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Message
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Subject:
Re: Clean, Change Tile Grout?
Author:
Nestor Kelebay
Posted:
11/21/2000
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P. K. Lagone:
I might have to differ with Jeff on this one.
I agree totally with Jeff when it comes to cleaning wall tile grout. The best way I know of to clean wall grout is to apply a phosphoric acid based grout sealer to open up the porosity of the grout, then apply bleach which will penetrate into the grout and whiten mildew stains. However, floor grout normally isn't stained with mildew the way wall tile grout in a bathroom is, unless it's floor grout in a bathroom. To my knowledge, the only difference between a grout cleaner, a toilet bowl cleaner and a bathroom cleaner is simply the amount it's gelled. Grout cleaner will be thin so that it penetrates a bit more deeply into the grout. Toilet bowl cleaner will be thick so that it sticks to the side of the bowl better. The important thing is the amount of phosphoric acid, and you should have 17% or better. If all you can find is 17% phosphoric acid based toilet bowl cleaner, use that on your grout. Note that phosphoric acid will dissolve wall grout to an imperceptible extent. If you keep applying it over and over again, it won't be imperceptible, though. Also, applying more phosphoric acid to the grout will only help of the bleach can't penetrate because the grout is still plugged up with dirt and soap grunge. It's that bleach that penetrates to whiten the mildew, the acid only cleans the dirt out of the surface of the grout so the bleach can penetrate.
I disagree with Jeff about using a Dremel tool to remove floor tile grout. Unlike wall tile grout, floor tile grout is sanded and contains more cement, which makes it much harder than wall grout. Also, grout joints in floor tiles are much larger than those of wall tiles, so we're talking about removing a lot more grout from a floor. The way I would try removing floor grout is with a hand grinder fitted with a masonary blade. However, I don't think I would try removing floor grout unless we're only talking small areas here and there. If we're talking about removing all the grout on the whole floor, then I think the most sensible thing to do is to remove the tile, grout and all, and replace with new tile with new grout. I've tile 23 bathroom walls, and I can tell you it would be less work to redo the wall tiles in a bathroom than it would be to remove the grout from those wall tiles in that bathroom.
The best tool I know of for removing grout from wall tiles is a Dremel tool with the flexshaft attachment fitted with a #426 reinforced cut-off wheel. A Dremel simply wouldn't have the power to remove floor tile grout.
I disagree
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