It is a bonding agent between tiles to keep them together during installation. Most grout contains Portland cement, which takes several days to fully establish. Although it is recommended that grout be applied carefully so that it is not on the tile, it will inevitably happen. Grout that is not cleaned off will immediately dry more difficult as time passes. Carefully washing the tile as soon as possible with metal tools is not an effective method of eliminating excessive grouting and storing the chip.
Instructions
• Purchase wood grout sticks or use oak wood pieces that are approximately 1/4 inch thick by 1 inch wide by 6 inches long. Oak is preferred as it will hold a more edge of softwoods. Make sure the edge is square-cut and not rounded.
• Insert a small amount of water over the grout excess and scrape it with the wooden stick to remove large lumps. Clean grout particles from tiles with water and a soft towel.
Add water to the clean tile and rub the area with a nylon scouring pad. Add water to the area to prevent drying while scrubbing. Rinse the tile to remove residue and dry with a soft towel to see progress.
• Continue scrubbing the area with a wet nylon acidification pad until desired results are achieved.
• Mix one gallon of water with a cup of sugar and apply in areas where opacity does not disappear. Soak the area and let it harden for two hours. Rub with a pad after two hours of nylon and rinse with water. Repeat this step if necessary to remove grout. Dry the tile to check the amount of grout remaining.
Repair the grout line between the tiles by dipping a little. Use sandpaper around the corner of one of the chopsticks and use to push and pull back and forth over the existing grout line. Use water as a lubricant to work the grout in the desired appearance.
Tips and warnings
- Do not use metallic tools or metal base scouring pads to scrape grout as this may damage the tile and natural finish.
- Hold a piece of replacement tile next to the tile cleaned to check for grout Haze still present.