Thanks PPC. I've read the first link and started the second. LOL I was hoping for first hand knowledge of specific brand names but most of the information in those threads is inconclusive, so I thought I'd ask again. It'd be great to be able to find one OTC! I ordered some PH balanced soap used in laboratories but it's thin and barely foams.

Ok, I have never intentionally left soap standing on our main/guest bathroom honed marble counter, but my significant other seems to squirt soap on the counter without noticing with some frequency. I was using Kiss My Face Foaming Hand Soap when I could find it at my local Whole Foods store. I never saw any etching or stains, though periodically I think I found soap residue on the counter. I picked this soap because the back of the bottle said "pH neutral" at some point. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this soap at Whole Foods for several months. So I've been using Kiss My Face Moisture Hand Soap. In this case, there have definitely been blobs of soap left on the counter for some time. I seem to be the only one in the house capable of recognizing blobs of soap on the counter and cleaning them up. (Sorry for the brief rant.) I haven't noticed any etching, though I've noticed dark spots that remain after scrubbing with water and stone cleaner. I think they might fade over some time as one that I found a few weeks ago seems to be gone (and replaced by new dark spots). So I think the soap is safe, but I am not positive. I think the "moisturizing" ingredients (maybe the olive oil?) might be settling in the marble for longer than water does and darkening the stone. So far I haven't seen any etching at all on the stone, though it's really only been used for washing of hands or hand washing delicate laundry.

"This post is over ten years old, so I'm curious the feedback in 2023 about dispensers. My guess is it is a dated item no longer desirable." @Trademark Design the choice of an built-in soap dispenser or soap bottle on the counter is about which function type you prefer. It has nothing to do with being dated or not. In any case, I have yet to see kitchen designers Mick de Giulio, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Plain English, DeVol, Matthew Quinn, or any other top designer use a bottle on the counter. Having said that, I like soap bottles. I also like in-counter dispensers. Neither is dated. People like one type of soap dispenser or the other.

I love my Never MT. We built a new house and put one in each bathroom, where I use hand soap(softsoap) and in the kitchen where I use dish soap. The only problem I've had is that in one bathroom, I had to replace the Never MT...it leaked at the valve. This has happened twice. But it's still worth it. Actually the first one was replaced by the manufacturer after 6 months use.