Soapstone Countertop Care

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Because it requires no sealing, soapstone is relatively low-maintenance. With minimum care, your new countertop can retain its good looks for many years.

Enhance your counter's natural darkening progression by applying mineral oil to the surface every week or two and rubbing it in thoroughly. The mineral oil treatment will make the patina more uniform. It usually takes seven to nine months for the countertop to reach its full patina.

Once the patina is fully developed, apply mineral oil if the countertop begins to look dry to restore luster and sheen. Once or twice a year is usually sufficient.

Clean soapstone countertops with an all-purpose kitchen cleaner or mild soap and a dishrag.

While the heat from cookware straight off the stove won't damage the countertop, if the pan is rough on the bottom, such as a cast iron skillet, it could scratch the surface. Use trivets!

Chop and dice food on a cutting board, not on your countertop.
Minimize chips and dings that do occur by coloring them in with a matching permanent marker and then rubbing mineral oil over the surface.

Oil and grease can discolor new soapstone, so wipe up spills promptly and, if necessary, rub a bit of acetone (nail polish remover will suffice) on an oil stain to lighten it. Once your countertop reaches its full patina, oil discoloration won't be a problem.

If your soapstone countertop develops an uneven patina, you can remove it by sanding the entire surface with fine-grit sandpaper, and then applying the mineral oil process described above to help the new patina develop uniformly.
While there are products on the market that claim to seal soapstone against darkening, they cannot penetrate the countertop's dense surface, so they must be applied once or twice a month. If you're worried about the darkening effect of soapstone, it might be better to choose a different countertop material such as quartz or granite, which won't darken over time.

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