cleaning soapstone

[markleyh]

We just returned home after some time away in Maine to fined that our housecleaner has "polished" the top of our Woodstock Fireview with Pledge furniture polish, leaving a gummy residue. The product she used is "Pledge Furniture Cleaner and Polish Revitalizing Oil with Natural Orange Oil."

Woodstock isn't open on Sunday, nor is product information at SC Johnson, so I am hoping that some of you gurus could help me out with advice on how to clean the top. Temps hereabouts have been down to 42 degrees already, so we are getting ready for the burning season and I don't think I want to put heat into Pledge Furniture Cleaner and Polish!


Thanks in advance!


Herb

 

[Slow1]

I have no idea of the answer, but will be watching to learn in case something like that ever happens here. Besides whatever mess it might make to the surface appearance, I bet that could really stink when it gets hot!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

To get scratches out you use as fine as steel wool as you can get. I believe that is 0000. I'd bet that would also take care of your problem. However, I'd still call Woodstock tomorrow.

 

[summit]

touch it off... it'll burn itself off in short order...

 

[markleyh]

I will definitely call Woodstock.

Now the wife has "cleaned it" with olive oil, saying, "you can cook on soapstone just like a griddle, so clean it with oil."

Now the color is a deep blue with veins on top and light gray-blue on the sides.......



Oh, my!


herbert

 

[NHFarmer]

I don't know about woodstoves, but I have a soapstone sink and I use a coating of mineral oil every couple of months to keep it looking good. I think you will be fine as-is. Let it sit and start a fire whenever you need it.

 

[apples439]

I don't think you're in too much trouble. Soapstone is used in chemistry labs due to its high resistance to staining. If acid can't penetrate it I doubt very much that Pledge is going to be much trouble. I'm sure you are not the first person to run into something like this and the folks at Woodstock will likely have a quick remedy for you. Please post the solution.

-Todd

 

[Highbeam]

I'll wait for the answer too but I feel confident that you are fine. You can buy soapstone kettles from hearthstone that are the same rough finish as your woodstock. The kettles can be oiled if you want which makes them look much darker with cool colors but the oil goes away and must be reapplied or allowed to go away. Your stove will return to original or maybe you want to keep oiling it?

 

[markleyh]

Thanks to all who posted replies.

Michael at Woodstock, who sold me the stove in the first place, verifies that all the various oils will evaporate after one or two burns and the stovetop will probably go back to its nice light gray color. But it will probably smell pretty funky at first, with Orange Oil Pledge and Extra Virgin olive oil burning off together!

They have customers oiling their soapstone countertops (with mineral oil) every few months and those don't even get hot, he said.

Now I have to get the housekeeper to stop Pledging every flat surface in the house. I can just see the flatscreen TV covered with Orange Oil, yuck, yuck!

Herb