By design, the tile has numerous shallow crevices in it. When I grouted
the floor, I should have been removed the grout from the face while it
was still wet, but I didn't. (At the time, I was unaware of release
agents.) This isn't an issue of an overall haze, but just grey grout in
the crevicies of the browish face.

Since the area is small, about 42" by 60", I am prepared to just pick
out the grout with a tiny screwdriver or pick. Any ideas for "softening"
the grout first with some chemical?

I'm also considering coloring the unwanted grout to match the tile by
using a q-tip to apply the coloring.

Thanks,

Ray

Ray K wrote:
By design, the tile has numerous shallow crevices in it. When I
grouted the floor, I should have been removed the grout from the face
while it was still wet, but I didn't. (At the time, I was unaware of
release agents.) This isn't an issue of an overall haze, but just
grey grout in the crevicies of the browish face.

Since the area is small, about 42" by 60", I am prepared to just pick
out the grout with a tiny screwdriver or pick. Any ideas for
"softening" the grout first with some chemical?

Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid assuming you can keep it off the grout in
the joints. It will eat it up, no picking necessary, but may need more
than one application. You can get muratic acid at pool supply stores,
Home Depot may carry it too.

Generally, it comes in about 28% concentration which is way too strong
for your purpose. A dilution of 1 part 28% with 5 parts of water should
be about right. If that is too weak, increase concentration a bit. Add
acid to water, not vice versa.

When you put it on, it will foam a bit once it contacts the grout. It
will also release unpleasant fumes. Once it stops foaming, the acid has
been pretty much neutralized by the grout; if grout remains, wipe up the
residue and apply acid again. When you are finished, neutralize with
baking soda then clean up with water.

Regardless of concentration, it is very caustic and you need to be
*extremely* careful with it...keep it off you and anything else other
than the grout you want removed. You could apply it with a brush (which
will be ruined) or an eye dropper or kitchen type baster.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

dadiOH wrote:
Ray K wrote:
By design, the tile has numerous shallow crevices in it. When I
grouted the floor, I should have been removed the grout from the face
while it was still wet, but I didn't. (At the time, I was unaware of
release agents.) This isn't an issue of an overall haze, but just
grey grout in the crevicies of the browish face.

Since the area is small, about 42" by 60", I am prepared to just pick
out the grout with a tiny screwdriver or pick. Any ideas for
"softening" the grout first with some chemical?

Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid assuming you can keep it off the grout in
the joints. It will eat it up, no picking necessary, but may need more
than one application. You can get muratic acid at pool supply stores,
Home Depot may carry it too.

Generally, it comes in about 28% concentration which is way too strong
for your purpose. A dilution of 1 part 28% with 5 parts of water should
be about right. If that is too weak, increase concentration a bit. Add
acid to water, not vice versa.

When you put it on, it will foam a bit once it contacts the grout. It
will also release unpleasant fumes. Once it stops foaming, the acid has
been pretty much neutralized by the grout; if grout remains, wipe up the
residue and apply acid again. When you are finished, neutralize with
baking soda then clean up with water.

Regardless of concentration, it is very caustic and you need to be
*extremely* careful with it...keep it off you and anything else other
than the grout you want removed. You could apply it with a brush (which
will be ruined) or an eye dropper or kitchen type baster.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


If you've got any leftover tiles.............make sure that the acid
does not adversely effect the tiles (glaz, sheen, etc)

I would suggest diluting the acid.......use the weakest solution that
does the trick.

cheers
Bob

dadiOH wrote:
Ray K wrote:
By design, the tile has numerous shallow crevices in it. When I
grouted the floor, I should have been removed the grout from the face
while it was still wet, but I didn't. (At the time, I was unaware of
release agents.) This isn't an issue of an overall haze, but just
grey grout in the crevicies of the browish face.

Since the area is small, about 42" by 60", I am prepared to just pick
out the grout with a tiny screwdriver or pick. Any ideas for
"softening" the grout first with some chemical?

Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid assuming you can keep it off the grout in
the joints. It will eat it up, no picking necessary, but may need more
than one application. You can get muratic acid at pool supply stores,
Home Depot may carry it too.

Generally, it comes in about 28% concentration which is way too strong
for your purpose. A dilution of 1 part 28% with 5 parts of water should
be about right. If that is too weak, increase concentration a bit. Add
acid to water, not vice versa.

When you put it on, it will foam a bit once it contacts the grout. It
will also release unpleasant fumes. Once it stops foaming, the acid has
been pretty much neutralized by the grout; if grout remains, wipe up the
residue and apply acid again. When you are finished, neutralize with
baking soda then clean up with water.

