Although we showed you the “finished” floors in yesterday’s post, there is one part of the process that we haven’t covered–grout! In my post about Tips for Achieving Realistic Faux Wood Tile, I mentioned that “opting for a grout color a shade darker than our tile will keep things looking more natural.” Our grout lines were the smallest possible at 1/16″ (another great tip to keep things looking realistic!), so unsanded grout was our only option. After surveying all the colors, Mocha looked like the best bet. It didn’t contrast the tile too much, but matched the darkest shade in the wood grain pattern on the tile. We actually hired out the grouting job. After Chris was up until anywhere from 11:30pm to 2:30am laying all of the floors, paying $500 for what we thought was a fool-proof job, seemed like the perfect celebratory gift–we tackled the clean-up and haze removal ourselves. Which was a little intimidating at first because there was a lot of haze: We waited the recommended 24 hours after grouting for it to fully cure before tackling the haze.

My mom and I went to our local Ace Hardware to pick up supplies for the job over the weekend. One of the workers there suggested that a solution of distilled vinegar and warm water will cut right through the haze. I loved the sound of the chemical free fix. He helped us find some mops and buckets, a scrubby for any stubborn areas and they even carried the vinegar. We mixed about one part vinegar to 4 parts warm water. Since there was 1500 sq feet of haze to cover, two of my sisters pitched in, too, and we all tag-teamed the task while my mom was on clean water duty.carpet cleaning machine for sale in brisbane (^38 weeks pregnant–I’m going to pop!) where to buy vacuum cleaner bag singaporeWe’d do a whole room, refresh the solution of vinegar and water and do it once more (twice in more hazy spaces).swimming pool cleaning kent

It was so impressive to watch the haze lift right off the tile (thanks for the rec, Ace worker!) and the vinegar solution dried without a scent–no worries. The only disheartening part was there was still a lot of variance in some of the grout lines as you can see above. While most of them cleaned up by our second pass through revealing that warm mocha color we picked out: There were a lot of areas where the grout lines were much lighter and splotchy:best steamer for car detailing I took a toothbrush and the same vinegar solution to clean a test area–thinking it might still have some haze on it (??) but unfortunately, it dried just as light.cost to install a pool in las vegas After some research into grout variance and asking our friends at The Tile Shop (where we got the grout), they said it was most likely user error while laying the grout–either too much water when mixing, not mixing it thoroughly enough or too much water when sponging it off. carpet cleaner rental studio city

Bummer that the one part of the job we hired out seems to have managed to not turn out the way we hoped. As for remedying the light grout lines, we ordered a grout dye and sealer in one to try out and will update you soon. The good news is we’re haze free and that part was a lot easier than we thought it would be. I was imagining buffing each individual tile with cheese cloth until the baby got here. In reality, it took us about 2 hours to do the entire 1500 square feet with items we found at our local Ace (or you might already have at home!). Do you have a home maintenance project to tackle? Ace’s wide product selection (vinegar, people) and helpful customer service (our favorite!) can definitely help–but how about $100 to spend at Ace Hardware, too? Enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. (We’ll choose a winner Friday night and update this post.) We’re excited to be collaborating with Ace Hardware as a part of their Ace Blogger Panel this year. Ace has provided us with compensation and the materials necessary to complete this project, but all opinions and sweat are our own.

Skip to main content. Home Guides Home Home Improvement Home Cleaning How to Remove the White Haze Left After Grouting Tiles A good scrubbing usually removes the white haze left from newly grouted tiles. Grout is a sticky mixture of Portland cement and additives, used for filling in the narrow gaps between tiles. After tile installation, grout residue commonly forms a white-colored haze over the surface of the tiles. The residue is best removed immediately after tile installation but not until the grout has cured. If the residue was never removed and has now hardened, you can still remove it with some old fashioned scrubbing. If the residue is very stubborn or your tiles are unglazed, use a special grout haze remover solution available at any home improvement center. Scrub the Residue Moisten a few tiles with the sponge and warm water. Scrub the tiles with the nylon scrubbing pad. Exert more effort if the residue does not scrub off quickly. Dry and buff the tiles with a dry terrycloth towel.

Repeat these steps on the next few tiles, working your way across the tile surface. Use Haze Remover Dab a small amount of the solution onto a clean, damp sponge or directly to the tiles according to manufacturer's instructions. Rub the solution over the tiles to remove the residue. Rinse the tiles thoroughly with clean, warm water. Buff the tiles dry with a terrycloth towel. Things You Will Need Gloves Nylon scrubbing pads Bucket of warm water Sponges Terrycloth towels Grout haze remover solution Warnings Photo Credits Liquidlibrary/liquidlibrary/Getty Images Suggest a Correction Grout haze is caused when tile is installed and the grout is not completely removed from the tile surface after the project is complete. To clean it, you can use common household ingredients or a commercial tile cleaner. The best time to remove grout haze is within 24 hours of completing a grouting project; however, it is possible to remove haze even days or weeks after the tiling project is finished. It's always best to start with the simplest removal method first.

If you're trying to remove the grout haze within that first 24-hour window, plain elbow grease may just do the trick. Fill a bucket with warm water and, using a green scouring pad, give the haze a good scrubbing. For stubborn haze or haze that's had a little more time to sit, this may not work.If your grout haze refuses to come up with just warm water, try a mixture of warm water and vinegar (50 percent of each). In many cases this will remove the haze, provided you use enough force against the tile to remove the excess grout causing it.By this time, if the haze has still not been removed, then it may be time to resort to a commercial haze remover. You can purchase this type of product at any large home improvement center in the tile department. Following the instructions on the package and wearing protective gloves, soak a cloth and use it to wipe the haze from the tile. If the haze continues to be a problem, then the next step is to try applying the remover directly to the surface of the tile.