This might sound like a silly topic – and it kind of is – but this is a surprisingly common problem a lot of people encounter. Maybe there is a smell that develops over time but in most cases this is a problem with used pianos bought from a private seller.
Many things can contribute to a bad smelling piano. The most common occurrence is with cigarette smoke but there are many different things that can cause a piano to carry an unwanted odor. Situations vary, but you should be aware that smells can be very tricky to get rid of.
There really is no easy answer when it comes to smelly pianos. In all cases you will want to have the piano thoroughly cleaned – and this means removing the action. You will absolutely want to have a professional do this; you should never attempt to pull the action or touch fragile parts of the piano without the help of a technician.
Any piano you buy that has sat around for years could probably use a thorough cleaning – there is an incredible amount of dust that can accumulate over the years as well as some other interesting items. The next time you have your piano tuned you should ask your tuner what the strangest thing they ever found in a piano; you will probably be surprised with the answer!
Sometimes you might be able to mask a smell more than you can eradicate it. For example, when it comes to cigarette smoke, there is almost no way to completely get rid of the smell – it’s next to impossible! After thorough cleaning, one thing you can do to alleviate the problem – and this comes recommend from technicians – is to mask the smell with a perfume or something similar (many times it will be able to cancel out any lingering smells).
Thanks again for joining me Robert@LivingPianos.com
3 thoughts on “Dealing with a Bad Smelling Piano”
This story came from a friend – not sure how true it is, but it’s a great story anyway. Ron did not enjoy practicing piano as a kid. To make the experience more appealing, his mom daily prepared a peanut-butter sandwich which Ron could munch on while he practiced. A couple of months went by with no improvement in Ron’s playing. The piano itself began exhibiting problems. Ron’s mom called in a piano tuner who opened the case and found 60-70 uneaten peanut-butter sandwiches inside.
I was hired to play piano at house party miles into the forest above Santa Cruz CA. Not only did the small upright piano have a bad smell, I had to play around the dead-no sound middle register (A4 to A5). When I had a break, I opened the top and discovered a dead rat between the hammers and strings. The host removed the rat piece by piece between the strings and asked me to continue. I did and he paid me very well.
Thank you for your wonderful videos. I have enjoyed every one.
Susan Swenson http://www.singading.com
I was hired to play piano at house party miles into the forest above Santa Cruz CA. Not only did the small upright piano have a bad smell, I had to play around the dead-no sound middle register (A4 to A5). When I had a break, I opened the top and discovered a dead rat between the hammers and strings. The host removed the rat piece by piece between the strings and asked me to continue. I did and he paid me very well.
Thank you for your wonderful videos. I have enjoyed every one.