Comments on: How do I get the grout stain out of my porcelain tiles? http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/porcelain/how-do-i-get-the-grout-stain-out-of-my-porcelain-tiles/ Tile and Stone Maintenance Fri, 11 May 2012 16:49:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Coliin Madill http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/porcelain/how-do-i-get-the-grout-stain-out-of-my-porcelain-tiles/comment-page-1/#comment-855 Coliin Madill Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:29:08 +0000 http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/?p=156#comment-855 Thank you; thank you!! Although we sealed our porcelain tile before grouting, we still got terrible grout and water stains; the same story, dark grout on a light-coloured tile. After using your recommended procedure, we now have clean tiles again! We switched from a penetrating sealer to a stone enhancer and sealer, which seems to work much better. Thanks again. Thank you; thank you!! Although we sealed our porcelain tile before grouting, we still got terrible grout and water stains; the same story, dark grout on a light-coloured tile. After using your recommended procedure, we now have clean tiles again! We switched from a penetrating sealer to a stone enhancer and sealer, which seems to work much better. Thanks again.

]]> By: Ian Taylor http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/porcelain/how-do-i-get-the-grout-stain-out-of-my-porcelain-tiles/comment-page-1/#comment-800 Ian Taylor Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:14:44 +0000 http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/?p=156#comment-800 Hi Julie, Sorry to hear of your troubles, First thing I would say, and please don't thinnk I am being picky, but I would like to be sure we are definatley talking about a glazed porcelain? I say this. as often, people will quite unknowingly confuse a polished porcelain and a glazed one, and the difference is usually significant. Polished porcelain = a standard porcelain tile which, after firing in the kiln and cooling (it is a finished product at this point) is then mechanically polished with silica carbide blocks, at the tile factory, to grind and polish the tile's surface until very smooth and can have a glass-like polished finish - so the actual surface of the tile or the 'body' of the tile, is brought to a shine Glazed porcelain = the tile is pressed, then, before firing in the kiln, a liquid or powder glaze is applied (no different to glazed crockery) then it is fired and the glaze forms a decorative layer, a few microns or even mm's thick on the surface of the tile. My fist instinct is to think what you have is really a polished porcelain and it is this type of tile we see more problems with, remember the polish is created by grinding away the finer particles of the tile, this gives the smooth, reflective surface, but, it can also open up/take the top off tiny, microcsopic pores, creating a surface which is shiny and smoooth to the touch and certainly to the eye, but has a micro texture that can trap dirt. This is one of the reasons many porcelain manufacturers coat the tile in a 'transit' wax. I am wondering if you have perhaps the opposite probelem to what you are thinkin: instead of the shiny part of the floor being contaminated, and the bit under the tape clean, what if it is the other way around? let me explain, if there was a trasnit wax on your tile, (there to protect the tile in transit and also to some extent, during installation) then the grouting process, and subesquent associated cleaning, could have removed all the wax, to reveal the true tile surface beneath. The 'residue' beneath the tape being the not yet removed wax? - It is perhaps worth just checnking this by trying to clean the edges (where it is dull still) with an alkaline cleaner, if if comes 'clean' and reveals the shine, then I susect you have solved the problem. Not quite sure how to explain the part affected by dog urine, maybe just a deposit /residue from the urine that needs cleaning. I would check this possibility out first then come back to me if it does not seem to be the case Hope this helps Ian Hi Julie,

Sorry to hear of your troubles,

First thing I would say, and please don’t thinnk I am being picky, but I would like to be sure we are definatley talking about a glazed porcelain?
I say this. as often, people will quite unknowingly confuse a polished porcelain and a glazed one, and the difference is usually significant.

Polished porcelain = a standard porcelain tile which, after firing in the kiln and cooling (it is a finished product at this point) is then mechanically polished with silica carbide blocks, at the tile factory, to grind and polish the tile’s surface until very smooth and can have a glass-like polished finish – so the actual surface of the tile or the ‘body’ of the tile, is brought to a shine

Glazed porcelain = the tile is pressed, then, before firing in the kiln, a liquid or powder glaze is applied (no different to glazed crockery) then it is fired and the glaze forms a decorative layer, a few microns or even mm’s thick on the surface of the tile.

My fist instinct is to think what you have is really a polished porcelain and it is this type of tile we see more problems with, remember the polish is created by grinding away the finer particles of the tile, this gives the smooth, reflective surface, but, it can also open up/take the top off tiny, microcsopic pores, creating a surface which is shiny and smoooth to the touch and certainly to the eye, but has a micro texture that can trap dirt. This is one of the reasons many porcelain manufacturers coat the tile in a ‘transit’ wax.

