How Do I Remove The Hazy Coating From My Porcelain Tiles?
By Ian Taylor on Jun 26, 2008 in Cleaning, Porcelain, Problem Solving, Visitor's Questions
In my last article I mentioned the coatings that certain factories are applying to their porcelain tiles. In truth there are lots of different types of coating being used. Their purpose is to afford some protection to the tiles during transport, handling and of course, installation. Why are they doing this? Well, many newer porcelain tiles are not being manufactured to quite the same exacting standards that they once were, particularly, those emanating from the Far East.
They are intended to be removed before, during or after grouting. Many of them use standard, paraffin-type waxes which are relatively easy to remove but others however use more modern, polymers that can be much harder to remove and each can require a different chemical.
For standard waxes, the easiest and safest way to remove them would be to use a product designed specifically for this job, such as Nanoscrub by Aqua Mix. We have talked about this product (and its many other uses) before, but this is the task it was actually designed for. The process is simple; just pour some Nanoscrub onto the tiles, add a little water and scrub with a white nylon emulsifying pad, rinse and you’re done.
For the more difficult types, it could involve a bit of trial an error I am afraid. Some respond well to strong alkaline cleaners such as Heavy Duty Tile and Grout Cleaner, while others really require a solvent-type product. You have to be careful with solvents- not just for the obvious reasons but also, because some of them can darken the tiles or leave behind an oily residue themselves. We would try Sealer & Coating Remover – it is a far safer and much more user-friendly solvent cleaner. You may be forgiven for thinking, “well I will go straight to the solvent, just in case the alkaline does not work” but it does not always work like that; coatings that respond to alkaline cleaners do not always necessarily respond to solvents, and visa-versa. A useful tip is that Nanoscrub can be added to either to boost its performance.
The last type of coating issue I am going to discuss is the new wave of so-called nano-sealers that are also factory applied. The word nano is being used a lot these days; in the case of both the Nanoscrub that we mention and these nano-sealers – all that the ‘nano’ technology is doing is reducing surface-tension, this allows for a greater and easier penetration of both the cleaner and in this case sealers, into the small (but very problematical) pores of many polished Porcelain tiles. It does not indicate if the sealer is good, poor or mediocre. The problem we have seen is that the factories, due to the speed of production and less than scrupulous quality control, do not always remove the sealer residue, this then dries to form a haze. Some of these sealer residues can be removed with one or a combination of the types of product we have talked about, but for some, unfortunately, at this point there would appear to be no effective solution – it is still a work in progress!
hronagh | Aug 12, 2008 | Reply
I have recently placed some glossy porcelain tiles in my living area. They are 600 by 600 light beige pre-selaed ones. I have problems having then cleaned. Have tried floor cleaners, steam mopping, normal mopping and Methalyated Spirit. With the exception of Methalyted Spirit, the other methods leave the tiles dry with watermarks. With the Metho, howver, the tiles dry clean but as soon as I walk on them, there are footprints everywhere. Do I stand a chance having them cleaned at all? Is there a better way of cleaning? Are there any chemicals that can be used so that they dry clean? A friend suggested white vinegar, would that help?
Thanks heaps,
karen | Jul 28, 2010 | Reply
I have recently laid polished porcelain tiles, they had wax on them so i cleaned with nanoscrub and tile scourer. Now i have scuffed looking tiles. Have i damaged to glaze on the tiles? No one can seem to give me any answers in what to do next. Will sealing them take the scuffed look away and do you have to sealed polished porcelain tiles? Please advise.
Ian Taylor | Jul 28, 2010 | Reply
Hi Karen,
OK, three questions in there. First of all, the abrasive component in Nanoscrub is derived from calcite, it won’t even scratch marble or limestone, I cannot imagine for a moment it has done a thing to the surface of the porcelain. I don’t think a tile scourer will scratch them either, even if it was the black/coarse one – whatever else porcelain tiles are, they are incredibly hard. If you used some thing much harder then maybe.
Will sealing remove the scratches? – No, we are talking about impregnating sealers, which your porcelain may or may not need, depending on whether the particular porcelain has micro pores that could be problematical. I think there are two possibilities for the marks; either 1) the wax is a very hard type, or some other type of coating which you have only partially removed, or 2) in removing the wax, you have revealed the true surface of the tile, one that was not properly finished at the factory. If it is#1 – (and let’s hope it is) you can try repeating the cleaning. If #2 – then the tiles are faulty, period.
Do they have to be sealed? – again, it depends on the porcelain, I have covered this issue in detail in another post – look under the porcelain category. But in short, not all porcelain tiles need sealing, do a quick test with a marker pen – if it leaves a mark that you cannot get out, then sealing with an appropriate sealer will definitely be of benefit.
Hope this helps
Ian
karen | Jul 29, 2010 | Reply
I am unsure whether the marks are from left over wax or the cleaning product (creme cleanser) that we used to remove the wax and grout that stained the tiles. How do you know when the wax is cleaned off? Or is is creme cleanser/grout still in the tile? Have only laid half of the tiles at present. We don’t want to go any further until we find out what we have done wrong. Please advise. Karen
Ian Taylor | Jul 29, 2010 | Reply
Hi Karen,
It could be your cream cleanser residue, you mentioned Nanoscrub in your earlier post, now you are being less specific, if it was nanoscrub then the marks won’t be scratches from that, but any cream type cleaner could leave residue (just re-wet and use more of the same cleaner to remove, then rinse really well). It could also be wax residue, have you tried a high alkline cleaner, like Heavy Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner for example?
