No experience with this one so take my advice with a grain of salt...

How about denatured alcohol?

Give it a good wet coat and then soak it up in a soft cotton rag.

Hmmm... I was going to recommend the Dawn since I've read on here how well it works. I think if you just keep washing down with Dawn and don't re-oil; it will ultimately lighten.

I have no experience with this but my understanding is that if you just leave it alone it will lighten - isn't that why it needs to be reoiled periodically?

It is very very hard for me to get oil off of my soapstone. When I am trying to let it "go gray," the only 2 things I have found to remove the oil are:

1. mineral spirits

2. sanding (400 grit wet works)

Oh--one more unpractical thing: blue painters tape. Leave on for 20 mins, then peel off. Kinda expensive to actually try all over though.

Good luck!

I was told that regular rubbing alcohol would do this. If you have some on hand, give it a try.

Silly question (mine, not yours), and I don't even have soapstone so no experience here. That said, won't time do it? Otherwise, why would you have to keep oiling? Or are you just looking for something faster? IMH I would try soap and very hot water with a soft bristled brush. Hot water cuts grease and oil better and the brush may help a little more. You don't want to anything that would scratch the surface, of coarse.

Sue

Denatured alcohol will do that, according to my fabricator. I sand any grease spots on my soapstone with a 320 grit, wipe with a sponge, and that's it. I have never oiled mine but it has darkened randomly in the places where I use it most. It will lighten when I clean it with baking soda (and btw, although baking soda didn't work for Francy, it works for me all the time: it is a natural grease remover). It will get light but it will never return to its totally virgin state.

As the stone ages, it oxidizes to a darker color over time. That is why people oil the stone. It gives a more uniform appearance and creates the look of aged oxidized stone more rapidly. The only way to keep the stone grey is to never oil it and to periodically sand it down to expose fresh unoxidized stone. That's only going to work for so much time before you actually begin to wear away the stone enough to notice.

I'd guess the wax is the issue. Look up removal of beeswax.

One site said to heat up with blow dryer and rub with a soft cloth to pickup the loosened(liquid) wax. Scrub with a light vinegar solution afterwards.