Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard

[Douglas Gregg]

Yesterday, I got a call from one of the local piano teachers. The tone
of the voice made me think someone had died. Not quite. A girl taking
lessons got sick and vomited on the middle of the keyboard and then
all over the bathroom. Yuck. The teacher's husband did most of the
dirty work, but she wanted me to come and do a thorough cleaning
between the keys etc.

Fully equipped with gloves and Scrubbing Bubbles and lots of paper
towels, I took off the stack and found a small puddle at middle C. I
cleaned each key and the keybed and associated areas. Actually it was
not too bad. It took about 2 hours.

Has anybody else had this pleasure?

Doug Gregg

[richa...@comcast.net]

Does cat puke count?

Rick Ucci
Uccipiano.com
609-677-0444

[Joseph Garrett]

Doug,
Yes. Be thankful she called you right away! I got that lovely job a month after it happened! Double Yuck!
Joe


Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[Joseph Garrett]

With a giant hair ball mixed in? EEEEEOOOOO! Double yuk!

Joe


Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com


-----Original Message-----
>From: richa...@comcast.net
>Sent: Oct 26, 2014 5:57 PM
>To: "pian...@googlegroups.com" <pian...@googlegroups.com>
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard
>

>Does cat puke count?
>
>Rick Ucci
>Uccipiano.com
>609-677-0444
>
>> On Oct 26, 2014, at 7:52 PM, Douglas Gregg <class...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>

[carl teplitski]

Also got a call on a friday afternoon, for exactly the same problem, except
it was a 10 year old boy.
Saturday will be a full day, and the teacher was very pleased to see me. I
took out all the affected
keys, mostly in the middle section. About 15 keys. Cleaned by washing with
soapy water, and made
sure all was dry. Brought along a couple of my wifes drier sheets, which
smell much better than most
vomit. Laid these down under the offending keys, and planned to take out at
the next tuning, which
would be done in my regular rotation of all the piano tunings. The teacher
was very appreciative and
said so profusely. When I came back in about 3 weeks, all was fine. Took
out the sheets and all's good.

Carl

-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Gregg

Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2014 6:52 PM
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard

[tnr...@aol.com]

Did you remember to replace the front rail wool felt punchings?  The smell will have "impregnated" the felt, and will come back when it's humid. 

 

Wim

[Nathan Monteleone]

This subject line made me think of the response "uh oh, was my tuning really THAT bad??"

[hoser ignatz]

Pictures??

[Douglas Gregg]

I was lucky that almost none of the felts were affected. I did clean
between the punchings with Scrubbing Bubbles and it did a good job of
getting any residue out. The wood looked like new when done.
Fortunately, the teacher's husband was quick and got most of the vomit
up before it all leaked down between the keys. And, YES, I am thankful
it was not left to dry in place.

By the way, Scrubbing Bubbles does an amazing job of getting tobacco
tar and nicotine off all surfaces of a piano. When I get an old piano
from a smokers house (and almost all old pianos have been in a smokers
house in the 50's), I clean it inside and out with Scrubbing Bubbles.
It is OK for felt but I do avoid leather. It is very satisfying to see
the brown stuff float to the surface of the foam. Just pick it up with
paper towels. The wet towels have all the smoke odor and the piano is
nice and clean. It does not damage the finish, but I don't have to
leave it on more than 30 seconds.

Doug Gregg

[carl teplitski]

Good point, but it’s been a couple of seasons now, and no sign of smell

or anything else.  Maybe I was just lucky.

 

Thanks

 

Carl

[Joseph Garrett]

EEEeeeeeoooooo! Why?

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: hoser ignatz
Sent: Oct 27, 2014 7:46 AM
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard

Pictures??

[Joseph Garrett]

Signature?!<G>

[Joseph Garrett]

Ooops!

Signature?!

Joe

[tnr...@aol.com]

I was lucky that almost none of the felts were affected.

 

Gregg

 

Even if the felt didn't get the vomit on it, it is the vomit odor that will get into the fibers of the punchings. And that odor will come out when the humidity gets high. That's why  you should replace them.

