Is this mould on my keys?

[nonplus]

Hello,

i've got a Rhodes Mark I. It plays really nice, but smells a bit musty, especially if the room gets warm.
Somewhere i read that the cause could be mould on/in the wood, so i took some photos of the keys, that look (most) suspicious to me (see attachments).

Could this be mould (or is it dirt)? And if so, is it bad for health? And how to get rid of it? Would Isopropyl alcohol help?

Thank you

[pianotuner steveo]

No that's just normal grime. All old acoustic pianos have this too. I use Clorox wipes to clean the keytops but you can also clean the sides with them. Or you can remove the keys (number them first) and clean the sides with steel wool.

[nonplus]

Thank you, I'll try that. But where can the smell then come from? It has a sweet wooden flavour. Maybe from the felts? Some of them are new (keys) and some might be very old. Do you think its worth to replace them, even if they look good? I cant localize where exactly the smell comes from.

[pianotuner steveo]

Replace what- the keys? No, you don't want to do that. Where would you even get them from? Have you removed the keys and looked underneath? A bad smell can indicate that mice have been inside. Proceed with caution! Wear gloves and a mask. Mouse droppings can make you very sick!

[nonplus]

No, the felts. I've looked under the keys, there was only a bit of dust.

[pianotuner steveo]

Don't replace the felts unless they are moth eaten or completely worn. Spray a little fabreeze on them to make them smell better.

[nonplus]

Ok, I'll try that. But one question: how could a mouse enter a Rhodes or any other Piano/Keyboard?
You normally have the lid closed (and if unused event the "outer case lid"), don't you?

Felts look like new, so i won't replace them.

Looked carefully for mouse droppings (took out all keys and lifted the harp etc.), but the only animal "things" i could find where
things that look like moth or fly cocoons. Also some wood and metal splints, so only things that don't smell.
I have placed the piano on my balcony (with ceiling/top) and set up a fan to "blow through" the piano over night. I hope this will help a bit.

But maybe the smell ist just "vintage smell".

[conke]

If a number 2 pencil can fit, so can a mouse. The place where the legs screw in would be the likely place for mice to enter. Still not sure about what is smelly, could just be old.

[pianotuner steveo]

Mice are more common in Wurlitzers and in acoustic pianos. I think it just needs to air out and maybe use air freshener like I said earlier. Is it possible that a cat peed on it at some point?

[nonplus]

I don't know. But one question: the air temperature is about 34°C (93.2°F), is this too warm for the piano to "air out" on the balcony?
There is no direct sunlight shining on the piano.

[pianotuner steveo]

I'd be more concerned with it getting wet from rain than the temp.

[nonplus]

No it's a loggia (with windows), so there is no risk the piano gets wet from rain.

[Ben Bove]

The grime on the side of the keys is from hands dragging If you notice, it's only down far enough between the keys where a hand could touch it.  I'm sure you'll see that it's deepest towards the front of the key (furthest travel down), and trangularly gets smaller as it goes back.

Usually the smell from Rhodes comes from the tolex - give it a good smell up close.  It's a porous material, and everything else in the piano is mostly covered - by the harp lid, by plastic key caps, etc. which usually keeps the smell in.  So your best bet would be to clean the tolex with something like an orange cleaner or something that's not too harsh but has deodorizing properties.  You can always test on the inside of the case lid or some other area which isn't readily seen in case it does affect the material or color of the tolex.

[pnoboy]

I've had good results cleaning Tolex by using a plastic-bristled scrub brush and a spray cleaner like Method.  Spray, scrub, wipe, rinse, dry.  It worked like a charm for me.

[synthetic]

https://instagram.com/p/BpR0hoZAtfq

Not sure if image link will work but I think I have mildew on my upper keys. I've tried sanding it and bleach solution. Small improvement so far. I might try second pass with bleach solution. I'm using a toothbrush because I'm worried about getting the keys too wet and warping them.

[pnoboy]

Chlorine bleach is the standard method for mold and mildew removal.  Scrubbing it on with a toothbrush for about a minute, then wiping the key down with a micro-fiber cloth should work.  The darkened areas could be water stains, I suppose.  If so, and bleach doesn't work, oxalic acid is the go-to product.  I think you are being wise in not letting water sit on the keys for very long.

[synthetic]

White vinegar seems to be working for me on the mold.

[Electrickey]

Yes some mold is not affected by bleach and some types even thrive. Ever open a shower head and find black mold in it even if the city water has bleach added?

Vinegar or even baking soda will also take care of mold.