removing Grout Haze

Just finished a kitchen floor, and it looks great...except we cannot seem to remove the haze left by the grout.

we put in 12x12 ceramic tiles. we sealed tiles once Before grouting, and plan to seal the whole floor a couple of times after grouting

We just grouted tonight, and we have washed the floor, wiping it dry as we go, 4 times tonight and there is still a haze on the tiles!!!

what can we do? did wejust screw up our nice new floor?

HELP!!

 

Stop wiping it dry. What you are doing is picking up the cement and polymers from the surface of the grout and putting it back on the tile. Wash it with a clean sponge and clean water and leave it alone. Passing a towel or rag over it is not a good idea while the grout is still soft or damp.

 

well we stopped...because we just couldnt clean it another time....

We'll see how it looks today...I know my wife plans on going over the floor this afternoon with a tooth brush to get the grout out of all of the little divets in the tile...I dont think we sealed it well enough before grouting as the tile were not glazed....

We'll see what happens once the grout is all dry... is there anything we can do if the haze remains after today?

 

I'm guessing it's a natural stone tile, and not ceramic? What is it exactly. ...and what sealer did you use.

 

this tile
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...esc&lpage=none

and this sealer
aqua mix penetrating sealer

Also we used sanded grout from Mapei if that matters, it was colored as well

 

Well, according to the link you posted, you have a glazed porcelane tile? If that is correct, I'm wondering who told you you had to seal it, since it was not necessary...if fact I'm now wondering if it's the sealer you see and not grout haze. Hmmm? Where are the other guys when you need them! Let's see what the others have to say....if they ever show up


You can wash the tile with a 50/50 solution if white vinegar and water right now...that should remove any grout haze you have.

 

I did not see the tile, but from the description from Adanac, no you would not put a sealer on a glazed tile. An unglazed porcelain would normally be so dense it would not even take a sealer--on the box water absorption rating of less than .5% is for all purposes, waterproof. I'm even wondering if the grout haze is actually a haze from the sealer which would not be able to soak into the tile. Sealers and grouts are too different animals. If there is grout haze, normally a mild acid wash of 50/50 water-white vinegar will work, but sealers are not really affected by acids, so if that does not work, go get some ammonia and try that in an inconspicuous area. If that works a bit, go and get yourself some sealer stripper and try that over the floor. but I concur with Canada (view name in mirror) on the haze being from sealer. As for the repeated washings of the tile, I hope you did not wash the color out of the top layer of the grout. If you inadvertantly did, you can go over your grout with a grout colorant after 28 days which will both recolor and seal the grout. www.thisoldgrout.com and www.groutdye.com both manufacture and sell colorants to match mapai grouts.

 

Hey TB....I didn't see the tile either until I added a Zip code and then it popped up. Of course being a Canuck, the only Zip I knew was 90210.

 

well that may be the wrong tile...thats all they have on the website...

The thing was, they had 2 tiles like that. One was glazed, but was not colored all the way through and they were out of stock on the bull nose tiles of the same color,

The other was not glazed, but it was full color throughout, so when I drop something on it I wouldn get a white chip... and they had everything in stock...

So I went with the unglazed tile and figured it would be worth the extra step to seal it...

My wife tells me that it seems to be coming up after she cleans the leftover grout out of the little knicks and divets in the tile. maybe we were just wiping the leftover grout from those divets and moving the leftover grout around with our towel thus continually leaving a haze after each wipedown.

Also we were careful not to hit any of the grout lines, and after checking this morning, it seems as if all grout lines are intact.

BUT if the haze remains, I guess I'll try that vinegar mix... but, should that be rinsed of as well?

 

Yes, because even though it's a mild acid, it's still acid and not great for the grout joints. Besides, you're just getting good at it.

 

ha ha very funny

I'll let you all know what happens

 

Seeing you sealed them before you grouted, the 50/50 vinegar and water should help, yes rinse it off, but try and stay off the grout joints, if it helps, then it's the haze not the sealer.

The next strongest thing would be Sulfamic acid crystals, sold at HD.

If it's a film from too much sealer, then sealer remover is in store next.

 

well we were able to clean it up pretty well... by we I mean my wife...she hit each tile with a toothbrush...

I tried to stop her, but she said she was going to do it either way, just her little wierd thing i guess..
.
Any ways, it looks fantastic!! Thanks for all your help

 

Good news before the long weekend!

 

i too had the same problem, a floor guy told me to use white vinegar and warm water in a bucket...buy a good sponge, about 3 in thick keep rinsing the spong constantly...then wipe tile with clean dry rag...worked great for me !!good luck to ya.........sal

 

Sal, this thread is about 3 yrs old.....

 

Thank you, Adanac. the 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water did the trick.