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Best way to clean accordion
- Thread starter jdam01
- Start date
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
Are these pits in the finish or something on the surface?
I think surface. How should I clean itAre these pits in the finish or something on the surface?
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
Well, you could try rubbing it with a fine toothpaste on a soft rag. Wipe down with a rag dampened with water.
Alternatively, some car duco polish on a soft rag may also work.
Alternatively, some car duco polish on a soft rag may also work.
murathan
Was a Bassoonist
Every accordionist must have 2 cloths (Fiber kitchen cloths suggested). One is your wet cloth. You wet the cloth with tap water and squeeze tight until there are no drops. You clean all over. You clean the piano keyboard (right) area horizontally from inside out (from bellows to out). Then you pass with the second dry cloth. Second dry cloth can also be used as non slip purposes between the accordion and your knee. Also for cleaning your hands from sweat. Wet cloth will be dried elsewhere until it becomes dry again. The suggested method is you take a clean instrument and leave it clean. Make the cleaning after practice.
Last edited:
Ventura
Been here for ages!
instead of windex or other chemicals, i keep a bottle of 70 or 90 percent
alcohol with a spray trigger for spritzing and general cleaning..
alcohol with a spray trigger for spritzing and general cleaning..
I haven’t tried them on an accordion but I use the little packets of eyeglasses cleaner/lens wipes to clean many things. There are zillions of brands available but these are the latest I bought:
I also keep both denatured ethanol and isopropyl alcohol in small spray bottles for larger areas and for cleaning things in the shop (for example before applying lacquer to metals) but the little sealed packets of cleaner are handy and include their own small disposable cleaning cloth. There is no worry of causing small scratching damage from possible contamination from a dedicated cleaning cloth.
They probably just contain alcohol (they don’t state the solvent) but have the convenience of keeping new dampened wipes in the pocket, sealed so it’s always clean.
I use these for eyeglasses, cheap sunglasses, and expensive lenses on cameras, microscopes, rifle scopes, lasers, ipad screens, and more.
Clean tap water is also good but depending on the water source can contain minerals that can cause scale. If using water, a bottle of distilled water might be good.
If marks from sweat, fingerprints, etc continue to be a problem, for protection there is one product we swear by and use on almost anything that gets handled a lot, such as wood, metals, and plastics. It protects from fingerprints and other contamination. It’s a microcrystaline wax used by craftsman, restorers, museums, professional conservators etc. I use it on all finished woodturnings, jewelry, and instruments like harmonicas, french horn, etc. A little goes a long way! When I make things for others, for recent example conducting batons and my latest, a piano tuning hammer for a friend, I supply some in a tiny plastic container so the recipient can reapply it if desired.
Might be great for an accordion - I’ll have to try it.
JKJ
cestjeffici
Active member
I found this information about the effect of wax on celluloid:https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Wax-Polish-200-ml/dp/B0012S1XBO
Might be great for an accordion - I’ll have to try it.
Waxes have not been shown to benefit hard rubber, while they can damage celluloid by preventing the escape of the acidic gas by-products celluloid naturally produce. The wax seals the celluloid, preventing the nitrocellulose gas from escaping, it is retained in the celluloid hastening decomposition. As waxes age, they harden requiring extraordinary measures for removal. This is even more prevalent with hard waxes like Carnauba. Also, the wax will “yellow” or become cloudy with age impacting the pen’s appearance. Even the best microcrystalline waxes are subject to these same issues. Synthetic waxes are even worse, they are almost impossible to remove. Waxes that were once thought to be “museum-grade,” such as Renaissance Wax, are now known to be no better than other waxes.
Rafael
Member
ÂżHow about bee wax? I found that Liberty Bellows announce it (in a spray polish). Also, in Amazon there are plenty of option both in spray and polish cream.
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