Re: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops

[Joseph Garrett]

Geoff,

Yamaha labeled that "Ivoritis" and for a while there, they were replacing entire keyboads. One could contact them and find out what their policy is now. Or, just replace the keytop material with a good set of Ivorine, (Pyralin) or other high grade Plastic. You may be able to get the material from Yamaha, don't know. Whatever material you use, make sure it is at least 6 1/4" long in the blank form! Yamaha keys are longer than the majority of pianos. (Just so's ya know.<G>) I have specially cut blanks just for the Yamaha in my shop.

Best,

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: Geoff Sykes
Sent: May 15, 2014 10:26 PM
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops

Yamaha C5, (2009).
Customer is a teacher. She has every student wash their hands before
lesson. She cleans the entire keyboard every evening after the last lesson,
usually with mild dish washing soap and water, (being careful not to get
the keys "wet"). Says the middle section, only, of the keyboard, the area
that gets played the most, is starting to exhibit a slight greenish stain
that she can't get out. I have not yet personally seen it. She claims to
have tried alcohol, (Handi-Wipes), and Cory key bright to no effect.

Any ideas?
Any recommendation?

Thanks --

-- GS

Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[Euphonious Thumpe]

Dish washing soap is also, in my opinion, not the best idea. (Due to the chance of leaving rot-able residues.) I'd suggest "Windex". (Others, please feel free to differ.) Thumpe Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

---

From: Joseph Garrett <joega...@earthlink.net>;
To: <pian...@googlegroups.com>;
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops
Sent: Fri, May 16, 2014 6:27:19 AM

[Mike Spalding]

Nope, won't disagree.   I also recommend Windex, but only when plain water is inadequate.

[Geoff Sykes]

I routinely recommend glass cleaner, or Windex, to my customers and suggest that dish soap be the second choice if the glass cleaner isn't cutting it. However, I can't be there all the time to make sure that's what they actually use. 

[richa...@comcast.net]

Nothing keeps them clean, ivoritis .

Replace the keytops.

Rick Ucci

Uccipiano.com

609-677-0444

[paul bruesch]

Since many brands of dishwashing detergent are dyed green, I wonder if that is what causes the staining. For my own dishes, I favor Seventh Generation "Free" (as in unscented, undyed, not free as in fermented malt beverage.) 

But yeah, for plastic keytops I use Cory KeyBrite, or plain water, or unscented wet wipes. If you use Windex, I'd be sure to just use the vinegar formula. Ammonia clouds plexiglass, and I'd worry that it may affect the appearance of the keytops... though I have no evidence that it does.

On Friday, May 16, 2014, Geoff Sykes <sintoni...@gmail.com> wrote:

I routinely recommend glass cleaner, or Windex, to my customers and suggest that dish soap be the second choice if the glass cleaner isn't cutting it. However, I can't be there all the time to make sure that's what they actually use. 

On Friday, May 16, 2014 7:10:30 AM UTC-7, Euphonious Thumpe wrote:

Dish washing soap is also, in my opinion, not the best idea. (Due to the chance of leaving rot-able residues.) I'd suggest "Windex". (Others, please feel free to differ.) Thumpe Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

usually with mild dish washing soap and water, (being careful not to get the keys "wet"). Says the middle section, only, of the keyboard, the area that gets played the most, is starting to exhibit a slight greenish stain that she can't get out. I have not yet personally seen it. She claims to have tried alcohol, (Handi-Wipes), and Cory key bright to no effect. Any ideas? Any recommendation? Thanks -- -- GS

--
Sent from Gmail Mobile on my iPad mini

[AMari...@aol.com]

Is that from the Ucci Key Covering Service?? 

 

In a message dated 5/16/2014 1:58:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, richa...@comcast.net writes:

Nothing keeps them clean, ivoritis .

Replace the keytops.

Rick Ucci

Uccipiano.com

609-677-0444

On May 16, 2014, at 12:28 PM, Geoff Sykes <sintoni...@gmail.com> wrote:

I routinely recommend glass cleaner, or Windex, to my customers and suggest that dish soap be the second choice if the glass cleaner isn't cutting it. However, I can't be there all the time to make sure that's what they actually use. 

