An incompetent repairperson (me) recently retiled my bathroom floor.
After everything dried and set, I noticed that in some spots, there was a bit of grout on the tile, which I can’t get off.
Any suggestions?
If it’s a big enough chunk and you hit it just right with a hammer it will shatter. Hit it a little off and the tile might break too. I’ve seen it done by scraping it with a piece of wood and then scrubbing it clean with a wet brush.
Is this a glazed ceramic or porcelain tile? If so, the surface will be pretty hard to scratch. I have used a putty knife or paint scraper to remove grout spots. On a few really tough spots a screwdriver tapped (gently!) with a hammer or mallet in a scraping motion…
I have found that just leaving it often works fine. It will wear away quite quickly- just think about how grout disappears over time even though it is protected in the grooves between tiles. Grout on the surface gets worn off quickly by wear or by repeated cleanings. If it is a chunk, I would just wet it with water and push (not hit or strike) on it with a big screwdriver. Once again no need to go down to the surface clean (and risk scratching the tile), just get it down to be almost flush and then let it wear away naturally.
If it’s a big chunk it will break apart by hitting it. I generally use the handle of a screw driver to repeatedly hit it a little harder each time. If it’s a thin smudge I like to use a pumice stone and a little water or soap.
Do not hit with hammer. Use the handy tool made for the purpose that tile setters use. Studies have repeatedly shown that guys that do stuff for a living know how to do that stuff, and the guys that do that stuff use one of thesehttp://m.homedepot.com/p/BRUTUS-Professional-Carbide-Grout-Cleaning-and-Removal-Saw-with-Replaceable-Blades-10090/100565677
If its just on the surface scrub it off with water and a course brush. Grout doesn’t fully harden for days. A little vinegar will help dissolve the cement in the grout if water is not enough.
I have removed hardened grout by using a sharp edge putty knife. Holding the putty knife at the base of the glob at an angle, use a hammer and lightly tap the handle. The glob will usually chip up. You will have a little bit of residue left but that can usually be scrubbed off.
Many helpful suggestions. Thanks everyone. Now you now how I’ll be spending my Saturday morning.
you can look into a phenolic scraper. Used on aluminum to scrape gasket material off. harder than plastic but softer than metal.
You can also try a squared off piece of scrap wood and a hammer to see if you can pop it off.
That’s for removing grout between tiles, not grout on the surface of a tile.