Cleaning the Bottom of the Upright Piano

Now, we are going to tackle the bottom of the piano.  This is a far easier proposition.

First, observe how the bottom door fits against the case sides.  See how close it is to the front of the channel which holds it in place.  Take a picture.

Most bottom doors have either one or two leaf springs which hold the door secure.  In order to open the door, you push up on the leaf spring and pull the top of the door toward you.  Then lift it up and out.  If there are two springs, having a helper is definitely recommended.  You need at least three hands for a two spring door.  Sometimes the springs are so tight that pushing up on them won't give you enough clearance to remove the door.  Simply take the appropriate screwdriver and remove the spring.

An even easier configuration is on some of the older uprights which have a flipper which secures the bottom door in place.  You will know immediately which style your piano has.

Occasionally, there is a door attachment which is "none of the above."  An old Wurlitzer spinet comes to mind which had a bottom door with two very tight press fit male/female parts.  I thought I was going to ruin the piano before I got it off.  Once I had it off the first time, I lubricated it and that seemed to solve the problem.

Once the door is off, you will see the pedal trapwork and the bottom of the cast iron plate (some people call this the harp because of its shape.)  There will probably be a collection of spider webs and some old rubber mutes from previous technicians.  You may see old parts, or coiled strings.  You may even see a Dampp Chaser humidity control system or some parts of one.  The only caution with using the vacuum cleaner is when you contact the soundboard (the wooden board which has finish on it which is behind the plate and parallel to the wall.  This is usually made of soft spruce and will scratch easily.  So be careful there, soft brush only, please.  Otherwise, vacuum away.  Take out anything which doesn't belong in there, and if you think it will be useful, store it in the bench or some other safe and accessible place where you won't forget about it.  If you can't identify it, you should probably still save it.  Your technician will thank you later.  Especially, if there is a coiled string, or an action part, do not discard it. 

Once things are cleaned to your satisfaction, you can put it back together again.  Lift the bottom door up and into its channel, make sure everything is lined up properly and press back the top of the door until you hear the click that means the spring has engaged.  If you had to take off the spring to get the door off, you may replace it at this time.  If you have the flipper style, make sure it is in the same position and in contact with the door as when you first saw it.

You're done.  That was quite an accomplishment!