Can you post a picture, or send one to me via the contacts page?
Ian
Ian Taylor | Jul 29, 2010 | Reply
It could also be grout staining of course, a picture would really help, send me a message from the contacts page and I will email you back so you can email me the picture
Debbie Porter | Aug 10, 2010 | Reply
Hi
I have had black porcelain tiles down in my kitchen for about 2 years. I was under the impression they didn’t need sealing but they always look so grubby even after cleaning. It’s like a grubby haze which looks worse on a sunny day.
The only time they looked their best was when my young children had a ball with a bottle of washing up liquid and some water all over the floor. It took hours of rinsing and hoovering up with my vax but the floor was spotless.
Does it just need a really good clean/strip then an impregnated sealer?
Thanks
Yinlam Fung | Aug 11, 2010 | Reply
Hi Taylor,
Great blog that you have here, I was just cleaning with water and vinegar my new porcelain which actually took away all the grout marks without any problem, but now I can see the hazy/cloudy affect. In some areas I can take it out with my nail, but I’ll lose all of it if I start using my nails to clean the tiles lol plus In some areas my nails doesn’t work. I was reading in your blog about the “Nanoscrub” so I don’t know if that may work. Any ideas?
Thank you very much in advance.
Ian Taylor | Aug 11, 2010 | Reply
Hi Yinlam Fung,
It sounds as though the slightly acidic vinegar solution you used was enough to remove away any actual grout residue you may have had, although I don’t condone using vinegar, in the low strength you used it, and on these tiles, it will have done no harm. However it could also be true that just some water and a white nylon pad may have removed it.
As you can apparently scrape some of the ‘haze’ away with just a finger nail, it really points to either:
1. Transit Wax still on the porcelain
2. Polymer ‘skin’ from the grout
I am going to stick my neck out and guess it is the wax – but in either case, as you can remove it by scraping, it should not prove too difficult. I would certainly try Nanoscrub in the following way:
1. Pre-wet the floor with a mop – no need to flood, just wet it with clean water
2. Shake bottle of Nanoscrub really well, apply a good ‘glug’ to the floor
3. Agitate the Nanoscrub using a white nylon emulsifying pad (3M set the standard but there are plenty to choose from, you may have to go to a tile or janitorial specialist to get them). It is important not to use other colours as the white will not scratch anything.
4. You can do this by hand, or using a pole, or best still, using the same type of white pad, but on a single-head, low rpm rotary scrubbing machine, which you can hire.
5. Scrub for a few minutes then, using a squeegee, pull back the Nanoscrub and view the tiles – you sill see if you have removed any wax.
6. Then pick up the slurry with a mop, or better still a wet-vac.
7. Rinse and dry the floor
Good Luck
Ian Taylor | Aug 11, 2010 | Reply
Hi Debbie,
It sounds as though you may have diagnosed this perfectly. If the spotless look remained for a while after your washing up liquid ‘deep clean’ then it may well be just in need of a deep clean, then a seal to help keep it that way for longer. If the look you achieved faded pretty much as soon as it was dry then the wetting action had provided a temporary enhancing effect.
It does sound more like the former so I would try a deep clean using something like Heavy Duty Tile and Grout Cleaner (you can add some Nanoscrub to this for a boost). I have detailed the procedure on here before, but it is all on the bottle instructions. When rinsed allow the floor to dry thoroughly.
When dry, I would suggest using a good sealer like Ultra Solv.
Hope this helps
gome | Jun 12, 2011 | Reply
we have recently fitted black 45×45 porcelen tiles but recently have been noticing too many scratches n the tiles r getting dull
pls can u advise what should we do
gome | Jun 12, 2011 | Reply
Should we contact the supplier
Ian Taylor | Jun 13, 2011 | Reply
Hard to say, most polished porcelain is very hard wearing, and if it is not polished then scratches are hard to see in any case. Having said that nothing is scratch proof. If you rub two diamonds together they will scratch each other.
Are they starting to scratch in use or, do you think it is possible that they were scratched already (sometimes you can have a dull finish from the factory, due to incorrect polishing for example) and this is only becoming apparent as the transit coating and/ or grout haze is being worn off in use (thus exposing the ‘real’ surface)
If they were fine, but are scratching rapidly then they could be substandard but, it could also be your environment; many people seem to view porcelain (and other hard flooring) as virtually bullet proof – they are not of course. If you have the tiles in a high traffic area, such as a busy kitchen or entrance hall, and there is a doorway from outside then there is more chance of out door footwear bringing in harmful grit. Grit from outside can contain quartz and other abrasives and this can be your floor’s worst enemy (any hard floor, not just porcelain). I always advise the use of a dust mat both outside the door and inside, this, combined with removing outdoor shoes is the best way to keep down grit. Also vacuum and brush regularly to remove any grit.
