How To Clean Tile After Grout Dries

Vinegar won t leave any residue behind which some harsher detergents can be known to do on tile.

How to clean tile after grout dries. When tile is installed grout is applied to fill the cracks between the individual tiles tile grout is similar to cement. My advice you can buy grout cleaning products from a tile supplier but the best thing i find is a soft sand paper especially with porcelain but only if the tiles are a matt finish. Grout is then placed in between the tile spaces locking them in place after the grout hardens. The excess grout needs cleaned from the surface of the tile with clean rags while it is still moist. Cleaning grout off tile with vinegar is safe and efficient for ceramic and porcelain tile installations and grout but acid cleaners should never be used on porous or stone tiles which includes vinegar and rubbing alcohol.

The materials that you need for this method are a bucket a towel a cup of sugar a nylon scouring pad a wooden paint stick and a gallon of hot water. If your porcelain is a highly polished porcelain be careful. If the grout is not cleaned from the tile it hardens and becomes difficult to remove. The sooner after you grout your tile the more effective this method but you want to give the grout at least 24 hours to dry first. If not polished off the grout dust will dry on the surface of the tile and be very difficult to clean.

Rinse the tile faces and grout joints with a sponge and clear water immediately after scrubbing each section. It s entirely possible you will damage the tile trying to remove the grout anyway. If grout and water build up on the pad simply rinse the pad in water and return to scrubbing. Wipe the tile dry with a clean towel to make sure all grout is removed. In the process of applying the grout some inevitably winds up on the surface of the tile.

Rub the solution over the tiles to remove the residue. Once you remove the grout rinse the tile with water and wipe it dry with a towel. If some grout remains repeat scrubbing it with the sugar water. The sugar and water method is an easy way to clean grout off the tile and you may have all of the supplies available to get started right now. Clean the sponge frequently as you work and replace the rinse water as it gets dirty.

Repeat the same process to scrub and rinse each small section of the floor until the entire tile installation is clean. If the grout is not removed when it is wet it will bond to the tile and is harder to clean off. Let the floor dry. Use the damp pad to scrub at any remaining fragments of grout.