I'm sure I remember there being a thread previously which had some tips for temporary solutions to the problems of creaking / noisy pedals on pianos, but none of my searches are coming up with anything.

Can anyone point me in the right direction, or offer tips? My piano pedals (especially the sustain pedal, which gets most use) are making the most awful creaking noises, to the point that it's highly distracting when I'm practising.

The tuner isn't due to visit until May; and in any event, although he usually fixes it temporarily, the problem seems to recur regularly between visits. I'm assuming that there's a need for some kind of lubrication, but am nervous of applying anything without being sure what to apply (and how/ where).

The piano is a Yamaha U3.

Easy , squirt pivot mechanisms with some WD 40 or similar !
At one time my tuner used to pack up to go saying he'd lubricated the pedals. Then I find out he had added another fiver on to the bill !
So I make sure they're not squeaking before he comes.

Thanks, F#M. I eventually found the older thread - had to use Google rather than the forum's own search facility! If you're interested, it's:

here

There was some dispute....

Theres nothing wrong with using cooking oil or any other light mineral oil. Its just that WD40 always worked for me and has not done the piano any harm (PS I work on the field of veg oils and related chemicals!)

Update - I armed myself with suitable oil last night and took the front panel off the piano ready to lubricate the mechanism. Depressed the RH pedal, to identify the particular source of the noise. No creaking. Tried the LH pedal. No creaking.

So I put the front panel back on (feeling a trifle foolish) and sat down to play. Dreadful creaking was back again.

After much poking around, including checking to see whether the pedal mechanism was actually catching on the back of the panel, I reached the conclusion that the little felt washers around the dowels which are used to position the front panel had become compacted, so that the action of the pedals was causing the front panel to shift and creak. (If I crouched under the piano and used one hand to lift the panel very slightly vertically and the other to press the pedals, the creaking vanished.) I've cut some new washers out of felt as a stop-gap, and it's made a considerable difference.

So - who'd have thought it? Funny beasts, pianos....