Help, black grout has stained my white tiles!

[classybird]

Can somebody please please help me? I have managed to stain the majority of my white tiles with black grout, please tell me there's a way to get it off? I did a smaller patch of tiling yesterday which have come up beautifully but today I have obviously done too much of an area and stained pretty much all of them with the black grout. I have people staying at the weekend and am desperate to get it off. I hope someone can help thank you!

 

[elrobbo]

i would re post in the tiling section. hopefully you will get pointed in the right direction.

 

[classybird]

Sorry thought I had, new to the forum! Will try again now!

 

[bradleydecorating]

Don't panic! As soon as possible today, take a green scratchy kitchen cleaner (the sort with yellow sponge attached is OK), wet it and keep rubbing the excess grout until it comes away.It might take some time, but it should come off if you only applied it yesterday.

If it's really thick, you may have to chip it off with a scraper, but be really careful not to damage the tiles (obviously!).

 

[classybird]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is not thick anywhere, just a greyish shean on the tiles, not to bad in some places and pretty bad in a few places.

 

[bradleydecorating]

Good luck. Actually, one of those round metal pan scourers would do the job even better.

 

[joe-90]

Don't use a metal pan scourer - it'll leave a metal film on the tiles that will NEVER come off. Those green scourers can stain too. I'd use Vim or Ajax powder if I were you.

 

[xr4x4]

They should put a warning on black grout, it's a nightmare for staining.

 

[bradleydecorating]

Don't use a metal pan scourer - it'll leave a metal film on the tiles that will NEVER come off. Those green scourers can stain too. I'd use Vim or Ajax powder if I were you.

I'm happy to defer to your superior knowledge, but I have used this method and can only say neither type of scrubber has left any marks on the tiles I've cleaned. The secret is to get the grout off as soon as possible, using lots of clean water, before it sets like cement.

So what's your solution, joe-90?

 

[joe-90]

Vim

 

[bradleydecorating]

Vim

I haven't seen any of that for sale since about 1962.

 

[joe-90]

I got some from the pound shop - works great.

 

[opps]

joe is correct that some of the cheap green scouring pads, aka webrax, will result in green water.

The better quality ones wont, for example the Rubi sponges, will not lead to discolouring

http://www.anytools.co.uk/Products.aspx?ID=6754&PK=1

the sponge is about 6" long, use it with a bucket of warm and clean water. Allow the water to soak in for a few minutes and then polish it with the red part of the sponge.

Once done you will need to "polish" away any residue with a j-cloth

 

[classybird]

Just wanted to thank you all for the info. Although there was no 'cement' type grout on the tiles, after wiping them continually, a dark greyish streaky sheen had been left. I tried a number of methods to remove it with no success. In the end the good old dish sponge and a lot of scrubbing removed the staining. (You can tell I am very new to tiling). Fortunately the rougher side was white and not green. Panic over, the tiles look beautiful. Cheers so much everybody!

 

[Deeprain]

I had the same problem, I recommend using Asda's own brand toilet gel (yellow container, yellow liquid). cover tiles (a few at a time) with gel, leave for 5-10 mins, then rub of with a cloth. Brings the tiles up lovely.