eeeew, that tile is tacky...

October 29, 2009 12:05 PM

There is a tacky (as in sticky) film on top of my newly installed tile floor. Help me make it go away! (the tacky film, not the tile floor, mind you)

Just had a professional, total rip-out and reinstall of a real tile floor (as opposed to vinyl tiles) in my kitchen, hallway, guest bathroom. I waited the requisite time, plus 2 days, for everything to be set and sealed and dried and ready to go. Then last night I gave it a good scrubbing with the same tile floor detergent I used on my old floor. Then a thorough rinsing.

Now there is a subtle sticky-ness to the entire surface. I realize I will have to clean it all again, but how do I make the stickiness go away?

I heard that some suggest vinegar for cleaning tile, but the smell of vinegar makes me gag, and I have guests coming tomorrow night, and I have concerns about the odor.

Thanks in advance!

posted by sandra_s to home & garden (5 comments total)

Call the installer and ask for advice.
posted by Carol Anne at 12:15 PM on October 29 [1 favorite has favorites]

What about using apple cider vinegar?
posted by muddgirl at 12:15 PM on October 29

in general I noticed that when vinegar dries, it looses almost all of it's smell. (I do a lot of silk dyeing with vinegar).

You could also use vinegar to get rid of the sticky residue and then rinse the vinegar off with water
posted by royalsong at 12:25 PM on October 29

Go easy on the vinegar, as the acids in it don't play nice with the grout in between the tiles (assuming your installer used real, cement-based grout, not fake glue-grout from a bucket). Acids weaken the cement.

Ask your installer, for sure. Find out what they used to install and grout, as well as what they sealed the tiles with -- it might be the sealant wasn't wiped clean enough when they finished up.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 12:47 PM on October 29

Goo Gone?
posted by emilyd22222 at 5:45 PM on October 29