Comments on: How to Clean Off Excess Tile Grout or Cement Left on the Surface of Your Tiles http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/cleaning/how-to-clean-off-tile-grout-or-cement-left-on-the-surface-of-your-tiles/ Tile and Stone Maintenance Fri, 11 May 2012 16:49:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ian Taylor http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/cleaning/how-to-clean-off-tile-grout-or-cement-left-on-the-surface-of-your-tiles/comment-page-1/#comment-732 Ian Taylor Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:44:36 +0000 http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/cleaning/how-to-clean-off-tile-grout-or-cement-left-on-the-surface-of-your-tiles/#comment-732 Hi Darren, I don't think that there is any issue with the sealer, that will have helped prevent the situtaion from being 10 times worse. I note that you say no grout was left and it was washed three times, but I am fairly confident that it is still grout haze (i.e. thin film of residue) that you have a problem with. Sandstone is much more porous and textured than many other popular stones and so an impregnating sealer will sit quite low in the surface (it soaks in much further than it does on other stones). Then you have a grout that is highly polymer-modified (it has synthetic latex) this grout will adherere to most things, even if they are sealed, add to this the surface porosity and texture that an impregnator will have greatly reduced, but not totally eradicated, and you have perfect conditions to trap some polymer/cement residue. I would try a couple of things, first try to use a proprietary haze remover (based on a safe acid like phosphoric, not hydrochloric) - use it as directed, diluted with water if this does nothing them try using an abrasive scourer like <a href="http://www.allforstone.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=417" rel="nofollow">Microscrub</a>. Niether of these should harm the stone, grout or the sealer BUT TEST a small area first. There are some sandsotnes, (and this is worse on the semi polished/polished ones) that can react badly to mild acids). If you get no result, then you may have to consider a solvent (to attack the polymer) treat thisas the last resort as that mayhave some effect on the sealer also Hope this helps Ian Hi Darren,

I don’t think that there is any issue with the sealer, that will have helped prevent the situtaion from being 10 times worse. I note that you say no grout was left and it was washed three times, but I am fairly confident that it is still grout haze (i.e. thin film of residue) that you have a problem with.

Sandstone is much more porous and textured than many other popular stones and so an impregnating sealer will sit quite low in the surface (it soaks in much further than it does on other stones). Then you have a grout that is highly polymer-modified (it has synthetic latex) this grout will adherere to most things, even if they are sealed, add to this the surface porosity and texture that an impregnator will have greatly reduced, but not totally eradicated, and you have perfect conditions to trap some polymer/cement residue.

I would try a couple of things, first try to use a proprietary haze remover (based on a safe acid like phosphoric, not hydrochloric) – use it as directed, diluted with water if this does nothing them try using an abrasive scourer like Microscrub. Niether of these should harm the stone, grout or the sealer BUT TEST a small area first. There are some sandsotnes, (and this is worse on the semi polished/polished ones) that can react badly to mild acids).

If you get no result, then you may have to consider a solvent (to attack the polymer) treat thisas the last resort as that mayhave some effect on the sealer also

Hope this helps

Ian

]]> By: daz http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/cleaning/how-to-clean-off-tile-grout-or-cement-left-on-the-surface-of-your-tiles/comment-page-1/#comment-730 daz Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:51:34 +0000 http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/cleaning/how-to-clean-off-tile-grout-or-cement-left-on-the-surface-of-your-tiles/#comment-730 Hi, i recently laid some sandstone multi coloured floor tiles.Having laid them and then sealed using a colour enhancing lithofin stain stop plus, proceeded to grout them using a bal limestone flexi grout there is a massive discoluring of the surface tiles. Is there something that can be used to reduce the haze or is it irreversible now.The tiles were not left with grout on them and were cleaned straight away and washed three times but still left with a white out finish on the surface. Any feedback would be gratefully received. Thanks Hi, i recently laid some sandstone multi coloured floor tiles.Having laid them and then sealed using a colour enhancing lithofin stain stop plus, proceeded to grout them using a bal limestone flexi grout there is a massive discoluring of the surface tiles. Is there something that can be used to reduce the haze or is it irreversible now.The tiles were not left with grout on them and were cleaned straight away and washed three times but still left with a white out finish on the surface. Any feedback would be gratefully received. Thanks

]]> By: Ian Taylor http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/cleaning/how-to-clean-off-tile-grout-or-cement-left-on-the-surface-of-your-tiles/comment-page-1/#comment-729 Ian Taylor Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:24:02 +0000 http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/cleaning/how-to-clean-off-tile-grout-or-cement-left-on-the-surface-of-your-tiles/#comment-729 Hi Chris, the flexible grout contains a poluymer that is designed to stick like the proverb says... amongst other things. If not properly cleaned at the time (and this can be a bit painstaking even for pros) Even though the impregnator will have prevented the grout haze from getting deep into the stone, the polymer will have helped it stick like... to the surface, if the surface has any texture at all, then it will stick even more. You may well need a little extra help getting this off and certainly, nanoscrub if you can get it (no worries if you cannot, Microscrub does the same job and is now avaiable from All For Stone on the top right) may well help as it may provide just enough abrasive to dislodge the grout haze. Worst case scenario you may need a solvent to soften the polymer first Kind regards Ian Hi Chris, the flexible grout contains a poluymer that is designed to stick like the proverb says… amongst other things.

If not properly cleaned at the time (and this can be a bit painstaking even for pros) Even though the impregnator will have prevented the grout haze from getting deep into the stone, the polymer will have helped it stick like… to the surface, if the surface has any texture at all, then it will stick even more.

You may well need a little extra help getting this off and certainly, nanoscrub if you can get it (no worries if you cannot, Microscrub does the same job and is now avaiable from All For Stone on the top right) may well help as it may provide just enough abrasive to dislodge the grout haze.

Worst case scenario you may need a solvent to soften the polymer first

Kind regards

Ian

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