How to store away your piano

A piano is a big musical instrument, but it is also very fragile. If you are thinking about moving a piano or you want to store away your piano, you need to learn basic rules on how to do it properly. You need to do everything you can to protect your piano from potential damage, and you need to prepare it for storage. Although these steps will seem easy, don’t underestimate them because the damage to the piano can be irreversible!

If you plan to store away your piano rent a climate-controlled storage unit

You should know that pianos are very sensitive to temperature changes. They are also very sensitive to humidity. So, the best solution if you plan to store a piano is to rent a climate-controlled storage unit. That way, there won’t be any temperature changes, and the piano will be safe. it is very important to find this type of storage unit, even before you start preparing your piano for storage. Even in the case of last minute relocation, you need to make sure that you rent a good unit for your piano.

The size of the storage unit is important

Before you rent a storage unit, you need to measure your piano. If you plan only to store piano, and nothing else – you should get a storage unit slightly bigger than your piano. Also, do not put the piano in the storage unit on its side. It should be standing normally like it usually does. It is important to avoid any possible damage. By following this moving guide, you can be sure that you will avoid it!

You need to clean it before you store away your piano

A piano is very valuable, and you need to clean it properly before you store it. That way, your piano will be as good as new once you get it out of the storage unit. Ideally, you should follow manufacturer guidelines for cleaning. But, regardless, there are a couple of things you can do, no matter what is the type of piano.

Cleaning piano keys is the first step

• Start by cleaning piano keys. Use a feather duster and be very careful, you do not want to damage it or scratch it. Even if you have the best moving insurance, it won’t mean anything if you damage it before the move.
• Use a high quality slightly damped cloth to clean piano keys. You should have ready a dry cloth, to wipe any excess moisture. You can use specially designed cleaning products to avoid possible damage!
•  The last step is to apply polish with a soft lint-free cloth. Of course, this should be specially designed for pianos. This is an important step, especially if you plan to store a piano for a long time.

Clean the inside of the piano

If you plan to store a piano for a longer period of time, you will need to check all the rail pins, felts, and keys. You need to make sure that everything is properly oiled. After this, you can start cleaning the lid, fallboard, and the rest of the piano case, USe lint-free cloth and be careful how you will clean it. There are some specially designed cleaning supplies and polish for a piano, so make sure to use them.

Use correct packing materials to store away your piano

As we already mentioned, pianos are very valuable, so you really should not try to save on cleaning and storing them. You should use high-quality packaging materials, such as heavy-duty moving blankets. For transit, you will need protective plastic wrap. And to hold all that together, you will need heavy-duty packing tape or ropes. Heavy-duty packing tape will ensure that everything is in the right place, and it will prevent any possible damage. There are some alternative packing materials, but we advise you to avoid them when it comes to packing and storing a piano.

Cover the keys

You can use a dust protector or a white lint-free cloth to cover piano keys. It is important to prevent any damage, so make sure that you use a dust protector in the right size, so it fits your piano keys nicely.

Cover your piano with heavy-duty blankets

First of all, you should remove the legs of your piano, and wrap them. After that, you should make sure that every part of the piano is nicely wrapped without any chance of getting damaged. Once you have wrapped your piano, you should fasten it with tape or ropes. The next layer should be plastic wrap. The main goal of using a plastic warp is to avoid any damage from transporting the piano to the storage unit. You need to store a piano without any damage!

Ideally, you should hire professionals

Although these things seem like something you can do on your own, ideally you should hire professionals. If you think you can handle the cleaning and the preparing for storage – you should let professionals move it to the storage. If you want to move a piano safely, you need some special equipment. And buying it might be even more expensive than hiring professionals. Also, hiring professionals to move and store away your piano reduces the risk of damage and of injuries. This can be one of the most stressful parts of the relocation if you do it on your own, as well.

Check your piano periodically

Once you have stored away your piano, you should come to the storage unit and check it from time to time. You need to check for any potential damage and make sure that the piano is still intact. Also, if you come to check your piano regularly, you will prevent potential damage since you will catch it early on. It might be time-consuming to come and check your piano let’s say once a month, but it can save you a lot of money and nerves!