Grout haze removal

[rnelson0]

I've been putting tile in our guest bath without a problem, until the grout phase. The grout in the gaps is fine, the problem is that there's some grout haze on top of the tiles that I didn't get out immediately (partly because I'm a novice, partly because I was paranoid about how long to wait before scrubbing up excess). I've been told to use "Grout Cleanup", and while that's helped me with the big stuff, most of my tiles are still covered way past the point of noticeability with haze.

I have textured tiles, which may be exacerbating my problem a bit, but I still feel the need to get the gray/biege grout off the top of my dark brown tiles completely, as they really do not blend at all!

Please help! :)

Rob Nelson
rnelson0@gmail.com

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[Mike2]

Rob, I'm going to move you over to the Cleaning and Restoration forum. The folks over there will help you get cleaned up ;) Here are a few question however that will help them along:

1. What kind of tile? Ceramic or natural stone. If stone, what kind? (e.g. granite, marble, slate, etc.)

2. How many days ago did you grout?

3. Re. this "Grout Cleanup" product you used - I'm personally not familiar with that brand so tell us, who makes it and is it an acidic cleaner?

[rnelson0]

1. The tile is ceramic, and the two pieces can be seen at:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=22992-74035-AS511212LW1P

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=99979-74035-AS61612DCOLW&lpage=none

You can see what it looked like before I put it in at:

http://ronelson.dynip.com:81/wiki/index.php/Image:200602GuestBathroom-TileDryRun1.JPG

I have not had a chance to upload pictures after grouting, but basically in the whitish areas I am getting grout buildup. It's especially frustrating in that once the tile gets wet, it looks okay and I can't tell exactly what areas need cleaned!

2. The tile was grouted about two weeks ago. I thought I did a good job in cleaning it up the first two days after installing it, and then I didn't get time again until the weekend, when I put more time into it and realized that I let it set too long. Last week I didn't manage to get anything done except to go get this clean-up product. It's made a dent but I still have a ways to go.

3. The cleanup product is made by Aqua Mix and is named "Grout Haze Clean-Up". It says "non-Caidic / Odorless" on it, and from the feel it's more of a Base (if I remember my chemistry classes from forever-ago).


This product is helping and I think I'll eventually get it up with a lot of elbow grease. Just looking for tips! Thanks.

Rob Nelson
rnelson0@gmail.com

[Mike2]

That helps a lot Rob. That Aqua Mix product you are using is a non-acidic cleaner claimed to be safe for use on calcite based stone. Most likely it is alkaline based.

The Restoration gurus here will likely tell you to step up a notch to either a sulfamic or phosphoric acid based cleaner, Aqua Mix has both. But wait for their lead, OK.

:)

[doitright]

Hi Rob :)

Have you done a test with vinegar and water (50/50)?

If that doesn't work, you need to step up to sulfamic or phosphoric acid. Both products available from Aqua Mix. Our online store has Stone Tech's Restore available.

I suggest prewetting the grout joints, applying the product, let dwell, agitate with a brush, and rinse/remove, and a final rinse.

[rnelson0]

Okay, vinegar isn't cutting it. At least not with my measly muscles. How much effort should I have to put in, even with the proper cleaner? Just want to make sure I'm not giving up too easily.

For the Stone Tech product line, it looks like there's two products, the Restore Restoration Cleaner and Klenzall Heavy Duty Stone & Tile Cleaner. I think I will order whichever of those you guys suggest will work best (or both if necessary) and also the Revitalizer Stone & Tile Cleaner and Protector product at the same time.

Rob Nelson
rnelson0@gmail.com

[doitright]

Hi Don :)

You'll want to try the Restore. That's their acidic product. You can order a sample to try first. It depends on how much grout you have in the crevices and on the surface. The Restore may not be strong enough. We always suggest to TEST first, before commiting to the entire area.

[rnelson0]

Considering the time this has already taken, would you suggest I just order all three products, and try the Restore before the KlenzAll, in that order? Thanks!

Rob Nelson
rnelson0@gmail.com

[DonB]

Rob,

If it was my tile, I'd keep it wet for an hour or so and scrub bejeezus outta it with a very stiff brush and sulfamic acid solution. If I still had hunks in the landscape, I'd get a bit more mechanical and brutal with my scraping tools. Unless you have realy crappy tile you won't scratch it with steel but be careful about leaving metal tracks on the surface. They're hard to remove.

Don

[rnelson0]

Yeah, I did that all day long. Mostly I have hands that hurt, but I did get a bit up. I will simply order both grout cleaning products (Restore and KlenzAll) and try both of them. I am fed up with how long this is taking and it's worth the extra $10 to have two kinds of cleaners :) Plus, I'll have a bunch on hand to keep it clean for a good year at least.

Thanks for the tips, guys! It probably won't get here until later in the week, but I'll let you know how it goes.

Rob Nelson
rnelson0@gmail.com

[rnelson0]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your assistance. The alkaline product from StoneTech, KlenzAll, worked okay and got rid of some of the light haze. The acidic product, Restore, was able to get the remaining haze and all the heavy spots in the grooves and curves of the textured tile. I may have a few spots left to get over the next few days, but it's a ton better than just using elbow grease! A little bit of the Revitalizer has made it look very nice and shiny, to boot. Thanks a lot!

Rob Nelson
rnelson0@gmail.com

[doitright]

Hi Rob :)

Glad to be of assistance. It's great to hear that you're making some serious progress! :clap1: