How To Treat Your Soapstone Countertops 

Yes, I covered both methods in the video. As I also pointed out in the video, waxes don't tend to last as long, they are more difficult to apply and they can also yellow with time.

These days I just stick with mineral oil. The various waxes are more of a pain to apply and some of them can yellow. The mineral oil and the waxes produce an equally dark color, but you will have to renew either of them to maintain the darkest color.

No, you could use soapstone for any interior application in any climate. However, it is more readily available in certain regions than others, just because of proximity to natural sources.

Beeswax is an ingredient in some of the commercial waxes too. I have noticed over the years that waxes can build up (especially along the edges) and cause yellowing. It can still be stripped back, but it takes a little more effort. There is probably no perfect solution, and the best product for your use may well depend upon how you use and how you clean your countertops.

Nah, there's no harm done. Each of those products is easily removable, by the way, with a degreaser such as 409 or Dawn dishwashing soap. That will take the soapstone back to it's original state, or nearly so. Today I do prefer the mineral oil over the wax because I've noticed the wax can yellow with time. Any wax which is accidentally rubbed onto a backsplash or a cabinet will show. The mineral oil doesn't appear to do this in my experience. But, if some oil and wax mix, nothing will happen.

You've got some misconceptions about soapstone. It will darken slightly with age, but remain gray unless it is coated with an oil or film of some sort. Now, it is possible that if you are using oils while preparing food, or the food itself leaves behind oils of some sort, that an area can become darkened. Or, if you have an untreated counter and you leave a bottle of something oily out you might find it leaves behind a ring stain. HOWEVER, in all of those cases, if you wipe down the counter with a degreaser or soapy water, the film or stain will come up and the counter returns to it's natural state. An oiled countertop which is black will also turn gray again after cleaning with a degreaser. Counters left natural and used over a period of decades can take on a darker look from oxidation of the surface, but even those can be brought back to a light gray if desired. The point of the oil, though, is to darken the counter in a uniform way. As for thickness, soapstone counters are made in standard thicknesses, typically 1.5 inches for a kitchen countertop.

@@enduringcharm thank you for this clarification. I thought if you are using the sink regularly, or up against an area, and that area slightly wears, like edges, it can get darker, like polishing, as it is softer? Maybe I should be getting soapstone for my kitchen?! I have been looking for 2 MONTHS!! and I do not want quartz. But finding a honed, uniform granite that is lighter gray is not easy. Quartzite was another option, yet still pretty busy in the gray varieties. My aim is for a concrete look and around that lightness of color finish as well....without doing actual concrete :-)

Soapstone is soft and does require some maintenance. However, it can also take hot pans on the surface and it is repairable. Your old science class in high school had soapstone counters. But, there are plenty of man-made counters to think about too, if you are after a certain style.

If you mean in reference to the oil treatment, the oil sits on the surface and basically causes quick oxidation of that surface, turning it darker. As far as staining, while liquids may not penetrate the surface, they can still stain the surface in the sense of causing a difference in oxidation or leaving a film. The good thing is that you can always clean the surface with a degreaser like 409 and start over.

What about slate ?

I've never run across slate countertops in my area at all. I'm not sure they are even available. Slate would be brittle and probably variable from piece to piece as far as durability.