Caring for Your Soapstone Kitchen Countertop

Being the busiest room in a house, the kitchen needs to fill many functions and this is the main reason why decorating this space will require careful planning in order to achieve all your desired results. Putting in a new countertop in your kitchen will both improve the functionality of this space and its overall look. One kitchen countertop material you should definitely pay attention to is soapstone. This material retains heat, comes in a wide range of colors and finishes and can last even a lifetime once you know how to take proper care of it.

Here are the main tips you should consider when taking care of its minimum maintenance routine:

• Soapstone is an impenetrable material and this means that nothing is going to sink into a kitchen countertop made from this material. Once you choose to have a soapstone countertop installed in your kitchen, you should know that this material will slowly darken and this process will happen over time and due to regular use.

• Using a standard mineral oil in order to keep a uniform color is recommended and you have to make sure that you apply this oil every 6-8 weeks. If you want to return your soapstone countertop to its original and grayish color, you will have to use sandpaper. Also, sandpaper can be used in order to fix any scratches on the countertop together with sealer or little mineral oil. The marks on the soapstone countertop can be rubbed out by using a dry paper towel.

• Once you have the soapstone counter installed, you may add a mineral oil or sealer in order to protect its surface. This will ensure that your kitchen countertop will keep its initial brilliance and even last for a longer period of time. If you worry about the mineral oil, you may relax because this type of oil is safe for any food preparation and it’s non-toxic. For instance, the kind of mineral oil you may purchase from your local food store is fine for maintaining the surface of your soapstone countertop. However, you should keep in mind that lighter weight oils are likely to go on the soapstone surface more easily when compared to the full body oils.

• Once you have your soapstone countertop wet with mineral oil, its surface will become shiny and it glistens. Over time, mineral oil will soak right into the soapstone surface and dry out or evaporate.

• You may also go for wax treatments that come with special blends of seeds, nuts and beeswax. The main advantage brought by such wax treatments is that they do not evaporate so fast. This means that you may lessen the frequency of the necessary applications. Also, wax treatments have more staying power and are safe for a food preparation surface.

• Mainly, the food stuffs you prepare and the oils you handle are likely to oil the soapstone countertop overtime and they will darken its surface in a natural way – your soapstone kitchen countertop will be taking on a patina.