More white spots

[Lot]

My problem is almost identical to the posting by harts56 on 7-18-04, but I am at the point where the thread leaves off. Based upon advice given to me by Lowe's, I used the AquaMix cleaner and stripper on unglazed quarry-type tile that had previously been treated with an AquaMix Gold type semi-gloss sealant product which had broken down over the years leaving patchy, white scaly flakes on the walls of a shower in a home I just moved into. :dunce:

The AquaMix stripper worked pretty good with much effort and scrubbing, but left untouched heavier patches of the sealant. I then used a Jasco Methylene Chloride based product which took off the rest of the sealant, but has left (or exposed?) white, milky patches on the surface of the tile (like spilt milk). I can't figure out if it's a left over residue of the sealant/MC product; whether it is something leaching out of the tile or grout; or whether it is something else that had been covered up by the sealant. The tile looks fine when it is wet, but gets this milky white mottling as it dries.

I have scrubbed the shower down with comet cleanser, and can feel no residue to the touch. I have tried a number of products to remove the spotting including: more AquaMix stripper, Limeaway, Zap, vinegar with little effect. :bang:

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.

Larry

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[doitright]

Hi Larry, Welcome! :)

Sorry for the slow response.

First things first. Cany you post a picture of the shower walls? Sight unseen with what you are describing (unglazed quarry-type tiles with white, milky patches).

It could be the MC residue as you suggested. I would do another test, and reapply the MC stripper, let dwell (but not dry) on the surface. The stripper should be nuetralized, scraped off, agitate the tile & grout with brush & water, rinse, dry.

Please give us a follow up, with your progress. :)

[Lot]

Hi John,

Thanks for your reply. I am attaching two pictures of the tile wall as you requested. I will follow-up with what you have suggested. But first, what do you mean by 'neutralize' ("The stripper should be neutralized, scraped off, . . .")?

Another thing I've noticed is as the shower is used, the white patches seem to be slowly disappearing?? This is a good thing.

Larry

[doitright]

Hi Larry :)

Looks like residue to me. Most MC based strippers can be "neutralized" with water. It's important to not let the stripper dry on the surface. Another good technique is to work from top to bottom. If you don't thoroughly remove the "used" stripper, and rinse, you will be redepositing the material you were removing along with sediment of the stripper itself. :cry:

[KChurch1]

We had a similar problem with unglazed quarry and jasco MC. Jasco recommended using acetone to remove the residue. You might want to try re- applying the MC let it dwell a short time, wipe it off and then clean the tile with the acetone. Remember that all these chemicals are not user friendly. Make sure you wear chemical resistant gloves (resistant to MC), an organic vapor respirator, plenty of ventilation and no open flames. Do this test on a small area before committing to the entire surface to be cleaned.