How to get drywall dust out of dark epoxy grout?
February 19, 2024 6:00 PM Subscribe
I have a new bathroom floor that is made of dark grey interlocking diamonds with a dark epoxy 1/8" grey grout in between. It looked awesome when it was installed a few months ago, but during subsequent plumbing/electrical/cabinetry work, the floor wasn't properly protected, and the floor grout became a drywall dust magnet. The grout is now a splotchy light grey, lighter in some places, darker in others. It looks bad and I am getting disgruntled. The contractors are trying their best to clean the grout but so far it's not working. What should they be doing?
So far they have tried Zep grout cleaner and brightener—scrubbing the grout lines, then mopping the tiles. (about three different times within a couple hours) That did not seem to work. I have tried scrubbing a small portion with a toothbrush and some 409, and can't see any change at all. The drywall dust has been there for several months and I believe it's no longer sitting on top of the grout but ground into it. I thought the high cost of epoxy grout was supposed to be outweighed by all the saved maintenance, but we're getting off to a really bad start here. What can be done?
So far they have tried Zep grout cleaner and brightener—scrubbing the grout lines, then mopping the tiles. (about three different times within a couple hours) That did not seem to work. I have tried scrubbing a small portion with a toothbrush and some 409, and can't see any change at all. The drywall dust has been there for several months and I believe it's no longer sitting on top of the grout but ground into it. I thought the high cost of epoxy grout was supposed to be outweighed by all the saved maintenance, but we're getting off to a really bad start here. What can be done?
Something like a bissel steam shot might work, it does well at getting gunk out of grout and textured surfaces. There are dozens of similar generics online.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 8:22 PM on February 19, 2024
posted by Narrow Harbor at 8:22 PM on February 19, 2024
Yeah, I’d stop trying to clean it and find the best grey color match you can and make the dust grey.
posted by bluedaisy at 8:57 PM on February 19, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by bluedaisy at 8:57 PM on February 19, 2024 [1 favorite]
Have you tried contacting the manufacturer for advice? As you said, if the high cost is supposed to be outweighed by lower maintenance, and that's not happening, maybe they can help.
posted by evilmomlady at 3:34 AM on February 20, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by evilmomlady at 3:34 AM on February 20, 2024 [4 favorites]
I don't know that this would work but what about pressing into the grout with a wad of window putty, constantly turning it.
posted by tmdonahue at 5:21 AM on February 20, 2024
posted by tmdonahue at 5:21 AM on February 20, 2024
Best answer: Different opinion here.
Drywall & joint compound dust is incredibly easy to clean up - it's literally chalk. It doesn't exhibit the kind of behavior you're seeing here. You wash it away once and it's gone. If it was in the pores of tile and grout a simple scrub would get it.
I suspect it's efflorescence of the grout compound. I'd ask with your contractor to see what material was used and how it was prepared (e.g. did they mix with tap water and is your tap water hard? any additives or drying agents?).
There are steps to remediate it, but remember that grout is not waterproof. It absorbs and releases moisture all the time. If it's truly efflorescence then constantly getting it wet is only drawing out more of the salts (or, perhaps, contributing to it if your water is hard) and bringing the problem back. You need some new tactics.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:17 AM on February 20, 2024 [7 favorites]
Drywall & joint compound dust is incredibly easy to clean up - it's literally chalk. It doesn't exhibit the kind of behavior you're seeing here. You wash it away once and it's gone. If it was in the pores of tile and grout a simple scrub would get it.
I suspect it's efflorescence of the grout compound. I'd ask with your contractor to see what material was used and how it was prepared (e.g. did they mix with tap water and is your tap water hard? any additives or drying agents?).
There are steps to remediate it, but remember that grout is not waterproof. It absorbs and releases moisture all the time. If it's truly efflorescence then constantly getting it wet is only drawing out more of the salts (or, perhaps, contributing to it if your water is hard) and bringing the problem back. You need some new tactics.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:17 AM on February 20, 2024 [7 favorites]
I’d get a kid’s watercolor set, make a thin wash with the black and paint it. Or the grout pen. I’m impressed that you have workers who will spend so much Eddie cleaning. Drywall dust is insidious.
posted by theora55 at 6:34 AM on February 20, 2024
posted by theora55 at 6:34 AM on February 20, 2024
Here's a question on Chemistry StackExchange: "I would like to dissolve CaSO4 in a hardened condition (e.g. gypsum board[drywall])". Granted, the question is about a more extreme case than yours, but from the answers it seems worthwhile to try something acidic. I'd first try a weak acid such as vinegar, and it that doesn't work try hydrochloric/muriatic acid (commonly used for swimming pools).
posted by ShooBoo at 6:47 AM on February 20, 2024
posted by ShooBoo at 6:47 AM on February 20, 2024
Epoxy grout is also supposed to be very easy to clean. Something like a carpet cleaner or steam mop should do fine. I've gotten drywall dust on mine (my floors are tile with epoxy grout) and it cleans up just fine. I think you are having some other kind of issue too.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:15 AM on February 20, 2024
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:15 AM on February 20, 2024
So I hit up reddit to see what the word on epoxy grout is and they don't recommend steam cleaning or bleach. There's an antihaze product someone makes that's citric acid so maybe vinegar or coffee pot cleaner would work? But after some reading about the problems with epoxy grout (expensive, apparently) are you sure the installers used it or installed it correctly? It's not supposed to collect gunk or discolor like the regular stuff.
posted by fiercekitten at 8:01 AM on February 20, 2024
posted by fiercekitten at 8:01 AM on February 20, 2024
Steam cleaning epoxy grout is fine, unless you are heating it to above boiling temperatures. You can use it in a shower or a kitchen, so it can handle 100+F temperatures ~200F temperatures no problemo.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:20 AM on February 20, 2024
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:20 AM on February 20, 2024
Response by poster: Update on this. Our main contractor tried cleaning the grout 3 more times and no improvement. The only thing that ended up working was bringing back the tile contractors to scrape out the grout throughout the entire bathroom and adding new grout. Which they had to do twice to get it right. They must have spent an extra 24 hours doing this, and thankfully the contractor absorbed the cost. It looks fabulous now!
posted by oxisos at 10:00 PM on April 23, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by oxisos at 10:00 PM on April 23, 2024 [1 favorite]
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posted by mireille at 7:11 PM on February 19, 2024 [3 favorites]