More fragile than you would have thought

Tips on how to prolong the life of your mainsqueeze (ha!) and prevent it from sudden or imminent death.

1. Can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Literally, keep it away from the heat. And humidity and too warm temperatures as the reeds are usually glued onto stuff with wax. Hence, never leave it under the sun and/or in your car.
2. It hates moisture. If you keep it in somewhere cold but plan to move it somewhere warmer, leave it be to warm up slowly. Moisture corrodes which will make the reeds go out of tune. This means no salt air or water either.
3. Don't drop it, dude. A bit of a bump might just cause those reeds inside to go out of place and render your accordion unplayable. Anytime you pick it up or put it down, handle it gently and support its weight with your hands.
4. Always check the straps. If it suddenly breaks as you pick it up, down it goes. Which is why you should also support the squeezebox with hands.
5. Keep it upright with bellows strapped. Always store your accordion with the treble side facing up. There's a reason why there are 4 little knobby feet-things on the bass side, which is to stand properly keeping the bellows, valves and reeds aligned.
6. Play it often! I like to think that it's kind of like leather. It's more likely to go bad when not in use so playing it from time to time keeps it "healthy" by "airing it out" from time to time. Also helps to not just store it in its case all the time. If you can't play it much, store it somewhere reasonably cool/warm and away from moisture.
7. Wipe it down. After playing, get a piece of clean cloth and wipe the exterior as dirt and dust may clog reeds while the oil from our hands yellows the keys. If you need to, it's possible to clean the exterior with light alcohol or proper piano cleaner, just make sure you apply it on the cloth first and not directly on the accordion.
8. Protect it from people and pets. Accidents happen. People might bump into your precious instrument or your pet might decide it's the perfect fire hydrant to pee on. Prevent any of that from happening.

Further knowledge

• How to Play Accordion : Accordion Care & Maintenance
• Basic Accordion Care from the Irish Dancemaster
• Musical Instruments of Canada's Care Sheet for the Accordion