My C sharp key keeps sticking. I've tried wiping it with a soft cloth, but no luck. Any inspired ideas or clever tricks out there?

If it is the pad itself usually the only satisfactory remedy is to get it replaced. Did you clean the rim of the tone hole as well as the pad?
Other possibilities are that the spring is not acting effectively or the key is binding on the hinge rod due to being bent or there might be a build up of old oil or rust due to lack of maintenance.

Yes, what contra says. Sometimes that key gets bent just a litte and well hang up on the keys around it. And no, you don't want to go bending yourself, if you don't do it just right you will not only weaken the metal but make is more difficult for the person who ends up fixing it.

Let the qulaified, experienced, reapir technician do it for you the correct way.
It can't cost that much whichever problem is causing it.

Thanks for your thoughts and advice, chaps. I don't think it's lack of maintenance - I've been new-boy conscientious in that respect. And it's a recently-bought, carefully nurtured instrument, so I'd be surprised if anything's bent out of kilter. I'll try the simple trick of drying the sound-hole as well as the pad. Hope you can take the tension till the next report.

you can get those new pads made out of composite material that NEVER STICK EVER. I got one put in for my g# key and I never use the doller bill tick again

I just bought something new down at Rayburn's Music the other day: Pad-Stick. Check out the website-- pad-stick.com . This is a cheap yet totally great thing for dealing with sticky pads. Way better than the ol' dollar bill routine. This should help.

might sound simple but try cigartte papers stick it under the sticking pad works well for me really cheap but may need to be repeaded a few times before it works hope this helps XX

C# key ?