cleaning grout off tile
hello. i recently finished grouting my kitchen floor (ceramic tile, 3 days ago). I was doing it at night after work, and apparently I didn't clean the tiles as much as I should have. I definitely sponged the tiles after grouting, but there is still a heavy grout residue on the tiles remaining. i've tried mopping the floor with water only, which didn't do too much good. the last couple nights, i've started using nylon brushes to scrub the tile again with water only. this is working OK, but its not getting it all up. i've read in some posts to sharpen dowels with a pencil sharpener to get the grout out of the indentations in the tile, which i'll probably end up doing as well. so, i did some research and read in a number of places that TileLab's Sulfamic Acid cleaner works well (the also have a grout haze remover). the container says to let the grout cure for 10 days, which i will certainly do. I'm worried I got myself into trouble and i won't really be able to get the grout off the tile. is there anything anyone knows I can use without needing to allow the tile to cure for as long? also, has anyone used the Sulfamic Acid before with good results? is there anything that would be better to use? thanks in advance Before you try the sulfamic acid try a mix of 50/50 white vinegar and water. Use a scrubbie or stiff nylon brush. Try to avoid the grout joints as best you can. Clean well with water after you are done. This takes time and patience but should work. If this doesnt remove all the haze, you may then want to try the sulfamic acid. Stay away from muriatic acid. You can also use the Vinegar straight if need be. just to give an update, the straight vinegar is working well. the only tricky part is after I use the vinegar and scrub it, it looks completely clean, but when it dries, some spots still need some work. not a big deal though, just need to go back and clean again! also, on my tiles there are some spots where there is a bunch of grout, so I've been using sharpened oak dowel to scrape it off, which has done a good job in case anyone else has this problem (and I hope you don't) I've just tiled around a shower/tub and across the floor in front with 'fieldstone/granite ceramic tile'. The grout manufacturer suggests leaving the grout on the tile for 20 mins before wiping off. This kind of tile is porous, and the grout just sticks like crazy! I've attacked it with a metal scourer, with some success, but there are still areas of rough grout. Thanks for the tip on vinegar...it's gonna take me a while, but it'll be worth it. Watch out for those porous tiles......if they're unglazed, wipe off the grout right away and wash off residue really quickly. I also found that grout sticks to porous tiles on a project. Now I seal the porous tiles before putting the grout on and it works much better when I try to get the grout off and I don't need to wipe immediately Not trying to be a wiseguy, but this thread proves the point about removing all excess grout before it dries. Grout haze can be a pain to remove if allowed to dry but it's soooo easy when it's fresh. Originally Posted by khops I also found that grout sticks to porous tiles on a project. Now I seal the porous tiles before putting the grout on and it works much better when I try to get the grout off and I don't need to wipe immediately Sealing the porous tiles before grouting is actually the recommended method of doing it, for this reason and another: Unsealed tiles (or unglazed tiles) will get stained by the grout, changing the colour slightly. When ever I'm installing slate, or any other natural stone, I usually apply 2 coats of sealer once the tiles are installed, then another 2 coats after I've grouted and cleaned the floor. As for removing the haze (note, not the excess grout, but the haze that remains after it's been grouted) just use copious amounts of clean water, and make sure to mop it all up. The more clean water that used, the more diluted the haze becomes, allowing an easy final clean. If you're using a polished finish you can first use a clean terry cloth towel, and loosen up the haze. This works very well with marble or granite. Cheers. I watched a lady on google doing the grouting and she recommended using rubbing alcohol as the final step..........the final step before sealing, that is. Thank you thank you thank you, I have just finished putting in a white pebble floor in a bath and had tried so many thing to clean the grout off the pebbles, the vinegar works like a charm, it is easy and fast, and not to talk about how cheap it is. Thanks again Johnny!!!!!!!!!!! HELP PLEASE.....An idiot tiled my kitchen floor, countertop, and backsplash. He was extremely messy, and did not clean the grout right away. Now there are chunks and layers of grout over everything. I am particularly concerned about the mosiac backsplash, as it has elements of both glass, and stainless steel. Any thoughts on how I could remove the grout without scratching the tile? I saw the the suggestions about vinegar, but will the metal pieces have negative reaction?
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