Wipe with a soft cloth and warm water. Dry the surface afterwards rather than leaving it to air.

Marble is calcareous. Anything acidic will etch it: wine, citrus, vinegar, tomato, and most household cleaning sprays. An etch is a change in the surface finish rather than a stain, and it will not lift with cleaning. Use coasters and mats, and lift spills immediately rather than wiping them across the surface.

Do not use bleach, limescale remover, cream cleaner, or any product described as suitable for bathrooms. Do not use a scouring pad.

Honed surfaces show marks less readily than polished ones and can be refinished more easily. Polished surfaces return more light and need more care.

Pieces are sealed before they leave the workshop. A sealant is not a barrier, it slows absorption. Reseal every twelve to eighteen months in domestic use, more often where a surface sees heavy use. We can advise on the right product for the material you have.

Dust with a dry cloth. For marks, use a barely damp cloth and dry immediately.

Hand oiled surfaces can be refreshed with a light application of the same oil, worked along the grain and buffed off. Do not use silicone based polish, which builds a film the oil cannot then penetrate.

Keep timber out of direct sunlight where possible and away from the immediate line of a radiator or underfloor heating vent. Movement in response to humidity is normal in solid timber and is not a fault.

Dust only. A hand applied patina continues to move for roughly the first year in a room, then settles. That movement is the finish behaving as intended.

Do not use metal polish, which will cut through the patina.

Marble is a quarried material. Veining, mineral inclusions, fossil traces and variation in ground colour are properties of the stone rather than defects. No two tops are identical, and a top will not match a sample precisely.

Where a commission requires a particular run of veining across a top, that is decided at the block before cutting and confirmed with you in advance.

Enquire, and send photographs if you can. Damage in transit should be reported within the period set out in the delivery terms.