• The tools used to clean a piano are rather simple ones.piano image by Sergey Goruppa from Fotolia.com
  
  Cleaning a piano can be a huge pain, and many people will tell you that it's a job that should be done by a professional. However, amateurs can do a lot of general piano cleaning, as long as they're careful and they have at least a basic working knowledge of their piano.
  
  

Vacuum

• One of the primary tools for piano cleaning is a vacuum cleaner. The vacuums tend to be larger, canister models rather than hand vacuums because of the options that the canisters offer cleaners. These vacuums have the power to suck up grime and dust, along with the occasional dead insect, but they also have a reverse (or exhaust) option. Flipping a switch turns the canister into a blower that can loosen up dust and grime so it will be sucked up on a following pass with the vacuum.
  
  

Brushes

• Brushes are another useful tool. The brushes tend to be light, horsehair brushes that are stiff enough to disturb dirt, grime and mold, but still light enough not to damage the interior wood or injure the piano strings. Sometimes these brushes are vacuum attachments, which can be very efficient, but other times the brushes are light paintbrushes that have been drafted into the job of piano cleaning. Sometimes cleaners will have both kinds on hand in case one is more effective.
  
  

Cloths and Wood Cleaner

• Though most people may think only of cleaning the inside of a piano when it comes to their grand in the living room, the outside of the piano needs attention as well. Soft cloths, preferably light in color, should be used to wipe dust and dirt from the surfaces and from the keys. Then, once the surface is clear of dirt and grit, you can wipe down your piano using a wood cleaner that's appropriate for your piano's grain and type. Wood cleaners for furniture (which work well on the outside of a piano) can be found at any home improvement store.