How to Fix Sticky Piano Keys? – Ultimate Guide

The sound of a pianist playing the piano is timeless and beautiful. The piano is an instrument appropriate for any and every occasion. For weddings, funerals, and intimate dinners, the piano adds an element of ambiance. Sticky piano keys can quickly ruin these beautiful experiences.

When there is a sticky piano key, nightmare strikes. A sticky piano key can ruin any song or a melody.

A sticky key can turn a beautiful tune into an ugly disaster. Not only will a sticky key affect sound quality, but it also affects the musician’s timing. Do not ignore a sticky piano key. There are easy ways to fix sticky piano keys, so do not ignore a sticky piano key.

There are two main culprits to sticky piano keys. For both culprits, the home solutions are easy. Even better, the remedies are cheap. In many cases, the solutions are free.

But do not worry – You can restore your piano to its former glory, from before it had sticky keys. Here is how to fix your sticky piano keys.

The Main Causes of Sticky Piano Keys

There are two prevalent causes of sticky piano keys. It is necessary to determine the cause of your sticky piano keys if you want to fix the problem. The two main culprits of sticky piano keys are:

• Items Stuck between the keys/underneath the keys
• Moisture in the piano
• Humidity-based or other

The first cause of a sticky piano key is debris stuck in the piano.

What is Your Piano Made of?

Before diving into these causes and solutions, first, it is important to identify what type of piano you have. It can help you get to the bottom of what’s causing sticky keys and what action to take.

Different types of pianos have keys made of various materials. These varying types of keys retain moisture differently. Finally, all materials have different methodologies for cleaning; this means that your cleaning method will change depending on the material.

There are many different types of pianos. There are several different types of piano keys. Pianos that are 300 or more years old have keys made of wood. These pianos are rare because of their age. If you have a piano with wooden keys, you might need to see a technician.

Clean wooden keys very delicately because wood can rot. Wood can also cause swelling. The porous nature of wooden keys allows them to swell, especially when humidity is present.

Other piano key types include ivory, resin, and plastic.

Ivory piano keys are very delicate and expensive. Ivory piano keys are also porous because they come from elephants and rhinoceros. The porous nature creates a unique cleaning solution to fix sticky piano keys.

Resin and plastic are popular materials for piano keys. Both types of piano keys tend to be more affordable and easier to clean. Because of the porous nature of ivory, cleaning ivory piano keys will be a more challenging endeavor.

Determine your type of piano and the type of keys are on the piano. Once you have identified the type of piano, you should have more clue what is causing the problem.

Sticky Keys due to Debris

Debris can affect all types of pianos. If you suspect there is debris stuck in the piano, you should inspect the keys.

A simple visual inspection is a good start if you believe items are stuck between the keys or underneath the keys. Stuck items between the piano keys should be visible to the naked eye. If you do not find items stuck between the piano keys, it is time to continue.

If you believe there are items underneath the keys and wish to fix sticky piano keys, you will have to take apart your piano.

To take apart the piano, you will remove the fallboard. The fallboard is a piece of the piano that can be unclipped. You can unclip the fallboard and remove the entire component. Under the fallboard, you may find dirt, dust, coins, and the culprit of your sticky piano keys.

You can remove the fallboard to remove pieces of debris under the piano keys at home. After you find debris under the fallboard, you can re-attach the piece.

If you feel uncomfortable doing this, you can always call a technician. Call a technician to fix your sticky piano keys if you have an expensive piano that you cannot afford to replace.

Finally, you can call a professional if you remove the fallboard and do not solve the problem.

Sticky Keys due to Moisture

One of the leading causes of sticky piano keys is moisture. Moisture from the fingers can cause sticky piano keys. The oils from the hands can cause piano keys to stick over time.
Another cause of moisture is humidity. As previously mentioned, pianos should not be in humid environments because moisture can cause sticky pianos.

Inspect the piano to determine if moisture is humidity-oriented or finger-oriented. If there is moisture in the keyboard, follow these instructions to alleviate your sticky piano keys.

What you will need:

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• A bowl of water
• A soft-bristled toothbrush
• Toothpaste or dish soap

For Ivory Keys

1. Use your scissors to cut the cardboard into small rectangles. You will be placing the cardboard in the spaces between the white keys. You will also put the cardboard around the black keys. If there is a space or crack between the piano keys, you want to cut a piece of cardboard and stick it in the spaces. Cardboard between key spaces will protect the interior of the piano

You do not want any more moisture getting into the piano. That would take a sticky piano key problem and make it much worse.

