Soapstone itself is metamorphic rock basically. There are currently two types of materials, at least well-known, that can be categorized as “soapstone”. The first material is going to be Talc which is the softest material known on earth, and is primarily used in things like makeup, cosmetics, sculpting and other every day common items such as toothpastes, baby powders and even things like bubble gum. The other material is called steatite.
The steatite which we refer to plainly as soapstone, is the material that is used in soapstone countertops, as well as the other things like flooring, walls, sinks, etc. Soapstone in the beginning phases will be a plain gray color, or different shades of it, unlike Talc which might actually come in multiple different colors to choose from.
Soapstone is going to be softer than many other naturally occuring minerals, and even though it may be soft, it’s still extremely dense, meaning non-porous, and even more than marble minerals, as well as limestone, granite, which is another popular choice for countertops. Soapstone itself is virtually impenetrable which means it’s not going to stain because no liquid will get through it’s non-porous surface level.
This is an invaluable quality to have in your countertop material selection, which is a big reason soapstone is so popular of a choice. Other countertop materials have a propensity to become soiled, which is why soapstone is often used in areas like chemistry labs or others that have liquids that need not enter the surface of the countertop.
When you choose soapstone countertops, you are going with a trusted and quality brand of countertops that many homeowners are choosing every day. If you want a beautiful and exclusive material for your choice in your house then there are many good reasons to choose soapstone. Because soapstone does not stain, it’s an obvious choice for countertops.
They also won’t be harmed by other common things that will occur in a kitchen, such as hot pans being placed on them, or highly stainable liquids such as wines or juices. Soapstone is easy to take care of, with one of the only things required is that you give them a mineral oil treatment so that it will enhance the darkening process that occurs natural with soapstone. You can clean soapstone with any standard cleaning materials. You won’t need to buy any special cleaning products that you might have had to do if you went with other common countertop selection choices.