Dull dirty tile

[davem]

Hi everyone,
I got this question via email on the Tile Your World website. Please help this person out!

Hello!


We have a ceramic tile in our house (about 1,500 sq.ft of tile) that looks
very dull. It almost looks "dirty". What would you recommend we do to
change that look?

Thank you very much for your help.

[bbcamp]

You didn't tell them to move, didja?

[kemguru]

Hi

How old is the tile?

Has any type of sealer been applied, that you know of?

How about a “Mop N Glow” wax?

Is it “dirty” throughout, or more so in high traffic areas?

What have you used to clean/restore it so far? Any progress?

[beauquis]

The tile is only one year old and has looked dull from day one. It has been sealed but no wax products have been used. And moving is NOT an option right now.
Thank you very much for your help.

[doitright]

Hi Beauquis , Welcome

Do you have a 1st name you're willing to let loose on the open market here?

Can you give us more details on the floor? Glazed, what color, porceleain, are you the original owner, do you have a new sample to compare it to, size, type of grout used (epoxy or cement) etc......

Any way to post a picture?

What was it sealed with?

What, anything have you tried to clean with?

All this info will help!

[John Bridge]

It could be grout haze, I suppose.

[kemguru]

Yep

That’s why we need to know what was used for cleaning. I’d bet an acidic tile and grout cleaner was used.

But if it’s sealed, the seal could have interfered with the acid.

That’s why we need to know what seal was used.

[beauquis]

My name is Catherine and I am very grateful that you guys are willing to hear our sad tile story and try to help.
We had our house built in 2002. After the ceramic glazed tile was installed, we noticed that it was dull and looked dirty. The grout coloring was not uniform so they laid down a grout colorant sealer(Aqua Mix) The builder had their crew clean the tile several times before we moved in (not sure what they used) but it never really improved.
We then applied a TileLab Gloss Sealer & Finish to the ceramic tile that Home Depot suggested. It did not penetrate and left a glossy streak on the tile. We stripped the finish with a TileLab Stripper and now we are back to a dull look.
PLEASE help...

Thank you!

[John Bridge]

Catherine,

Do an experiment. Try using a solution of vinegar and water mixed 50/50 in an out-of-the-way spot. You'll have to do a little scrubbing with a brush or plastic pot scrubber. Rinse the area well with clean water and allow it to dry. Let us know how it comes out.

[kemguru]

Hi Catherine

I agree…try the vinegar solution. If it looks like the vinegar is doing something, but not quite cutting it, step up to a stronger product. Next in line would be Phosphoric Acid, made by Aqua Mix, and available at Home Depot. It’s called Heavy Duty Acid Cleaner or Phosphoric Acid Cleaned. Same stuff, but the Heavy Duty is more concentrated…more bang for the buck.

If the phosphoric seems to do something, but again, not quite cut it, you’ll need to get the big guns. TYW Heavy Duty Cleaner & Stripper first, to dissolve the polymer in the haze, and then follow with TYW Tile & Grout Restorer, to cut the cement part of the grout. It’s a one-two punch that’s hard to beat. This procedure typically works, whether we’re trying to remove grout haze, old seal or just a build-up of crud. It’s almost a “silver bullet.”

[John Bridge]

Tim,

Why didn't we name it "Silver Bullet"?

[davem]

Maybe we could sell the combo as a package deal and name it that.

[John Bridge]

Dave,

Great idea! Where's Tim? I wanna know if he's got any two-compartment bottles. We could make it look a lot more technical that way.

[doitright]

I agree with the Part A and Part B. Nobody should be without that kit anyway!

[kemguru]

I don’t know about the two-chamber bottle. If these products were to mix, they would neutralize each other. Seems that the products sold in dual chamber packaging are designed to mix together. Epoxy…peroxide-based stain removers, and such.

I think a package deal is a great idea! The “Copper Bullet” package.