I just grouted over my unglazed ceramic tile and the clean up is almost impossible. I have been at it or 5 hours and only a quarter done. It is taking a lot of scrubbing and there has to be an easier way! Please help!!??

Sophie wrote:
I just grouted over my unglazed ceramic tile and the clean up is
almost impossible. I have been at it or 5 hours and only a quarter
done. It is taking a lot of scrubbing and there has to be an easier
way! Please help!!??

You started before the grout set, right? No matter, it is probably pretty
well set by now and the only way to get it off is physically
(scraping/chipping) or chemically (acid).

When you grout, you push it into the joints and then wipe off the excess
with whatever. Within 10 minutes or so, you clean off the rest with damp
sponges...one swipe per clean side of the sponge else you just move the
grout around. Continue with the sponge to remove as much as possible. Once
the grout in the joints has set, wipe the tile surfaces with a terry cloth
towel to remove the haze - should be very little - left over after the
sponge wipes.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
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dadiOH wrote:
Sophie wrote:
I just grouted over my unglazed ceramic tile and the clean up is
almost impossible. I have been at it or 5 hours and only a quarter
done. It is taking a lot of scrubbing and there has to be an easier
way! Please help!!??

Wait! Unglazed ceramic tile? AFAIK, ALL ceramic tile is glazed. It
wouldn't be "ceramic" otherwise, IMO. Maybe the glaze is just not bright
(shiny)?


--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On 7/31/2012 7:44 AM, dadiOH wrote:
Sophie wrote:
I just grouted over my unglazed ceramic tile and the clean up is
almost impossible. I have been at it or 5 hours and only a quarter
done. It is taking a lot of scrubbing and there has to be an easier
way! Please help!!??

You started before the grout set, right? No matter, it is probably pretty
well set by now and the only way to get it off is physically
(scraping/chipping) or chemically (acid).

When you grout, you push it into the joints and then wipe off the excess
with whatever. Within 10 minutes or so, you clean off the rest with damp
sponges...one swipe per clean side of the sponge else you just move the
grout around. Continue with the sponge to remove as much as possible. Once
the grout in the joints has set, wipe the tile surfaces with a terry cloth
towel to remove the haze - should be very little - left over after the
sponge wipes.


We had tile installed by a contractor who did a great job. When he
finished, he gave us instructions....wipe tile with vinegar in water
after 24 hours. Done. No haze. When we were shopping for our tile,
there was a woman who had just tiled her whole home with her hubby, left
haze on the tile, then threw down muriatic acid to try to get rid of the
haze (

On Jul 31, 1:17*am, Sophie wrote:
I just grouted over my unglazed ceramic tile and the clean up is almost
impossible. I have been at it or 5 hours and only a quarter done. It is
taking a lot of scrubbing and there has to be an easier way! Please
help!!??

You're going to have to use muriatic acid and even that might not work
very well for unglazed tile.

Due to its porosity unglazed tile has to be rinsed and rinsed and
rinsed again with many water changes after grouting, then whatever
haze is left polished off with a dry towel within only a couple hours,
or you're screwed.
-----

- gpsman

On 7/31/2012 8:51 AM, gpsman wrote:
On Jul 31, 1:17 am, Sophie wrote:
I just grouted over my unglazed ceramic tile and the clean up is almost
impossible. I have been at it or 5 hours and only a quarter done. It is
taking a lot of scrubbing and there has to be an easier way! Please
help!!??

You're going to have to use muriatic acid and even that might not work
very well for unglazed tile.

Due to its porosity unglazed tile has to be rinsed and rinsed and
rinsed again with many water changes after grouting, then whatever
haze is left polished off with a dry towel within only a couple hours,
or you're screwed.
-----

- gpsman


I would contact the tile dealer or mfg before I used muriatic,
ESPECIALLY indoors...it is damn potent and boils up fumes that might
damage electronics and stuff. When the grout is cured, I'd try
vinegar/water with a stiff brush. Normally, when grouting unglazed
tile, a sealer is applied to the tile first.

On Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:51:00 -0700 (PDT), gpsman
wrote:

You're going to have to use muriatic acid

Do not use "muriatic acid".

There is a tile cleaner, Sulfamic acid made for cleaning tile haze.
Made by Tile-Lab and found in the local borg. FOLLOW the directions.
Note: Do not use on marble or other polished stone. May etch some
glazed tile.

Try it in a inconspicuous place, first.
--

On Jul 31, 11:22*am, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:51:00 -0700 (PDT), gpsman

wrote:
You're going to have to use muriatic acid

Do not use "muriatic acid".

"Nyuh-uh" is the type of penetrating analysis that makes Usenet so
special.

There is a tile cleaner, Sulfamic acid made for cleaning tile haze.
Made by Tile-Lab and found in the local borg.

That's glycolic acid. I doubt it will touch it, but it (probably)
can't hurt to try.
-----

- gpsman