How often you apply mineral oil to soapstone is up to you and the look you like. If you like a dull dark look, once in a great while (quarterly or annually) perhaps may be more than enough. If you like it wet and glossy you will have to apply it more frequently (every couple of weeks) to maintain that look.
After that, you should plan to oil your stone once every month or when your counters start to get too light. If your sink happens to lighten up quicker than the rest of your countertops, we recommend our mineral oil and bee's wax combination. It may take a bit more elbow grease, but it's sure to last longer.
Soapstone surfaces need not be sealed, but we recommend treatment with mineral oil if consistent surface darkening is desired. Without treatment, soapstone will darken in uneven regions around surface areas most frequently used. Leaving the soapstone untreated will develop a patina of age that many people enjoy.
To preserve the color of your soapstone, it should be resealed every three or four years. The frequency may depend on the amount of stress the sealant is exposed to; however, scratches on the surface of the sealant usually only require application to the affected area.
If you leave it untreated, in time, the soapstone will darken around the surface areas most frequently used, particularly in a kitchen or food service environment. Leaving the soapstone untreated will develop a veneer of aging that many of our customers appreciate.
Soapstone counters can scratch easily, and they require routine oiling to maintain their appearance. They also come in limited color options and are more expensive than other countertop materials.
Mineral Oil and Soapstone
To help expedite oxidation of the stone, we recommend that you treat it with mineral oil from time to time. This treatment will keep oxidation uniform across the entire surface.
If you don't have a coating on your natural stone surfaces but are still worried about disinfecting, regular Clorox Wipes can be used to give your counters a wipe down in a pinch, but don't let them sit directly on the stone!
Soapstone is used because it's heat resistant and needs little maintenance.
The soapstone will take approximately 3 coats of mineral oil to reach its final color, getting darker after every oiling. Every time you oil your countertops, the stone will hold the oil longer than the last time, until about the 6th or 8th month the stone will stay permanently dark.
With soapstone, if water droplets leave a dark spot, re-oil. Wax, on the other hand, is known for giving your soapstone an even richer, deeper color. The deep, charcoal gray created by these special waxes is breathtaking. Some homeowners claim the soapstone countertops treated with wax feel smoother to the touch.
Soapstone is both chemical resistant and heat resistant, so you can set hot pots and pans directly on soapstone without risk of cracking or scorching. Soapstone is much softer and more prone to scratching than granite or quartz however, so preparing food directly on your soapstone counters could easily scratch it.
No, you do not have to coat your soapstone with oil. The oils in your hands and food stuffs you prepare will oil your counter overtime and darken it naturally. This is called taking on a patina. You can remove the oil from your soapstone if you choose to.
Low maintenance: Soapstone is relatively low maintenance and does not require regular sealing or special cleaners. Heat resistance: Soapstone is highly heat resistant, making it ideal for placing hot pots and pans directly on the surface.
While it may appear soft, soapstone countertops do not crack easily. This is however a problem when it comes to scratches. The softness makes it easily susceptible to scratches but protects it from cracking.
The application of mineral oil is the most commonly mentioned method of restoring the look of soapstone counters. Mineral oil works to quicken the natural darkening process of soapstone and leaves off a soapy residue (that's why it's called soapstone!).
"It is a softer material, so it does scratch easier," Carbia says. Homes with children who drop things, or homeowners who prefer cutting straight on the countertop as opposed to using a cutting board, might damage soapstone.
Soapstone is non-porous and, unlike marble and granite, does not need to be sealed. You can purchase our specially formulated Soapstone Care Mineral Oil from our online store. This is a lighter-grade mineral oil, which is easier to apply than standard drugstore mineral oil.
Scratches on soapstone are, however, not particularly difficult to remove though. The fact that it is a non-porous material, prevents it from experiencing the same damages from abrasive substances such as vinegar, Windex, ammonia, and bleach that other countertops typically experience.
However, Bleach is not needed, since the soapstone's natural high density will not harbor bacteria of any kind. Simple soapstone and water or vinegar and water. Will work wonderfully well and clean any surface bacteria just as well as bleach or harsh cleaners.
You should apply it with a clean cloth, then wipe the excess away—it's that simple. Although soapstone is naturally nonporous, it will benefit from a beautifying sealer like SimpleCoat to make the colors pop and protect it from staining. Water, oil and greasy substances can cause it to become discolored and stained.
Because it's a natural metamorphic stone, it almost always comes with random veining. The veins of color add a distinctive look. When first quarried, the stone is gray, but it gets darker with age as it begins to oxidize. My soapstone countertops, when wet or oiled, look a dark green.
Over the years we have tried many different products on soapstone. Our recommendation is not to seal soapstone because sealers are inherently designed to penetrate and seal a surface. Soapstone is a nonporous stone and sealers will not penetrate it and therefore will not bond as effectively.