We all hate the haze that sometimes appears on our porcelain tiles. Sometimes it’s water-based, other times it’s clear and sometimes it’s even yellowish or brownish.
We’ll show you how to remove each type of grout haze so you can get back to enjoying your beautiful tile floors again!
Easy step-by-step instructions for removing haze from your porcelain tile.
To determine what you’re dealing with, the first step is to simply check the surface of your tile. An acrylic grout will leave a clear haze, while an epoxy-based grout will leave a white haze.
Once you’ve determined which type of grout haze you’re dealing with, proceed to clean it off as described below.
Table of Contents
- Easy step-by-step instructions for removing haze from your porcelain tile.
- Part 1. Determining the Type of Haze on Your Tiles
- 1. Use a little alcohol to test the type of haze on your tile.
- 2. Look for a water-based, white haze if you used epoxy grout.
- 3. Check for a clear haze if you used acrylic grout.
- 4. Look for a yellowish or brownish haze if you used cementitious grout.
- 5. Check for an oily stain that appears brownish-yellow if you used epoxies to seal your tiles and grout.
- Part 2. Treating Each Type of Haze
- 1. Try cleaning up water-based, white haze with a scrubbing pad or soap and water if it’s still fresh.
- 2. Remove old water-based, white haze by wetting it down and covering it with baking soda or vinegar, and then scrubbing it off after several hours or overnight.
- 3. Wipe off any clear haze with denatured alcohol if it’s fresh, or try applying lacquer thinner to remove older clear grout haze stains.
- 4. Scrub off yellowish or brownish cement stains as soon as possible using a scrubbing pad dipped in trisodium phosphate (TSP).
Part 1. Determining the Type of Haze on Your Tiles
The first step in removing epoxy grout haze from porcelain tiles is to determine the type of haze you have on your tiles. White, water-based hazes are more difficult to remove than clear ones, which can be removed with some elbow grease and a few simple cleaning products.
The easiest way to determine what kind of grout haze you have is by testing it with an alcohol wipe or paper towel soaked in alcohol.
If most of the liquid comes off on your paper towel as opposed to evaporating into thin air, then chances are that you’re dealing with a water-based grout haze (the same stuff that causes yellowing).
Another way to check for this type of haze is by seeing if there are any bubbles under the tile surface when it’s wet; these bubbles indicate that your epoxy hasn’t fully cured yet—and therefore hasn’t hardened—which means you’re left with a fluffy white film overtop everything instead of smooth ceramic glaze like usual!
1. Use a little alcohol to test the type of haze on your tile.
Use a little alcohol to test the type of haze on your tile. If it is white, it is water-based and can be removed with vinegar and water; if it is clear, you can use acetone or nail polish remover; if it’s yellowish or brownish, you’ll have to wait until we get around to testing cement-based grout haze removers.
2. Look for a water-based, white haze if you used epoxy grout.
- Look for a water-based, white haze if you used epoxy grout. If you have some type of white haze on your tile that is not chalk, it is likely a water-based haze and can be removed by scrubbing it with a nylon pad or scouring pad. This will remove the haze and make the grout look whiter than ever before!
3. Check for a clear haze if you used acrylic grout.
If you used acrylic grout, you can clean up the clear haze with a vinegar solution. Follow the same steps above, but use vinegar instead of water when mixing your cleaning solution.
4. Look for a yellowish or brownish haze if you used cementitious grout.
If you used cementitious grout, you may notice a slight yellowish or brownish haze on the surface of your tiles. This is caused by the cement in the grout, which will stain your porcelain.
While this isn’t necessarily something to worry about (it’s perfectly normal), it can be an eyesore if left untreated. Fortunately, removing it is very easy! You just need a little bit of grout haze remover and some elbow grease.
To use the product:
- Apply directly to areas of tile where there’s visible haze;
- Let sit for 5 minutes;
- Scrub with a brush until all residue has been removed;
- Wipe away any excess cleaner using paper towels or rags;
5. Check for an oily stain that appears brownish-yellow if you used epoxies to seal your tiles and grout.
If you did not use epoxies to seal your tiles and grout, then there should be no oily stain. If you did use epoxies, the stain will appear brownish-yellow when you wipe it with a solvent.
Make sure that the solvent is safe for both your tile and grout as well as being safe for the environment and yourself!
Part 2. Treating Each Type of Haze
The best way to remove haze depends on the type of haze. This article will show you how to treat each type.
Water-based, white haze
If you have water-based, white haze in your tile grout, you’re lucky! It’s one of the easiest types of grout haze to remove and it doesn’t leave any stain or residue behind.
You can use a mild detergent and water mixture for this type of grout haze removal. Just apply it with a sponge or soft brush and scrub away until the area is clean again! Clear Haze
This is another easy one—it should be clear by now that removing epoxy grout haze isn’t all that difficult if you know what product works best on what kind of stain (hint: it’s often not just bleach).
Just pour some OxiClean Weary Clean into a bucket filled with hot water and let it sit overnight until completely dissolved before washing off with warm water
1. Try cleaning up water-based, white haze with a scrubbing pad or soap and water if it’s still fresh.
- Try cleaning up water-based, white haze with a scrubbing pad or soap and water if it’s still fresh.
If you have recently applied epoxy grout to your porcelain tile and it’s still fresh, you may be able to remove the haze with soap and water.
Using a scrubbing pad, gently rub at the haze until it begins to come off. Then wash the area with soapy water until all traces of grout are gone.
2. Remove old water-based, white haze by wetting it down and covering it with baking soda or vinegar, and then scrubbing it off after several hours or overnight.
To remove the white haze that’s been caused by water-based products, you’ll need to get your tile down and then cover the epoxy grout haze with either baking soda or vinegar.
After several hours or overnight, scrub off the old water-based epoxy grout haze with a scrubbing pad.
3. Wipe off any clear haze with denatured alcohol if it’s fresh, or try applying lacquer thinner to remove older clear grout haze stains.
- Wipe off any clear haze with denatured alcohol if it’s fresh, or try applying lacquer thinner to remove older clear grout haze stains.
If you can see a clear layer on your tiles, use a scrubbing pad dipped in denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner to remove it. This will not damage the porcelain but will simply lift off any coating and leave the tile looking like new again.
4. Scrub off yellowish or brownish cement stains as soon as possible using a scrubbing pad dipped in trisodium phosphate (TSP).
- Scrub off yellowish or brownish cement stains as soon as possible using a scrubbing pad dipped in trisodium phosphate (TSP).
The alkaline solution of trisodium phosphate will help remove the cement grout haze.
Conclusion
While it can be difficult to remove grout haze from porcelain tile, the good news is that there are some methods that work well.
The first step is to clean the area with a mixture of water and bleach followed by an acid-based cleanser or rubbing alcohol.
You can also use a grout haze remover product if necessary but make sure it is designed specifically for cleaning grout or other surfaces before attempting this method!