Cleaning. In everyday use, warm water, a soft cloth or a clean mop and a neutral to slightly alkaline pH cleaner are sufficient. Soapy engineered stone cleaners, mild all-purpose cleaners without aggressive acid, mild washing-up foam and special engineered quartz care products are suitable. Take up spilt liquids – wine, coffee, juices, oil – promptly, because every darker trace shows up clearly on the pure white surface; the material itself, however, is largely stain-resistant.
Do not use. Concentrated acids (sulphuric, hydrochloric, nitric acid), concrete and rust removers, paint strippers and solvents (acetone, petrol, thinners, nitro cleaners) are off limits – they can attack the polyester resin. Also do without chlorine-based bleaches in high concentration and abrasive pads (steel wool, green scouring pads); scratching is undesirable on the polished surface and particularly visible on the pure white slab.
Impregnation. A classic natural stone impregnation is not necessary – engineered quartz is inherently dense and non-porous, and water absorption is below 0.05 %. A sealant would tend to show on the surface as a veil.
Kitchen. Elegant White is a classic kitchen material. Despite its high material hardness and acid resistance, the following applies: use chopping boards (knife marks can leave the polyester resin matt over time) and use trivets for hot pots and pans – direct heat over points can cause local discolouration. Direct contact with a hot baking tray (above about 150 °C) risks stress cracks. On site, the dishwasher must not run in full contact directly beneath the slab – heat protection is standard practice. On the pure white surface, coffee stains, berry juice, tomato and red wine are visually particularly conspicuous, but can usually be removed without a trace if dealt with promptly.
Bathroom. In the bathroom, Elegant White is very well suited as a washstand, wall cladding, bath surround and shower. Do not use anti-limescale sprays and limescale-dissolving bathroom cleaners in high concentration, and wipe standing water away promptly in the shower area so that a limescale film cannot build up – on the pure white slab, limescale rims quickly become visible.
Floors and stairs. The surface finishes available in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down. Dirt-trapping mats at the entrance reduce the ingress of scratching particles.
Outdoors and frost. Not suitable for external construction. Polyester binder yellows under UV radiation, and freeze-thaw cycles can lead to micro defects. Nor is it recommended for permanent use in fully sunlit conservatories or open loggias.
Scratches and repair. Superficial marks on the polished variant can be re-polished by a stonemason; deeper damage can be filled with tinted polyester filler and worked in to match the colour. On the pure white slab, colour-accurate repairs are usually readily possible.