hi marthavila,

i actually am also considering the beeswax/oil combo (i think clapham makes one too). how often do you wax your counters? the dry wax claims to only require doing it once every 6 months b/c it lasts a lot longer than any other product so it's supposed to make it less maintenance for the homeowner. is that a big deal? i'm new to all this so have no idea what to expect in terms of oiling/waxing.

I think the main differences between the different wax treatments are the types of wax and oil used.

The dry wax has carnauba wax (food/automotive/surfboard) which is harder than beeswax. The M Tex drywax uses walnut oil combined with the carnauba wax. The Dorado drywax also used carnauba wax from what I remember but it doesn't list the type of oil.

Carnauba is food safe by the way. It comes from the palm tree and is used in tons of food products. You can even probably go to your local automotive store and buy 100% carnauba wax and make it yourself with walnut oil from the food store. It would cost about the same as the M Tex wax though so you may as well order it.

I remember reading that the dry waxes do last longer than the beeswax based polishes but I do think it really depends on your particular stone. Some types of soapstone stay really dark for months to years with just mineral oil while others (like mine) fade quickly and require oil/waxing every 3 months. I use Bee's OIl (from Holland Bowl Mill) and it did really help with keeping the counters darker for longer, particularly in the beginning when they faded very quickly.

Hopefully, someone will chime in who has actually used the carnauba wax based polishes.

My soapstone is Original Green Mountain PA. Outside of an occasional dab around the faucet and sink rim areas, I guesstimate that I polish my counter tops about every 4-5 months at this point. What I know is that polishing is not the routine maintenance activity I thought it would be when I first got my tops installed. I also know that this beeswax/oil combo-- which is undoubtedly food safe-- is more effective than mineral oil alone. Personally, I just don't see the point of spending gobs of money (i.e. $25-$40)on this stuff . . . to get what? Maybe one less polishing cycle per year? But that's just me. YMMV, of course.

thanks, marthavilla. going with the cheaper one you recommended!

I like Dorado one better I have my bath soapstone and kitchen counter wax and did a test on different brands by far Dorado is cleaner better smells better it's true what the guy show on their video the dry wax process from day 1 to day 30. If you don't know what I'm talking about just see for yourself http://www.youtube.com/DoradoSoapstoneCo#p/u/1/4YroVtEv4KY

I've been using the Teixeira dry wax which we bought upon installation of our soapstone in August. We are nearly out of the 16 oz. tub which cost about $40. I just placed an order of Holland Bowl Mill beeswax and oil $44 for 32 oz. and $12 for 8 oz. with free shipping since I spent over $50. (otherwise shipping would have cost
$19). After lots of research on the web, it seems this will do the job on my soapstone for much less money.