Thank you Rayna!

My Santa Barbara didn't fare quite so well. I'll upload some photos.

More soon...

francy

Oh, dear. But your yellow cabinets look great.

Rats: I never had time to do the photos. (But I did finish a few yellow doors and get them reattached!)

I tried my gentle soap on the oil. Nada.
I tried a thick baking soda scrub scrub scrub with a nylon prickly thing. Nada.
I tried blue painters tape. Voila! That worked.
But that doesn't seem like a viable option for every day cleaning.

So for now, I give up. If I'm gray, I'm "splotty." If I'm black, I'm "ringed" (from water marks). This month I'll be splotty. Who knows what I'll choose next month!

:-)

Splotty Galore

hi francy,
i am trying to make peace with my soapstone, and it led me back to you & raynag!!!
raynag, do you leave the baking soda on for a while, or is it one continuous sprinkle - scrub - wipe thing? francy, what do you mean by the blue tape method???? is it literally the blue painter's tape, how long do you leave it on & do you really just put it on & peel it off?! i have not heard of this.
if i can find a way to get the oil splotches out easily (i currently use bon ami or bar keeper's friend or mrs. meyers scrubs and scrub really hard & get some stains out but not others), i will finally shut up & be ok with my stone!!!
thanks for your help!

I have always used the de-greaser brand "simple green" on my soapstone. I scrub it once a week, and apply the de-greaser with a Mr. Clean brand "magic eraser" pad, then rinse with a very damp sponge and wipe dry with a towel. The de-greaser removes all oil. The scrub pad has a very fine abrasive which continuously polishes the stone. I have no issues with indelible marks with this method. It looks better than new every time.
Casey

sombreuil - I'll get some of that simple green degreaser and a magic eraser - I'm always open to alternatives. I can't imagine how anything can look better than new, but I'm game. Thanks.

Zanne: I was literally applying the tape, leaving it for about 20 mins, and then peeling it off. Not too efficent or cost effective!

I'll have to try Simple Green. The baking soada doesn't work, unfortunately (and I clean my whole house with that marvelous stuff). I also tried the Mrs. Meyer's scrub. That doesn't work, and it smells too chemically for my chem-free comfort level.

More important question: how did Rayna manage to make pizza with only a few teeny weeny splots of oil on the counter? When I do that, I get splots as big as my head!

:-)

francy

francy/raynag/sombreuil
i hate to be a downer, but please do a little research on simple green; they supposedly contain a dangerous chemical that is banned in other countries:
"A key ingredient of Simple Green is butyl cellosolve, a substance considered toxic by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. In lab tests, the liquid has destroyed red blood cells and caused minor birth defects in animals. When absorbed through the skin or inhaled, it has caused irritation around the eyes and noses of humans and headaches.

Concentrations of the solvent in household cleaners are not thought to pose an immediate danger to people.

Manufacturers of Simple Green, the California-based Sunshine Makers, stand by their claims, which they say are backed by more than $3 million in testing "revealed no toxic organic or inorganic constituents."

it's fine to use it if you understand it (make sure it is diluted!), but the name is a bit misleading. they DO have some sort of all-natural line, but i don't know if it cleans as well. francy, i know you try to stay pretty natural (i try to most of the time, too), so i just wanted you to know.

i have to say, though, sombrueil, it sounds so tempting to be able to get the counters to "better than new"!

Thanks zanne! Good to know!

:-)

francy