If you feel that there are scratches present that are not down to the above, check a couple of spare tiles and clean them thoroughly, see if the surface is dull/scratched to begin with. If it is, or if you think the scratching is happening way to easily and you are already taking the above precautions, then sure, contact the supplier and have them investigate.
Hope that helps
Ian
alvima | Sep 4, 2011 | Reply
hi Ian,I’ve just put in a black porcelain nano tile,we were told only to use water to clean,no detergents as this could strip the nano off the tile,i wanted to know is it safe to steam mop the tiles?also I’m left with silicone mess around free standing tub and toilet how do i get this out without damaging tiles?thanks in advance…
Ian Taylor | Sep 6, 2011 | Reply
Hi Alvima,
Please don’t be fooled by the word ‘nano’ at least don’t think that the nanotechnology in question is some high-tech way of building complex sealers that are of much greater quality. In actual fact, in most cases, the only practical advantage offered by nanotechnology that is being employed in these sealers, is to effectively ‘thin’ the sealer by reducing the surface tension. This serves to make it easier for the sealer to penetrate the very small holes/micro pores in the porcelain tile’s surface – it is a bit like using white spirit to thin wax polish. My point is, just because the word Nano is used, it does not mean it is a good sealer, it might be a good one, it might not. If you have been advised that any thing other than water may bring the sealer out, then perhaps it is not so great a sealer.
That may be a little harsh as most sealers, even the best, will be progressively damaged or dimisnished with the use of high alkaline detergents, and using steam will also have an effect, quite how much of an effect I cannot say – so I do know know if the steam will strip the sealer all in one go – or just slowly start to erode it each time you do it. My point is that any sealer will be diminished by any form of harsh cleaning, but it is quite simple to re seal, you would just need to by a good quality impregnating sealer and redo it from time to time.
Regarding the silicone residue – you need a special solvent type product – some strippers will work and there are products out there that are formulated to remove silicone residues. They will also strip the sealer – unavoidable, just reseal afterwards.
Resealing after also gives the benefit of sealing the grout, which will be far more vulnerable to staining than the tiles in any case.
Hope this helps
Ian
One of the main reasosn these tiles are sealed at the factory with nano sealers it to help prevent staining from the grouting process. Now that you have got passed that stage the tiles should not have too many more issues.
Siobhan | Oct 3, 2011 | Reply
Hi I’ve recent put down cream polished porcelain tiles in my kitchen and hall but I can’t seem to get rid of a cloudy haze that seems to cover them. Can u advise me how to get rid of this. I’ve tried buffing them and this does not work either.
Thanks
Ian Taylor | Oct 4, 2011 | Reply
HI Siobhan,
I have written a lot on this, I don’t want to repeat the article above but:
It could be wax, grout haze or poor polishing at the factory. If it is thet latter (dull shine, visible polishing marks, like the fine hair-line makrs left by an ice skater on ice) then it is a faulty tile and there is nothing that can be done.
But I suspect that it is more likely to be grout haze and or wax. Try an alklaine cleaner – if this works – it is a wax coating and cleaning the whole floor then rinsing and buffing shold work, If not, then try a solvent (you can do a quick test with some clear, old fashioned nail varnish remover – the type with acetone) – a quick wipe with a cotton wool pad and the acetone, if this brings any of the haze off, then good news, a solvent will work, so try to get hold of sealer & coating Remover (click the link to All For Stone or call them).
If no luck, you could try an abrasive cleaner – I refer to nanoscrub in the article but you won’t get that now in the UK but there are alternatives – again try all for stone.
The worst case it that it could be a polymer modified grout haze and the best proceedure for this is as follows:
1) Apply sealer & coating remover (solvent) – leave it to dwell for 30 minutes to an hout. Keep it wet with more solvent during that time.
2 ) WITHOUT removing the solvent, make up a solution of acidic cleaner like Phosphoric acid cleaner, can be diluted to about 10 : 1 with water (that is 10 parts water of course), ADD this to the solvent already on the floor and aggitate with a scrubbing brush/white pad
3) After the acid has had a few minutes to work, now ADD some Microscrub (alternative to the no longer avaiable Nanoscrub) and scrub togather.
4) pick up the slurry and then rinse with clean water
Hopefully that will help
Ian
brian | Oct 31, 2011 | Reply
Hi Ian
I have used grout sealant on our bathroom porcelain tile grout but the run-off dried on the porcelain itself produced streaks/stains that do not come out whatever I use. I also used the sealant itself to sort of “solvent” it out to no avail. The streaks themselves feel a little uneven on the tile, almost like it etched a groove into the porcelain but I can’t tell. Is this possible?
Thanks
Brian
Ian Taylor | Oct 31, 2011 | Reply
Hi Brian,
I am not sure what brand you used but in most cases this should not be too hard to solv. As you appear to be in the USA , you should be able to get hold of some nanoscrub. THis is a mild abraisive that wont damage the tiles but should be enough to ‘rub’ the residue off the tiles. Failing that, use a solvent sealer stripper and you should be ok.
Hope this helps
Ian