When shopping around for different types of stone and material to put in your home, one you may want to consider is soapstone. However, soapstone, along with any other types of materials used in your home, requires care and maintenance. Where soapstone is a durable material and is a recommended type of stone, Silver State Floor Restoration will share what you should know about soapstone and its care to better understand how you can prolong the stone’s beauty and durability.

Do You Have to Oil Soapstone?

If you have just had soapstone installed in your home, you will want to begin a scheduled weekly oiling. You will want to use a food grade mineral oil or a commercial enhancer designed for soapstone. On a weekly basis, you will want to oil the stone for a solid month. After the first month of the soapstone’s installation has passed, the following month you will only need to oil the stone every two weeks for the next three months. By the fourth month, you should be able to oil your soapstone once a month. However, you will want to oil soapstone as the oil begins to evaporate, which depending on the time of year, the need for oiling will vary. When the soapstone begins to lighten, this is a sign that it is time for the next treatment of oil. Oiling is to enrich the stones natural color and by oiling soapstone the stone will look darker. However oiling isn’t necessary for the soapstone’s integrity. The oil is for color and if you like the light natural look of soapstone, you don’t need to oil the stone.

Polish Soapstone to Remove Stains & Scratches

Unlike marble, granite or other common stone materials used in homes, the alkalis and acids don’t affect soapstone in the same way. Where most stone will stain and erode with exposure to acid and alkalis, soapstone is much more durable. Stains are easily cleaned by scrubbing or even sanding the stains away. However soapstone is a very soft stone and is prone to scratches. Minor scratches are easily repaired with an FDA approved food grade mineral oil or enhancer. To restore deeper scratches, you will want to use an 80 grit sanding sponge with mild pressure to scrub the scratches out. Follow this procedure by applying the oil or enhancer in the sanded area and repeatedly oil the area for the next 3 day until the stone is restored.

How to Restore Soapstone Countertops

One of the number one benefits of soapstone is how easily it is to restore. Even after one hundred years of use and abuse, soapstone can still be sanded, polished and re-oiled to fully restore the stone’s beauty. Soapstone is a great investment to a home and with the right care and maintenance, soapstone will last forever.

Soapstone Cleaning & More in Aliante, Anthem, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Inspirada, Mountain’s Edge, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Providence, Rhodes Ranch, Seven Hills, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, The Lakes, Tuscany Village & Las Vegas Nevada

When soapstone begins to fade or endures a lot of scratches, you might find you need help restoring your home’s soapstone. Silver State Floor Restoration provides many services to restore and clean stones, tile, wood and concrete. We can clean and restore any hard flooring you may have in your home as well. Contact Silver State Floor Restoration to schedule your floor cleaning and restoration today.