Removing "Grout Restorer" Pen

[Muse2k8]

Some muppets went and used a bright white grout restorer pen on some beigey porcelain tiles with a mid toned ivory grout. However instead of trying it in an inconspicuous location they have trid it out in the middle of the main focal point wall and upon realising it was vastly different just left it.

So my question is, what or how is the best method to remove this (and all the crayon the children coloured bits of grout with) from the grout and surrounding tiles?

Customer doesnt want to pay for regrouting

[whitebeam]

No idea, so will you be using a grout colourant....

[Muse2k8]

No idea, so will you be using a grout colourant....

Yeah was planning on using one of those sealer colourant products. Maybe if they cover over any grout pen that would be fine but its on the tiles too so that will need cleaned and I dont fancy it sticking over wax crayon.

[user123]

Thinners gets of most things, and it does say on the grout restorer pens that you should not use solvent cleaners on them, confirming the fact, but on porcelain tiles I would guess that would etch the tiles? Cooking oil cleans off wax crayons a treat, but again you then have the problem of oil on grout...bit of a Pandora's box, so it really sounds like the customer would have to bite the bullet and pay for a regrout...

[Muse2k8]

The customer is one of those landlords who dont like to pay for anything... but I can have fun telling them why a re-grout is the best option

[Mike]

The customer is one of those landlords who dont like to pay for anything... but I can have fun telling them why a re-grout is the best option

tell them it's the only option and get their hands in their deep pockets

[nybor62]

yep re-grout for me , doubt they will go for it,

[jay]

Depend on how deep the pockets are re grout or re tile

[Sir Ramic]

This works well, I have used it on grey grout which was very patchy, made a very nice job too.
Tradetiler Universeal Grout Colour

[Muse2k8]

Yeah but I will need to clean the grout first which is the problem.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=55.983278,-3.224462

[Colour Republic]

Krud Kutter is one of the best cleaners I've ever used and it's great on wax. In fact ive used it to strip heavy wax off a kitchen before painting it

[user123]

Which of the KrudKutter products was it you used on the chest of drawers, Rob?

Products

[Colour Republic]

It was Krud Kutter Original which really is an amazing product

Here is the the UK site

Krud Kutter UK::Original Krud Kutter, Stain Removal, Carpet Cleaning, Industrial Cleaning & Pressure Washing Products

UK Distributors for it are bloomin helpful too. I'm currently doing a full refurb in Windsor where a new Oak Frame has been installed inside the original house and before I took it over some numpty had coated the new green oak in Danish Oil which has darked the oak and not the look that is wanted at all. So they sent me out a free bottle of their 'Oil Grabber' to test

More Krud Kutter product detail

bedoak.jpg

[UniverSeal]

Thinners gets of most things, and it does say on the grout restorer pens that you should not use solvent cleaners on them, confirming the fact, but on porcelain tiles I would guess that would etch the tiles? Cooking oil cleans off wax crayons a treat, but again you then have the problem of oil on grout...bit of a Pandora's box, so it really sounds like the customer would have to bite the bullet and pay for a regrout...

Just to confirm, solvents don't etch (acid based cleaner can) if you use a traditional solvent to clean tiles then an alkaline cleaner will be necessary to remove and neutralise the area.

[user123]

Great, sounds good, Rob! Love learning about useful products like that

[UniverSeal]

Thinners gets of most things, and it does say on the grout restorer pens that you should not use solvent cleaners on them, confirming the fact, but on porcelain tiles I would guess that would etch the tiles? Cooking oil cleans off wax crayons a treat, but again you then have the problem of oil on grout...bit of a Pandora's box, so it really sounds like the customer would have to bite the bullet and pay for a regrout...

Try cleaning the porcelain with "Acetone or Xylene" these are both very effective solvent cleaners for very stubborn stains.

[billywiz]

Ring Lithofin, they generally have an answer for everything.

[Muse2k8]

Might do. Don't fancy messing and having to re tile at my own expense