Regardless of concentration, it is very caustic and you need to be
*extremely* careful with it...keep it off you and anything else other
than the grout you want removed. You could apply it with a brush (which
will be ruined) or an eye dropper or kitchen type baster.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


my bad.............should have read dadiOH's reply more carefully, he
had the dilution comment

cheers
Bob

There is no reason to use muratic acid when there
are much safer choices. Sulfamic acid is a "safe"
similar acid and is redily available. Muratic acid
is nasty crap, and one should be careful to recommend
it. Unlike sulfamic acid, muratic can easily be harmful
to glazed tile surfaces, and particularly nasty to eyes
and skin. I know that the questioner is advised to
dilute it, but we can't count on his ability to handle such
a nasty material, or store/dispose of it properly.
It will ruin any stainless steel it contacts, not to
mention many other surfaces.

To answer the original question, scrape out the grooves
with a sharp putty knife or small sharp screwdriver to
remove most of it. Then use the sulfamic acid per
directions on container to remove remaining film.
Then rinse with a neutralizer such as baking soda.

thetiler

BobK207 wrote:
dadiOH wrote:
Ray K wrote:
By design, the tile has numerous shallow crevices in it. When I
grouted the floor, I should have been removed the grout from the face
while it was still wet, but I didn't. (At the time, I was unaware of
release agents.) This isn't an issue of an overall haze, but just
grey grout in the crevicies of the browish face.

Since the area is small, about 42" by 60", I am prepared to just pick
out the grout with a tiny screwdriver or pick. Any ideas for
"softening" the grout first with some chemical?

Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid assuming you can keep it off the grout in
the joints. It will eat it up, no picking necessary, but may need more
than one application. You can get muratic acid at pool supply stores,
Home Depot may carry it too.

Generally, it comes in about 28% concentration which is way too strong
for your purpose. A dilution of 1 part 28% with 5 parts of water should
be about right. If that is too weak, increase concentration a bit. Add
acid to water, not vice versa.

When you put it on, it will foam a bit once it contacts the grout. It
will also release unpleasant fumes. Once it stops foaming, the acid has
been pretty much neutralized by the grout; if grout remains, wipe up the
residue and apply acid again. When you are finished, neutralize with
baking soda then clean up with water.

Regardless of concentration, it is very caustic and you need to be
*extremely* careful with it...keep it off you and anything else other
than the grout you want removed. You could apply it with a brush (which
will be ruined) or an eye dropper or kitchen type baster.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


If you've got any leftover tiles.............make sure that the acid
does not adversely effect the tiles (glaz, sheen, etc)

I would suggest diluting the acid.......use the weakest solution that
does the trick.

cheers
Bob

Ray K wrote:
By design, the tile has numerous shallow crevices in it. When I grouted
the floor, I should have been removed the grout from the face while it
was still wet, but I didn't. (At the time, I was unaware of release
agents.) This isn't an issue of an overall haze, but just grey grout in
the crevicies of the browish face.

Since the area is small, about 42" by 60", I am prepared to just pick
out the grout with a tiny screwdriver or pick. Any ideas for "softening"
the grout first with some chemical?

I'm also considering coloring the unwanted grout to match the tile by
using a q-tip to apply the coloring.

Thanks,

Ray

Thanks DadiOH and Bob for the tips. I never heard of sulfamic acid, so I
googled it and came up with this page that list common household
products that contain it.

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov...tbl=chem&id=11

I do have leftover tiles that I can experiment on.

Ray

Ray K wrote:
By design, the tile has numerous shallow crevices in it. When I grouted
the floor, I should have been removed the grout from the face while it
was still wet, but I didn't. (At the time, I was unaware of release
agents.) This isn't an issue of an overall haze, but just grey grout in
the crevicies of the browish face.

Since the area is small, about 42" by 60", I am prepared to just pick
out the grout with a tiny screwdriver or pick. Any ideas for "softening"
the grout first with some chemical?

I'm also considering coloring the unwanted grout to match the tile by
using a q-tip to apply the coloring.

Thanks,

Ray

Thanks DadiOH, Bob, and thetiler for the tips. I never heard of sulfamic
acid, so I googled it and came up with this page that list common
household products that contain it.

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov...tbl=chem&id=11

I do have leftover tiles that I can experiment on.

Ray

Any tile distributor should carry sulfamic acid crystals.
You dilute them in water as directed.

I believe even home depot carry's them in the same
section of the tile dept. that has grout sealers etc.

Sulfamic acid acts in much the same way as muratic,
attacking cement based products, but is milder and
safer. Muratic acid is like asbestos insulation...
there are too many safer alternatives to warrant it's use
in the tile business.

thetiler