Often the tiles still look pretty decent, but the grout at its joints has turned yellow and stained. You can remove the old compound and fill the gaps with fresh ones, but care must be taken not to damage the edges of the tiles.
It is necessary
Special jigsaw or drill; jointing (round rod); brush or sponge; putty knife; trowel compound; acidic solution; masking tape; sponge and dry cloth; a special grout remover (or acetic acid)
Instructions
Step 1
Before starting work, you should carefully cover pieces of furniture and household appliances with paper or old cloth. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to clean the surrounding objects from fine dust that forms during work. For the same reason, you need to prepare personal protective equipment - glasses, a respirator and heavy clothing.
Step 2
In advance, you need to process the joints of the tiles with an acid solution. It is made by mixing 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. The composition is applied to the desired places with a brush or soft cloth. Usually 20 minutes is enough for the old grout to become a little more pliable, otherwise you will have to repeat the wetting. You can use mortar thinner purchased from any building supplies store. It gives good results when applied to hardened formulations.
Step 3
If you plan to use a drill for further work, then the drill for cleaning the seams should be very thin so as not to spoil the tile with a careless movement. As a precaution, it is better to immediately glue the tiles around the entire perimeter with masking tape.
Step 4
In the absence of a drill, you can use any sharp objects, but thin and hard enough. Removing the old grout requires slowness and accuracy - you cannot use excessive force when pressing on sharp tools at hand. Only light tapping with a hammer on the tool used is permissible, otherwise a piece of an adjacent tile may break off and you will have to replace it.
Step 5
After all the seams are thoroughly cleaned of the old composition, the remnants of dust and dirt can be removed with a cotton swab and the remnants of masking tape can be removed from the tiles. The joints of the tiles are moistened with water and a new composition is prepared to fill them. The grout mixture is prepared in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, which is located on the packaging of the material.
Step 6
The prepared composition is used to fill the joints between the tiles using a rubber spatula. Excess mixture is removed with the same tool or with a well-wrung out damp sponge. The seams are leveled with a jointing and allow the material to finally set and dry. The rest of the putty is removed from the surface and the tile is wiped with a damp cloth and then polished with a dry towel. You can protect the seams from subsequent contamination by applying a protective varnish to them. It will preserve the natural color of the finish and prevent mold and stains.
