best way to clean dry grout off tiles
Removing old grout from tiled surfaces is a task that requires a few simple tools and some patience. The main component of most grouts is Portland cement. It usually takes a newly grouted surface several days or weeks to become fully hardened. Once it has cured, however, old grout can be difficult to clean from tiled floors and walls. Your first instinct may be to chisel it off with a metal tool, such as a putty knife, but this can damage the tiles. Instead, a process of soaking and gently scraping and scouring the grout with non-metal tools is recommended. Pour some clean water over the tile surface. This will act as a lubricant and will prevent scratches on the tiled surface as you work. Scrape the large clumps or layers of grout with a small piece of hardwood, such as oak, that is about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick, with a square-cut end. Do not use metal scraping tools such as putty knives; these will permanently damage the glazed surface of the tile. Work at the grout with light to medium pressure until you’ve removed all heavy deposits of grout, and then rinse off the tile with clean water.
Wet the grout that remains with clean water, and scour the surface of the tile with a damp nylon scouring pad. As you scour, keep the pad wet with plenty of water. Rinse the tile with clean water, and wipe it dry with a clean towel. If the grout still is not fully removed, continue scouring. Round the end of your wood piece using coarse-grit sandpaper until it resembles a wood chisel. Apply water to the tile surface and push and pull the stick between the tiles to smooth the grout lines. Mix 1 cup of white granulated sugar into a gallon of hot water. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves. Pour the solution over the grout, or apply it to vertical surfaces with a sponge. Leave the sugar water to soak into the grout for about two hours. This allows the solution time to loosen the grout’s bond to the tile. Scrape off large chunks of grout using a wooden paint stick. Apply sugar water to the remaining grout and scrub with a nylon scrubber. Keep the grout wet with the sugar and water solution as you work.
Rinse the tile with clean water to remove the sugar solution. Wipe the tile dry with a clean towel to make sure all grout is removed. If some grout remains, repeat scrubbing it with the sugar water. Things You Will Need Water Cloth Bucket Wooden stick Nylon scrubber Sandpaper Towel Paint stick Granulated sugar Tip Warning References Ask the Builder: Excess Grout RemovalCeramic Tile and Stone Consultants: Common Questions Photo Credits Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionDEAR TIM: I was grouting ceramic tile when I had to leave the house for an emergency. When I could finally get back to work the next day, the grout was hard as a rock. I have extra tile, should I just remove the mess I have now and start over? Is there a way to remove the hardened grout without harming the tile? Dan A., Orlando, FL DEAR DAN: First, I hope all of those associated with the emergency situation are okay and doing well. As for your ceramic tile, I would not just yet pronounce it DOA (dead on arrival).
Visit an business that uses pallets for incoming and outgoing freight and they'll have a crap pallet around.
best upright steam floor cleaner You just have to peel off one of the top boards and then saw it so it's the shape of a paint stirring stick.
best way to clean my granite countertops If getting oak is too much work, and it can be, then just use a paint stirring stick.
swimming pool cleaner valve Slowly scrape the excess grout with the stick edge. Cut into the grout with the corner of the stick. Do NOT attack the grout like a bulldozer cuts into a hill of dirt. The stick will ride up over the grout. IMPORTANT TIP: Brush away or vacuum up the grout grit and dust as you work. If you don't, the grout grit will scratch the glazed tile.
Floor grout contains fine pieces of silica sand and it's extremely abrasive. The sand will scratch tile fast and it's just about impossible to repair the tiny scratches. The primary ingredient in many ceramic tile grouts is Portland cement. It takes days and often weeks for ceramic tile grout to reach full strength. At this point in time, you're working against the clock. Every hour after the grout was installed, it gets much harder to remove it. I've found that if you start to remove excess grout within 48 hours after it was installed, it's not too hard. The longer you hesitate to remove the grout, the harder it becomes to remove. If, by chance, the grout was an epoxy grout, you're toast. It's virtually impossible to remove excess epoxy grout from tile surfaces without damaging the tile. The grout removal process requires just a few simple tools. You need some small pieces of wood that have very square-cut edges and several brand new nylon scouring pads. The first thing to do is to work in a small area to see how successful the grout removal techniques will be.
If you have rapid success and can get a few tiles clean within a few minutes, that's a very good sign. Use the wood sticks to remove large clumps and layers of grout. Do NOT use metal scraping tools, putty knives, etc. The metal will permanently damage the glazed surface of the tile. Don't allow contractors to use metal tools. Oak is Best - Soft Woods Dull I prefer to use pieces of oak that are 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch thick, one-inch wide and perhaps six inches long. The oak hardwood holds its square-cut edge longer than a softwood like most paint stirring sticks. Use a power saw to make sure all of the edges are square cut instead of slightly rounded. The crisp square edge aggressively cuts through the grout down to the surface of the ceramic tile. Before you begin to attack the grout-covered tile with the stick, pour a little water on it. The water acts as a lubricant and helps to prevent micro-scratches on the glazed tile surface. It should not require excessive pressure to get immediate results.
The trick to removing large grout deposits is to just cut into the grout with a corner of the grout stick. Don't try to push the entire square face of the oak stick into a large clump of grout. Once the heavy deposits of grout are removed using the oak stick, rinse off all of the grout particles and grit from the surface of the tile. New tools and products hit the market all the time. Farther down below you'll see traditional grout sponges that work really well for this job. But right here is a newer sponge that combines a microfiber surface on one side that really helps you get rid of the DRIED grout haze on ceramic tile. CLICK HERE NOW to order one of these sponges. Add more fresh water to the surface of the tile. Get the nylon scouring pad wet as well. Begin to scour the tile surface with the pad adding plenty of fresh water as you scrub. You should see dramatic results within seconds. You can test to see if all of the grout paste has been removed by doing a final rinse on the tile(s) you just worked on.
Use a soft cotton cloth to dry the tile. You can also dry it quickly with a regular fan or a hair dryer. Wet tile can trick you. It often looks perfect but frequently after it dries you will see a slight grout haze upon it. Hold a piece of spare tile next to the clean and dry tile to see if it has been restored to its original condition. The biggest challenge of the job will be restoring the grout lines between the tiles. When tile grout is wet, it is very easy to make the grout lines uniform using a special grout sponge that has rounded edges. The sponge tools the grout line smooth. But now, the grout in between the tiles is anything but uniform. Use coarse sandpaper to slightly round off a corner of one of the oak sticks so that it resembles a woodworker's chisel. As you push and pull the stick back and forth along the grout lines, the rounded corner will cut a profile similar to what the sponge would have created. Once again, introduce some water to the grout to act as a lubricant.