 

Wim

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Gregg <class...@gmail.com>
To: pianotech <pian...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Oct 27, 2014 5:15 am
Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard

[Joseph Garrett]

And that is based on what? Experience? Or, pure conjecture on your part?

Just spray with some Fabreeze and be done with it. Or, if there is puke on specific punchings, then replace those, imo.

BTW, I clean with a dilute solution of bleach and warm water. Soap is not needed.

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: tnrwim via pianotech

Sent: Oct 27, 2014 10:47 AM
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard


I was lucky that almost none of the felts were affected.

[tnr...@aol.com]

Joe

Experience. I had a similar case a long time ago. Even after cleaning up the mess, several years later there was still a linger odor. Not strong, and maybe the customer didn't even notice, but I could smell it. 

Wim

[tnr...@aol.com]

Oh, and this was before Fabreeze came on the market. 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Garrett <joega...@earthlink.net>
To: pianotech <pian...@googlegroups.com>

[Joseph Garrett]

Hmmm? Old Bloodhound Beak strikes!<G> Of course, that was pre-Fabreeze. (the only down side to, is extreme allergic reaction to it.)

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: tnrwim via pianotech
Sent: Oct 27, 2014 11:17 AM
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard

Joe


Experience. I had a similar case a long time ago. Even after cleaning up the mess, several years later there was still a linger odor. Not strong, and maybe the customer didn't even notice, but I could smell it.


Wim

[paul bruesch]

If I paid someone to come clean any kind of mess like that and he/she sprayed fabreze on it without asking me first, it would be the last time that person darkened my door. Fabreze and many other chemical "freshener" scents irritate my eyes, nose, and throat really bad. Not only that, they smell nothing at all like what they purport to mimic. I know I'm not the only one. Please be sure to ask a customer before using...

On Monday, October 27, 2014, Joseph Garrett <joega...@earthlink.net> wrote:

Hmmm? Old Bloodhound Beak strikes!<G> Of course, that was pre-Fabreeze. (the only down side to, is extreme allergic reaction to it.)

Joe

--

Sent from Gmail Mobile on my iPad mini

[Joseph Garrett]

Gee Paul,

That was a DUH! I did say: "(the only down side to, is extreme allergic reaction to it.)"! It doesn't get any more explicit than that! Of course the client would be consulted. Sheesh!

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: paul bruesch
Sent: Oct 27, 2014 11:32 AM
To: "pian...@googlegroups.com"
Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard

If I paid someone to come clean any kind of mess like that and he/she
sprayed fabreze on it without asking me first, it would be the last time
that person darkened my door. Fabreze and many other chemical "freshener"
scents irritate my eyes, nose, and throat really bad. Not only that, they
smell nothing at all like what they purport to mimic. I know I'm not the
only one. Please be sure to ask a customer before using...

On Monday, October 27, 2014, Joseph Garrett

wrote:

> Hmmm? Old Bloodhound Beak strikes! Of course, that was pre-Fabreeze.

> (the only down side to, is extreme allergic reaction to it.)
>
> Joe
>
>

--
Sent from Gmail Mobile on my iPad mini

[Douglas Gregg]

Actually, I did not detect an odor as most of it was cleaned off the
top of the keys and only a little got between the keys. I think it
pretty much missed the punchings as they are directly under the key
stick and had some protection. I think if it did not smell then, it
will not likely smell later. The Scrubbing Bubbles covers some smell
too as well as extracting stuff.

Doug Gregg

[Joseph Garrett]

Doug,
Sounds like all the planets were in proper alignment.<G>
Joe

Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[paul bruesch]

You said that in your follow-up response to Wim, which you sent while I was composing my response.

[Joseph Garrett]

Ah So! My apology.<G>

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: paul bruesch
Sent: Oct 28, 2014 3:26 PM
To: "pian...@googlegroups.com"
Subject: Re: [pianotech] vomit on keyboard

You said that in your follow-up response to Wim, which you sent while I was
composing my response.

On Monday, October 27, 2014, Joseph Garrett