JUst finished a black ceramic floor with mapei cement grout , used a washboy and my god what a mess.

Let it dry and hit it with a towel , whats your method there has to be a easier way.

use rubber latex gloves for hands as the dye takes ages to come out,mask up the skirting boards..use sponges rather than washboy sponges and when finished put them in the bin...change the water more frequently.

did you use a segmented sponge mags, and what brand of washboy? (cheapos are worse than useless!)

its a gensis washboy segmented sponge clean water, I presume the washboy is only for getting excess grout off, but then it lies on the tiles. THis dries and leaves a haze which I then use a dry towel to take off.

did you lety the grout set in the joints before wiping?how long did you leave to dry?Did you get as much excess grout off the floor as possible before using the washboy?

You might need to leave the grout for 20- 30n mins before washing off,then its a bit easier.

Mags - It was Mapei cement grey grout I think you used.
I tried using a washboy once! Its got my tools in now.
Use good quality sponges BAL/ARDEX and rinse often.

Timeless John.

did you also sponge off in a circular motion?

Left grout until it was drying on the tile face , then used circular motion with the washboy sponge.

Think ill try one of them sponges John .

I use the Bal ones,excellent as are the ardex sponges.actually prefer the Ardex but harder to get for some reason.

karl dham washboy with serrated sponges for the first and second wash off, ardex sponges for the final wash (after the grout has dried) and my old t-shirts for a polish!

gonna put a washboy or not poll up in t'Arms

i use rubi sponges from topps they seem to work then go at it with tea towel/towel.Gets dusty but seems to be quickest way

Originally Posted by dagger

karl dham washboy with serrated sponges for the first and second wash off, ardex sponges for the final wash (after the grout has dried) and my old t-shirts for a polish!

I wear all my old t shirts , can you send me one of yours

Karl Dahm here all the time,walls,floors,splashbacks... you name it i use it!!!
Near cried one day when i had a black polished floor to grout... i had left my knee pads on last job !

DO you grout and wash a bit at a time or do it all at once - on a 6 sq metres floor.

once the grout is drying after about 20-30mins i use the washboy sponge with a segmented sponge in circular motions which levels out the grout. Picks it up from any highs and drops it in the lows don't clean the sponge at any point. Once ive completed this stage I then clean the sponge out and then in one swipe bottom to top if wall or left to right if floor draw the sponge in a straight line. Once at the top remove the sponge and clean. Then move the sponge over one width and repeat. Removes a lot of the excess grout and then once dry a quick buff. Lovely jubbly

6mtrs grout the whole lot,stand watch it dry for 15-20 mins,until it is stiffish in joints then start to wash,any holes that open up fill them with more grout with you finger or float.

I use vinegar and water to get rid of messy haze

I forgot ,I'm in Canada,that would be white vinegar not malt,save that for the chippy,good luck,
McKibe

i think theres a few lads on here that use microfiber towels like me.
one wipe with sponge when grouts dry then use towel. cleans it a treat.

I use microfiber mop much easier. the old mop is also good on walls, no standing on steps etc.

I grout up as usual, leave the floor for a good 15-20 minutes (depending of weather) then sweep the floor with a soft brush. This gets rid of most of the dry grout on the surface of the tile. First wash with a Rubi sponge and I change the water about every 2/3 metres. Just before thats dry I go over it with microfibre cloth. Second wash, second going over with a cloth again, never had any problems so far.

Did a little slate floor yesterday with same grout, must have changed the water ten times but was dry enough and clean enough in the afternoon for a coat of sealer!

Originally Posted by faithhealer

Did a little slate floor yesterday with same grout, must have changed the water ten times but was dry enough and clean enough in the afternoon for a coat of sealer!

joke of course..?

Originally Posted by Dave

joke of course..?

it was a small en suite with rad blasting out for 6 hrs (not my idea just the way it was.) Mapei grout looked bone dry. Was this still a no no, tiles already had a couple of coats on. Still eager to learn Dave!

Rapid heat/drying out can weaken a mix due the rapid hydration of water from the mix

Should have turned the rad off with hindsight then, didn't realise 'til I went back later

Don't worry mate, as my signature reads we have all been there

checked on it today (payday) and looked pretty good so got away with it!

wax on.....wax off..........lol

8/10m2 at a time!

meyagi son........

I use a fairly firm grout application float in a rotary movement - or is that a sweeping movement more - remembering to change direction so that the grout gets fully into the gaps. Once the grout starts to dry (when it starts to powder on the tile face) I start to use the grout cleaning sponge. I use a backed sponge as I find it is far, far better than the "traditional" hand-held sponge still used by many - particularly as it doesn't dig into the tile gap unevenly, removing more grout that you would intend. Currently, I am using a Rubi one, with a wood handle - excellent. For grout cleaning-off you need a sponge that is cut into quite small squares for the best result. Of course, I have had a lot of advice from Italian tilers on this as every house here has tiles everywhere!

Get hold of a wash bath with a couple of rollers so that you can keep your sponge clean and not too wet whilst you are working. The better tilers here will tell you to sponge over three times, changing water whenever it gets too dirty.

Of course, it depends on your grout (Mapei Ultracolor Plus is excellent) and the quality of your sponges, but the job is fairly straight-forward once you get both the hang of it and the right tools for the job as well.

This is a Plasplugs Grout Wash Tank - a bit DIY, but the only one I could (quickly) find for you to get the idea - as well as my not knowing what kit is on sale in the UK anymore