Lard and KY jelly seems to keep them supple and moist

 

=================

 

I'll pass on the lard, thanks!

 

My mother, God rest her soul, once cleaned the home-organ keys, organ-pedals and the bench with "Mr Sheen," and as I was practising for a concert, I was on fine form.

 

I launched myself into the into Bonnet's "Etude de Concerte" (OMG....that's French isn't it?)....and it lasted about half-a-second; bouncing off the keys, head-butting the music-desk and then, in a state of re-coil, sliding sideways and landing on the organ-pedals.

 

How she laughed! How I glared!

 

I reckon the only thing worse would have been pure Glycerin.

 

More to the point, I would clean plastic keys, car windscreens, brass plaques....in fact....most things, with "Cif" (formerly "Jif"), but as I have rosewood naturals on the organ I play, I tend to use wood-polish, and hope that I don't launch myself off the organ afterwards.

 

MM

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=================

 

I'll pass on the lard, thanks!

 

My mother, God rest her soul, once cleaned the home-organ keys, organ-pedals and the bench with "Mr Sheen," and as I was practising for a concert, I was on fine form.

 

I launched myself into the into Bonnet's "Etude de Concerte"  (OMG....that's French isn't it?)....and it lasted about half-a-second; bouncing off the keys, head-butting the music-desk and then, in a state of re-coil, sliding sideways and landing on the organ-pedals.

 

How she laughed!  How I glared!

 

I reckon the only thing worse would have been pure Glycerin.

 

More to the point, I would clean plastic keys, car windscreens, brass plaques....in fact....most things, with "Cif" (formerly "Jif"), but as I have rosewood naturals on the organ I play, I tend to use wood-polish, and hope that I don't launch myself off the organ afterwards.

 

MM

 

 

At last, an organist who cleans his keys!

 

FF

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Meths is a good one, as is just a bit damp (with water) rag or old bit of t-shirt.

 

I have often wondered whether meths would have a deleterious effect on some key coverings so often don't use it.

 

 

====================

 

Are we allowed to use old "Carlo Curley - Organ Power!" T-shirts?

 

:lol:

 

MM

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