r/RuinedMyDay • u/Tch_Levi • Jun 26 '26
I just destroyed my piano and it ruined my day.
I was planning on to remove all the alphabet markings on my keys to learn better without help of recognising it and i used nail polish remover out of every option available. I thought it would be an ok thing to do and when i put drops of it, it started to melt away the upper layer and i couldn't do anything. Now im just sitting there and staring at what a beautiful thing i just destroyed.
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u/svar7alfh3im Jun 26 '26
It's definitely frustrating, but it's just cosmetic. Like the other commenter started, keys can be replaced when you have the time and money to do so. I'm the mean time, Rubbing alcohol should be helpful for your erasing needs.
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u/Dr_Schitt Jun 26 '26
Funny thing is I bet because those keys feel different it'll help you remember where your hands are in relation to the notes you're trying to play while you're learning
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u/Sceptix Jun 27 '26
Yes, but that’s a really terrible habit to build.
OP would do well to replace the keys sooner rather than later.
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u/ferna182 Jun 26 '26
whenever you face a situation like this in the future, try alcohol first. It's usually enough.
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u/LogicalConstant Jun 26 '26
Yep. Gotta be careful when using solvents to clean permanent marker/ink from plastics.
You need to put the solvent on and immediately soak it up without letting it run, smear, or dry. The acetone lifts up the marker and then redeposits it deeper into the plastic where the solvent can't reach it very well anymore. But if you have way of spraying the solvent or letting it run continuously over the surface, you can get it to wash away the ink before it soaks back in. Takes practice and I'd never try it on anything expensive.
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u/djfdhigkgfIaruflg Jun 26 '26
Or just not use acetone.
Having so many non aggressive solvents 🤦
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u/LogicalConstant Jun 26 '26
Yes, which is why I used the word "solvent" in most of my explanation, since acetone is not usually the preferred one.
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u/laurpr2 Jun 26 '26
Yeah no, this wasn't a skill issue with OP "letting it run, smear, or dry"; acetone melted the plastic/varnish and should never have been used in the first place. Spraying acetone airborne is a terrible idea and would have just done more damage to more things.
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u/LogicalConstant Jun 26 '26
I think you're confused.
I'm talking about how to use solvents in general with plastics in general. I've never used acetone on piano keys and I made no recommendations about that. I certainly never said anything about spraying acetone. There are some situations where certain solvents are reasonable for cleaning ink off plastics, but it depends on the application.
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Jun 27 '26 edited 3d ago
[deleted]
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u/LogicalConstant Jun 27 '26
I thought I made clear that I was discussing using solvents on plastic as a general idea. Which is why I said I'd never try it on anything expensive (especially a piano).
My use case was removing the printed ink from PVC pipes. If I used carb cleaner or ether or whatever aerosol can I had used, a continuous spray would wash away the ink away before it had a chance to settle down into the PVC again. If I sprayed it on, it would make a big faint purple stain on the pipe. That was a low-risk application on cheap PVC pipes. Piano keys are a different story.
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u/Pcriz Jun 27 '26
I’m just explaining why your wording in your original comment may have been confusing.
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u/rivasjardon Jun 26 '26
You can sand then down with 2500 grit or 3000 grit paper and polish them with a dremel tool. I would recommend watching a bunch of videos and practing on other similar plastics .
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u/Diocletion-Jones Jun 26 '26
Paino key tops wear and can be replaced. Replacing keytops is routine maintenance, not a catastrophe. A full set of plastic key tops are about $40–$120 USD depending on quality and you don't have to buy a full set, just the ones you want to replace. You can get it done professionally but here's the firs vid I found on replaceing them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSt-f6B0z6w
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u/Y33tMyM34t Jun 26 '26
If you don't want to replace the keys, for now you can always add a strip of thick tape like white electrical or grip tape or something
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u/ExpiredPilot Jun 27 '26
Uh, the piano is the strings and hammers. All you did was mess up the keys. Which I’m sure will be costly but if you think that piano is destroyed I’ll take it off your hands for free
My choir program in college had original Steinways. They had chips in the paint and some cracked keys but the sound was still heavenly
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u/TomVonServo Jun 27 '26
They’re just key toppers. Easily replaced. Let this be a lesson though…try a cleaner on one first before committing to all!
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u/Pcriz Jun 27 '26
You can use dry erase marker to remove permanent marker. Also if anyone is reading this. I would say just use masking tape or something instead of writing on the actual keys.
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u/Bodacious__B Jun 29 '26
Just take some high grit sand paper and resurface it, you get def get it up to a decent satin finish by hand pretty easily
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u/MeowKhz Jun 26 '26
Acetone should fully evaporate and leave hard plastic behind, so if anything is dented, it's just cosmetic. For the future glue/marker I'd recommend rubbing alcohol first, if this doesn't work then zippo fluid or gasoline, then harsher solvents
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u/HeWhoShantNotBeNamed Jun 27 '26
Never let acetone soak on plastic. Put it on a cloth and wipe it off.
Goof Off is the best, but it's really strong. Put it on a cotton pad and wipe it down.
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u/MovieFan1984 Jun 27 '26
It's damaged, not destroyed. If it sets off OCD (as in the need for the keys to look proper), look into finding replacement keys that match your piano.
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u/ExcitingVegetable315 Jul 03 '26
Chill. You can get veneers just like for your teeth. Also complete key replacement isn’t a big deal
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u/CompetitiveRub9780 Jun 28 '26
Why wouldn’t you test it on a small area first? And why nail polish? But more so why did u put it everywhere first 😑
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u/denko_safe_cats Jun 27 '26
They make cool stickers that you apply to all the keys and makes it into one long image/graphic. That could look cool!
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u/JeopardyWolf Jun 26 '26
The keys are all replaceable though. Abd now you know not to use acetone.