My tile installer prepped , installed and grouted my tile . They sponged the floor and bathtub 'skirt' , but didnt do the wall tile ( 3'x6' standard white subway style with 4' mosaic band )contacted them and have never returned , to get paid or finish . So i sponged off the wall tile area to get it caught up with rest of tile but cant get it completly 'shiny' . All the grout 'haze' is off, but its like the tile is almost stained or something by the grount being left so long .I dont want to try any cleaners because grout isnt sealed yet untill haze is off and final sponge etc ?

Oh and the type of grout is Polyblend Non-sanded Bright-white
#381

thanks for any help really need to get this finished
Chris

Try a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water solution first. Buy one of the white scrubber pads made for tile cleaning.
Apply the solution with a sponge and then scrub it with the white scrubber pad. Make sure you rinse the tile really well with clean water only after all the scrubbing is done.

If that does not work then you will have to go to one of the tile specific grout haze cleaners. Just make sure you read the manufacturers instructions and follow them to a T.

Thanks alot RC , ive been reading about the Vinegar but thought it might be past that. I will give it a try right away and see how it works , thanks again .

Chris

Worked great , a heck of alot of rubbing and sponging but alot better than before , that grout was really ingrained on the surface .

Now I need a timeline how to finish properly.

-Wall tiles are good , just need to seal grout
-Black granite tiles around tub and skirt im not happy with grout color , wanted as dark as possible still are wht/gry
-floor tile is looking good another sponge and should be good

Need white caulk around tub
Black grout in granite
Clear caulk for Schluter on tile base and around tub tile

So like with other construction practices work top down ?
white caulk tub first , black grout touch-up next ,clear caulk around baseboard , then seal to finish ?

thanks again

Chris

Top down, bottom up, doesn't really matter for what you have left to do.
I would do all your grouting and final clean-up before doing any caulking.
Be careful with that black grout as it will stain the white grout or anything else for that matter that it comes in contact with.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions on timelines for applying grout sealers. It usually can be anywhere from 24hrs to 72 hrs.

Do i have any other options to color the black grout , since it is already filled properly , or do i scrape out whats there and regrout (ugh) ?

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There may be some efloresence on the black grout. This can happen with black grout mixed with mineral rich water from a well. You could try wiping with vinegar or even muriatic acid as a last resort. There are grout coloring agents out there, though I have never tried any. If this was my place i'd be trying permanent marker in an inconspicuous spot.

Thanks pistol and Randall , i tried scraping/scratching the layer of white off the black grout areas and that worked pretty good , if i cant get it dark enough ill try the dye . Kinda really annoying that i cant get jet black grout , only charcoal is sold everywhere .

Depending on how painful the grout sealing will be i might be back for more advice, thanks again

Mapei makes a pure black grout (the charcoal is a brownish black) it's not normally special order, you may just have to try phoning around.