You must clean grout off ceramic tile immediately in order to get a clean look for your tile.
When you are grouting ceramic tile, it is inevitable that some of the grout will get on the tiles. However, you must take appropriate and fast action to remove this grout unless you want it to harden into a lasting reminder of your grouting experience that mars the look of your tile. If you clean the grout correctly, it will improve the look of your tiles and even make your grout joints last better.
Function
Grout is the mortar between individual ceramic tiles that holds them in place. When you push the tiles close to each other, wet grout may come up over the tiles. You need to remove this so that your grout will hold the tiles in place and to make sure that the grout does not obscure your tile design.
Types
You can clean grout off ceramic tile using several different tools. You may use a sponge or a cleaning rag. All cleaning implements need to be soft so that they do not damage the ceramic tile. You will not need any cleaning products other than the sponges and rags.
Time Frame
Cleaning grout off tile needs to happen as soon as you have filled in the grout between several tiles. Generally, you should not go farther than a 2-foot square area before cleaning the grout off the tiles. This means that your cleaning should happen within about 10 minutes of grouting.
Methods for Removing Grout
You will first need to sponge off the excess grout. This will keep the tiles from getting smeared or having hardened lumps on them. Use a damp sponge and rinse frequently. Once the worst of the grout is removed, stroke the sponge down the lines of grout. Use gentle pressure. This will smooth the grout down just below the surface of the tile. Finally, you will do a final wash to remove any remaining grout. This involves rinsing the sponge and running it along a line of grout, then flipping the sponge and doing the same, then rinsing and moving on to a new area on the floor.
Grout Haze on Ceramic Tile
Grout haze forms as the grout starts to dry, and looks like a fine mist on top of the ceramic tiles. You should wipe this down using circular motions and a soft, damp rag, but be careful not to scrub so that the tiles move since the grout may not yet be fully set.