I am wondering if you have perhaps the opposite probelem to what you are thinkin: instead of the shiny part of the floor being contaminated, and the bit under the tape clean, what if it is the other way around?

let me explain, if there was a trasnit wax on your tile, (there to protect the tile in transit and also to some extent, during installation) then the grouting process, and subesquent associated cleaning, could have removed all the wax, to reveal the true tile surface beneath. The ‘residue’ beneath the tape being the not yet removed wax? – It is perhaps worth just checnking this by trying to clean the edges (where it is dull still) with an alkaline cleaner, if if comes ‘clean’ and reveals the shine, then I susect you have solved the problem.

Not quite sure how to explain the part affected by dog urine, maybe just a deposit /residue from the urine that needs cleaning.

I would check this possibility out first then come back to me if it does not seem to be the case

Hope this helps

Ian

]]> By: Julie Kayne http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/porcelain/how-do-i-get-the-grout-stain-out-of-my-porcelain-tiles/comment-page-1/#comment-794 Julie Kayne Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:24:33 +0000 http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/?p=156#comment-794 Hi Ian, Hope you might be able to shed some light on my porcelain tile issue. I have read your comments, but would like to know if you think my problem might be different. I installed a glazed porcelain tile(made in Italy) that looks like a dark walnut, hand scraped hardwood. Before grouting, the floor looked great. After grouting, there were spots on the floor, as if drops from my grouting sponge had dried on the tile. Additionally, I had taped off a section of the tile with painters tape that was next to an unfinished stair strip so that the grout would not stain the wood. When I removed this, there was a definite line. The part where the tape had been was much duller and the rest of the floor had quite a bit of sheen to it. There was no adhesive left from the tape and the only product used was an unsanded grout. Went to the retailer and showed them pictures. They suggested that it might be haze and recommended using a heavy duty haze remover. Tried this with absolutely no success. Laundry detergent that has spilled on the floor is staining it and there is now a dull outline where my dog urinated. The store I purchased from is Floor and Décor. The manager said he looked into this and did not find anyone else commenting about this problem (of course). Said that it sounded like a sealer had been put on the floor, even suggesting that perhaps my contractor had put a sealant in the grout. I told him that I personally installed the floor, and no product other than grout that was recommended by them was used. Suggested that I contact a floor inspector. I reached out to a floor inspector and he basically told me that I would be wasting my money. Even if he thought that there was a problem with the tile or the grout, Floor and Décor would insist that it be tested in a lab. This would result in pulling up some of the tile and all of this would be on my dollar. Said it is extremely difficult to prove and I would just end up wasting my own money. He said that more than likely the glazed tile absorbed some of the polymers used in the grout, especially since it is unsanded and thus very fine. Would this cause the tile to have a sheen? Some of the drip spots almost looked like oil that had been dropped in water, with various colors showing through depending on how the light hit it. Also mentioned that dog urine is very acidic and probably also penetrated the glaze. Is it possible that the dog urine simply removed the sheen that was somehow put on during the grouting process??? At this point, I am not sure what I should do. Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated. I have a glazed porcelain tile in my kitchen that has been there for 18 years and never had this problem!! Hi Ian, Hope you might be able to shed some light on my porcelain tile issue. I have read your comments, but would like to know if you think my problem might be different.
I installed a glazed porcelain tile(made in Italy) that looks like a dark walnut, hand scraped hardwood. Before grouting, the floor looked great. After grouting, there were spots on the floor, as if drops from my grouting sponge had dried on the tile. Additionally, I had taped off a section of the tile with painters tape that was next to an unfinished stair strip so that the grout would not stain the wood. When I removed this, there was a definite line. The part where the tape had been was much duller and the rest of the floor had quite a bit of sheen to it. There was no adhesive left from the tape and the only product used was an unsanded grout. Went to the retailer and showed them pictures. They suggested that it might be haze and recommended using a heavy duty haze remover. Tried this with absolutely no success. Laundry detergent that has spilled on the floor is staining it and there is now a dull outline where my dog urinated. The store I purchased from is Floor and Décor. The manager said he looked into this and did not find anyone else commenting about this problem (of course). Said that it sounded like a sealer had been put on the floor, even suggesting that perhaps my contractor had put a sealant in the grout. I told him that I personally installed the floor, and no product other than grout that was recommended by them was used. Suggested that I contact a floor inspector. I reached out to a floor inspector and he basically told me that I would be wasting my money. Even if he thought that there was a problem with the tile or the grout, Floor and Décor would insist that it be tested in a lab. This would result in pulling up some of the tile and all of this would be on my dollar. Said it is extremely difficult to prove and I would just end up wasting my own money. He said that more than likely the glazed tile absorbed some of the polymers used in the grout, especially since it is unsanded and thus very fine. Would this cause the tile to have a sheen? Some of the drip spots almost looked like oil that had been dropped in water, with various colors showing through depending on how the light hit it. Also mentioned that dog urine is very acidic and probably also penetrated the glaze. Is it possible that the dog urine simply removed the sheen that was somehow put on during the grouting process??? At this point, I am not sure what I should do. Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated. I have a glazed porcelain tile in my kitchen that has been there for 18 years and never had this problem!!

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