Cleaning. In everyday use, warm water, a soft cloth or a clean mop and a neutral to mildly alkaline pH cleaner are sufficient. Mild all-purpose cleaners, mild washing-up foam and all commercially available sanitary and kitchen cleaners without hydrofluoric acid (HF) are suitable. The porcelain is almost completely acid-resistant – even vinegar, citric and hydrochloric acid practically do not attack the slab. Take up spills promptly, because on the dark surface every dried trace can remain visible as a lighter veil; the material itself, however, is pore-free and therefore stain-proof.
Do not use. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) and fluoride-containing cleaners are the only class of substance that can genuinely attack porcelain – they occur practically only in industrial glass and stone cleaners and are not relevant in the household. Even though the slab is hard: steel wool and strongly abrasive pads can cause the finest dulling on the polished variant.
Sealing. Not required – porcelain is dense and pore-free in itself, and water absorption is below 0.1 %. A sealer would tend to show up on the surface as a veil and is superfluous.
Dark slabs and the naturale matt surface. On a dark, naturale matt slab, water rings, limescale marks, fingerprints and grease films are especially clearly visible as lighter shadows. We recommend prompt drying off with a soft microfibre cloth after every use. The naturale matt surface reacts more sensitively to smear films than polished material; regular cleaning with a soft cloth and a mild cleaner is sufficient.
Kitchen. In kitchen use, Ossido Nero is technically almost unbeatable: hot pots can be set down directly for a short time (the slab is unaffected well beyond 200 °C), acids such as vinegar, wine, lemon and tomato leave no traces, and there are no cut marks from polyester resin damage because there is no polyester resin. Even so, we recommend chopping boards (knife blades blunt more quickly on the hard slab) and trivets when cooking as standard practice.
Bathroom. In the bathroom the slab is fully usable as a vanity unit, wall cladding, bath surround and shower. Anti-limescale sprays and all commercially available sanitary cleaners are approved. In the shower area, wipe off standing water promptly – on the dark slab white limescale rings are especially clearly visible.
Wall accent and furniture. As wall cladding or a furniture top (bar counter, reception), Ossido Nero works particularly well with the naturale matt surface, because the patina structure becomes tangible. In the slim 3 mm thickness, lightweight wall cladding, internal doors and furniture fronts are also possible.
Outdoors and frost. Fully suitable. The slab is UV-stable, frost- and weather-resistant and can be used as a back-ventilated façade panel, external wall cladding, pool surround and outdoor kitchen worktop. The industrial patina look is particularly authentic in external use.
Scratches and repair. Porcelain is very hard (around Mohs 7) and therefore considerably more scratch-resistant than most natural materials. Deeper damage cannot simply be re-polished – repair is carried out by replacing the affected workpiece. Particular care with edges and cut-outs is therefore required during fabrication; mitre joints should be executed by experienced specialist firms with special adhesive – with Ossido Nero, additionally observing the patina structures at the edges.