On Friday, May 16, 2014 7:10:30 AM UTC-7, Euphonious Thumpe wrote:

Dish washing soap is also, in my opinion, not the best idea. (Due to the chance of leaving rot-able residues.) I'd suggest "Windex". (Others, please feel free to differ.) Thumpe Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

---

From: Joseph Garrett <joega...@earthlink.net>;
To: <pian...@googlegroups.com>;
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops
Sent: Fri, May 16, 2014 6:27:19 AM

Geoff, Yamaha labeled that "Ivoritis" and for a while there, they were replacing entire keyboads. One could contact them and find out what their policy is now. Or, just replace the keytop material with a good set of Ivorine, (Pyralin) or other high grade Plastic. You may be able to get the material from Yamaha, don't know. Whatever material you use, make sure it is at least 6 1/4" long in the blank form! Yamaha keys are longer than the majority of pianos. (Just so's ya know.<G>) I have specially cut blanks just for the Yamaha in my shop. Best, Joe

-----Original Message----- From: Geoff Sykes Sent: May 15, 2014 10:26 PM To: pian...@googlegroups.com Subject: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops Yamaha C5, (2009). Customer is a teacher. She has every student wash their hands before lesson. She cleans the entire keyboard every evening after the last lesson,

usually with mild dish washing soap and water, (being careful not to get the keys "wet"). Says the middle section, only, of the keyboard, the area that gets played the most, is starting to exhibit a slight greenish stain that she can't get out. I have not yet personally seen it. She claims to have tried alcohol, (Handi-Wipes), and Cory key bright to no effect. Any ideas? Any recommendation? Thanks -- -- GS

=

[richa...@comcast.net]

Nope

Rick Ucci

Uccipiano.com

609-677-0444

[tnr...@aol.com]

FWIW, when I was at Alabama, the cheek blocks on most of the grand pianos in practice rooms started getting a white film on them  I couldn't figure out what was happening until I saw a graduate student using rubbing alcohol on the keys. She told me she did that all the time to clean the keys before she started practicing. I used 0000 steel wool the clean the cheek blocks, and told her to clean only the keys, not the cheek blocks.

 

Wim

[Geoff Sykes]

> If you use Windex, I'd be sure to just use the vinegar formula

Didn't know this existed. Good point.

[Euphonious Thumpe]

"Windex" was a "generic" reply. (Like "Kleenex".) I actually, when I clean keys, use the "Publix" supermarket brand of window cleaner. (It has fewer headache-inducing fumes than "Windex".) But trying the vinegar based type first makes sense.

Thumpe Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

---

From: Geoff Sykes <sintoni...@gmail.com>;
To: <pian...@googlegroups.com>;
Cc: <pa...@bruesch.net>;

Subject: Re: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops

Sent: Sat, May 17, 2014 3:36:29 AM

[Douglas Gregg]

It might be worth trying 3% hydrogen peroxide for cleaning the keys in
the future. It might slowly take out the stain as well as disinfect.

Doug Gregg

On 5/17/14, 'Euphonious Thumpe' via pianotech

<pian...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
> "Windex" was a "generic" reply. (Like "Kleenex".) I actually, when I clean
> keys, use the "Publix" supermarket brand of window cleaner. (It has fewer
> headache-inducing fumes than "Windex".) But trying the vinegar based type

> first makes sense. <br/><br/>Thumpe<a
> href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com?.src=iOS"><br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo
> Mail for iPad</a>

[Joseph Garrett]

Nope. It's the plastic being faulty. Fix? Replace it.
Joe

-----Original Message-----
>From: Douglas Gregg <class...@gmail.com>
>Sent: May 17, 2014 7:12 AM
>To: pian...@googlegroups.com
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops
>

[paul bruesch]

"Stained" not same as "Broke". Why go to the trouble and expense of replacing keytops when they can (maybe) be bleached with H2O2? It's certainly worth a try!

On Saturday, May 17, 2014, Joseph Garrett <joega...@earthlink.net> wrote:

Nope. It's the plastic being faulty. Fix? Replace it.
Joe


-----Original Message-----
>From: Douglas Gregg <class...@gmail.com>
>Sent: May 17, 2014 7:12 AM
>To: pian...@googlegroups.com
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Stained Ivorite key tops
>
>It might be worth trying 3% hydrogen peroxide for cleaning the keys in
>the future. It might slowly take out the stain as well as disinfect.
>
>Doug Gregg
>
>

[Ron Nossaman]

On 5/17/2014 11:26 AM, paul bruesch wrote:
> "Stained" not same as "Broke". Why go to the trouble and expense of
> replacing keytops when they can (maybe) be bleached with H2O2? It's
> certainly worth a try!

I agree, it's worth a try as long as you extend to the customer that it
will cost X to try, with little expectation of it working, then X MORE
to replace the key tops when it doesn't, and that the customer
understands this and isn't just hearing what they want to hear and
taking it as a guarantee that you have a cheap fix - as is likely.
Getting lucky is good, but it's at the bottom of the list of realistic
expectations. MY understanding is that ivorite used to be a casein
(milk) product, but I don't know what it is now, or how it will react to
chemicals of any sort.

Ron N