Cleaning grout stains of unglazed ceramic tiles

dominoman

We had our cloakroom tiled last week with lovely (and expensive) Victorian-style ceramic mosaic in black and white check.

The shop told us to seal them before grouting, and again afterwards. When I told the tiler this he said it wasn't necessary. I left him the sealer anyway, as I'd bought it - but he said it wasn't needed. Well now they've been laid and the black tiles are murky grey, and the white ones are not white. Grrr.

I have scrubbed them but the colour of the grout seems to have soaked into the tiles.

What can I do to restore the colour? Needless to say I won't be calling him back for more work.

Doozergirl

Did he not even seal them before grouting? Are they porcelain tiles?

I don't have an answer for that. I worry a grout remover would damage the tiles as well.
http://lilleytileandstone.co.uk/ltp-cleaning-products/ltp-grout-stain-remover-1-litre?gclid=CMru6oGD380CFUKZGwodmDEB_A

In the past, I've always managed to get grout off with an awful lot of elbow grease. These days, we use a brilliant tiler.

dominoman

Yes - They are porcelain tiles but not glazed. He didn't seal them at all - even though I told him twice that the shop said they needed sealing before grouting. I should have insisted but he said it wasnt necessary. Annoying!

I'm just worried that the colour has sunk into the tiles now and it will be almost impossible to get them back to their full colour.

JEN22

porcelain tiles don't need sealing

Doozergirl

dominoman wrote: »

Yes - They are porcelain tiles but not glazed. He didn't seal them at all - even though I told him twice that the shop said they needed sealing before grouting. I should have insisted but he said it wasnt necessary. Annoying!

I'm just worried that the colour has sunk into the tiles now and it will be almost impossible to get them back to their full colour.

I would be worried about the same thing.

This blog looks pretty helpful:
http://www.tileandstoneblog.co.uk/porcelain/how-do-i-get-the-grout-stain-out-of-my-porcelain-tiles/

It does say to avoid the hydrochloric acid cleaners like the one I linked to.

Doozergirl

JEN22 wrote: »

porcelain tiles don't need sealing

Unglazed porcelain does need sealing.

Silver-Surfer_2

JEN22 wrote: »

porcelain tiles don't need sealing

Even unglazed ones?

JEN22

yes especially unglazed

firefox1956

Get your 'tiler' back to redo the whole job.
Obviously no idea what he was doing.
HTH

southcoastrgi

JEN22 wrote: »

porcelain tiles don't need sealing

Yes they do, plus any natural stone tile needs sealing before they are grouted & then afterwards

southcoastrgi

OP it sounds to me that either the tiler didn't know they weren't ceramic tiles or he didn't know what he is doing, in any event it's his responsibility to put it right at his expense