How To Get Rid Of A Piano

Getting rid of a piano on your own can be difficult. They're heavy, hard to load, and can't be thrown away with the rest of your garbage. So what can you do when you're ready to part ways with your old ivory keys?

How to get rid of a piano with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Thankfully, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? offers a quick and convenient way to handle your piano removal and disposal. We will take great care in ensuring your piano is disposed of properly.

No matter what, our friendly, uniformed Truck Team Members will happily take a look at your piano onsite and let you know what your best disposal options are.

Piano pick up made easy

Because of the complex nature of piano disposal, there are some types of pianos that we may not be able to remove. Our friendly, uniformed truck teams will take a look at your piano onsite and let you know what your disposal options are.

How do you dispose of a broken piano?

Getting rid of your old piano is not as simple as throwing it into the trash. Pianos are large and made of materials that do not break down naturally in landfills.

Here's how you can properly get rid of your old piano:

Determine is your broken piano is beyond repair - if it can be fixed, it may have more value being donated.
Check to see if your local trash or junk removal service, charities, and recycling facility accepts pianos or offers piano disposal service.
Schedule a pickup time with piano movers.
Clear a path for the piano movers to carry the instrument through.

Moving a piano is more than a one-person job. Your best option is to hire professionals who have the tools to handle it for you.

How do I donate or recycle a piano?

One way to dispose of an old piano is to donate it. However, the size of your piano and the condition that it is in plays a large role in whether or not an organizations will accept your donation.

There are many places that accept piano donations, including:

Nonprofit organizations
Schools
Social groups
Retirement homes
Recreation centers
Service clubs
Afterschool programs.

Donating to many of these organizations may be tax-deductible. Of course, there may be organizations in your area that also accept pianos in need of repair.

Can pianos be recycled?

Pianos are made of several materials, including wood, steel wire, screws, and cast iron, that can be recycled once the instrument is broken down. If you're looking to give your piano a second chance at life, check with your local recycling centers to find out if they will accept a used piano and whether or not it will cost you money to deliver it.

How do I dismantle a piano for disposal?

If you're getting ready to get rid of your old piano, you may want to dismantle it first for easier transportation.

To dismantle a piano:

Open the piano lid and key cover to see inside the piano.
Unscrew the piano desk, or the space where the sheet music rests, to expose the harp.
Loosen the screws on the piano key cover to remove.
Remove the lower board cover, or the wall that houses the foot pedals, to expose the lower mechanism.
Loosen the screws and remove the top lid.
Unscrew and remove the muffler felt that runs across the action, or hammers.
Remove the bracket screws to loosen and remove the action.
Pull each key straight up to remove and place aside.
Loosen the tension in every string on the harp by turning the tuning pegs counterclockwise for safety.
Loosen and remove the key bed.
Lay the piano down for stability.
Remove the side supports.
Finally, remove the piano harp.