2. In a bowl, mix a dollop of toothpaste with 1 cup of bottled water. Use bottled water in your mixture. Tap water often contains fluoride which is and other hardening minerals. Minerals in tap water easily absorb into ivory piano keys.
3. Dip your soft toothbrush into the solution and tap off any excess. You want to have as little liquid on the piano keys as possible. Next, gently brush each piano key. Gently brushing each piano key gets rid of any build-up and residue.
4. Take a cloth or a microfiber towel, and dip it in clean water. Gently go over the area you just scrubbed with the toothpaste.
5. Use a dry microfiber cloth to go over each key. The key should be scrubbed with the toothbrush, then wiped with the wet cloth. The microfiber is the final step.

For Plastic or Resin Keys

1. Use your scissors to cut the cardboard into small rectangles. You will be placing the cardboard in the spaces between the white keys. You will also put the cardboard around the black keys. If there is a space or crack between the piano keys, you want to cut a piece of cardboard and stick it in the spaces. Use cardboard between piano key spaces to protect the piano.

You do not want any more moisture getting into the piano. That would take a sticky piano key problem and make it much worse.

2. In a bowl, mix a squirt of dish soap with 1 cup of bottled water. Use simple, natural dish soap, not a fancy dish soap with colors and additives. Use bottled water because tap water has minerals that are not good for a piano.
3. Dip your soft toothbrush into the dish soap and water solution. Wet your toothbrush and tap off any excess liquid. You want to have as little liquid on the toothbrush as possible. Resin and plastic are not as delicate as ivory. Still, less liquid used in the process is better. Brush each piano key to get rid of any build-up and residue.
4. Take a cloth and dip it in clean water. Gently go over each key you just scrubbed with the dish soap and water.
5. Use a dry microfiber cloth to go over each key. The key should be scrubbed with the toothbrush, then wiped with the wet cloth. Wiping with microfiber is the final step.

For Black Keys

You should clean black keys just as you clean white plastic keys or resin keys. If you have an ivory piano, the black keys probably are ebony.

No matter what, you clean the black keys the same. Whether the piano keys are ebony, plastic, or resin, you can use purified water. The simplest option is a water and dish-soap mixture.

1. Ensure that cardboard covers the cracks around the black keys with
2. With a toothbrush dipped in dish soap and water mixture. Clean each black key. You can also use distilled water without a mixing agent.
3. Wipe each key with a clean wet cloth.
4. Dry each key with a clean. Microfibers are the best because they are lint-free. Lint-free microfibers result in no more debris.

With these steps, you will remedy your sticky piano key problem in no time. When in doubt, call a piano technician professional!

Sticky Keys due to Humidity and Swelling

If you have wooden piano keys, there is a chance that swelling is occurring. Swelling occurs due to humidity, especially with wooden piano keys.

Ask yourself a few questions:

• When did the piano keys start sticking?
• Has there been a recent increase in humidity?

If humidity is a problem, you can wait for the swelling to cease.

You do not have to wait for the wood to contract. You can also insert a thin screwdriver tip between the sticky piano keys. This process will allow them to dry out and contract but be careful! Wooden piano keys are fragile.

Experts recommend using a dehumidifier to prevent piano key sticking and swelling. If the problem is swelling, get the humidity level down, and see if the keys continue sticking. A dehumidifier can prevent this problem from happening in the first place.

Call a Piano Technician

You can always call a piano technician if you feel uncomfortable cleaning your piano keys. Although fixing sticky piano keys is often an easy fix, some people prefer the comfort of a professional. A professional Piano Technician can fix your sticky piano keys for a hefty penny.

Conclusion

The piano is an instrument that accompanies every occasion. The music of a piano elevates happy, sad occasions and all events. Unfortunately, a part of piano-playing is the occasional sticky key.

When you encounter a sticky piano key, you may think the music’s over. A sticky piano key does not only affect music quality. Pianists work hard to learn how to use all of their fingers appropriately. The timing of notes is integral to a pianist’s repertoire. A sticky piano key is a surefire way to ruin the timing of a song.

Hand moisture, natural oils, humidity, and lotion, are all culprits in a sticky piano key. How to fix a sticky piano key will depend on the cause of the problem. If moisture is a problem, try the outlined reasons for cleaning piano keys.

Another moisture-oriented cause is humidity. Consider keeping your piano in a non-humid environment to prevent sticky keys from occurring.

Sometimes the problem is not moisture-oriented at all. Simple debris stuck between and underneath the keys is another culprit of sticky piano keys. With kids and dust come novel types of debris in your piano. You can inspect the piano by removing the fallboard to remedy this problem.

Thankfully, these solutions are easy. Even better, they are cheap and work from the comfort of your own home. If you are not a do-it-yourself person, a piano technician will be glad to help you in your endeavors.

Do not fret because a sticky piano key is an easy fix. Hopefully, these remedies will help you fix your sticky piano keys. Whether you opt for professional help or at-home remedies, you will fix your piano keys.

You will be back to playing sweet sonatas in no time.