How do I get rust off of tile and grout outside?

Question

Last year I had indoor/outdoor tile put on my back padio - looks great. But afterwords I had the idea to add a roller metal pot so I could put my garden hose into. The rust from the pot went onto the tile and grout. Any suggestions on how to remove the rust??? I can't wait to get rid of the stains. Thanks for any help and suggestins

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams You didn't indicate the colour of your tile and grout, this could impact on the advice. Since it is outdoors, you could take fresh lemons and squeeze the juice on the area and leave it exposed to the sunlight - usually removes rust but may take a few tries. If your grout is white you can use a grout cleaner with bleach. Scrubbing Bubbles foam has worked for friends with old tired white grout, but they indicated it took a toothbrush and a couple of applications. Good luck Sharron.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

The tiles is multi-color and the grout is on the dark gray side. Thanks so much for your comments and any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Sharron Abrams · Answer

I have tried baking soda and vinegar with very little help - any suggestions???

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams I guess one other thing you could try is making a pase with oxyclean crystals - supposed to be safe for most fabrics. Let the paste (keep moist) sit on the stain for at least a half hour then scrub and rinse off. May have to repeat. If it doesn't work the oxyclean is great for all kinds of stains either with a presoak or right in the washing machine.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

So do you think that it could work? I am concerned that it would bleach the color? Never used it ??? Thanks for all your help

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams I have used this on coloured fabric with no problems. I doesn't work by lightening, but apparently by enzymes. It indicates it is free of bleach etc. Resolve is another product that does the same thing and I have used, but it has oxyclean in it as well.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

I will go out and get some today and try it - Thanks for sticking with me on suggestions - I am new to Home talk and this is my first activity with a question - you have been their for me and you are greatly appreciated. THANKS. I will try to take pictures and see if I can figure out how to get them on here - at 56 yrs old I am learning a lot.

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams well welcome to HT - everyone here is just wonderful! A lot of very creative people here who share their ideas I myself have not had an original idea, but have done some of the projects posted here (I always credit where the idea came from) and the originators are very good at helping. I love the blogs they attach to their posts - provides a lot more ideas. And did I mention the technical support is superb! :)
Posting pics is easy - on your post at the bottom when you are in edit mode is a button to updoad photos. Good luck! I look forward to your posts. Let me know how that oxyclean works.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

Thanks for the WELCOME - you make me feel at home - love to do crafts myself - but not bold enough to share - have to learn how to share photos of the crafts I do. I have wonderful ideas to share. I went to the hardware store and had them help me rig a pot to pot rollers for my industrial garden hose so I don't have rust on the tile again. Hurray for that. I also make hand mirrors for those who have teenage daughters and also print on wood. Love to make my own designs on cloth as well. I don't see any of my ideas on HT. I will be having carpet installed by the pro's in the next month and then I will have time to share with all on HT. Thanks for the talk - it is nice to have a friend on here even before I even start.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

Tried the Oxyclean - can't seem to keep it wet enough to stay on for a half hour. Tiles get hot and it dries within minutes to a hard substance. This is Arizona and it is getting warm daily and promises to get even hotter. Any other suggestion???

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams maybe you could try to do it in the evening and place a wet cloth on top. If you can only do it during the day, maybe create a tent like structure over it.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

The tiles are just cooling off at night - I figure I would have to try this about 4:30 or 5:00 AM. Hummm - Got to be a better way to get the rust out. My sister-in-law is having some tile installed this week. Hoping the tile guy can help. Guess my OCD is getting to me. Thanks for getting back to me.

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams or you could help cool them down with some cool water. And the wet cloth on top should probably be a folded wet towel - water towel as needed. If the tile guy can't help, I am sure that a tile store would have some solutions for you.

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams I had another thought this morning about how to remove rust. There is a product called CLR that is advertized for cleaning all sorts of things, from soap scum to lime build up and rust in bathrooms. Here is the website info http://www.jelmar.com/CLRproducts.htm They sell it in most home stores and hardware stores as well as grociery stores.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

WOW I had forgotten about that - I have some in the garage - will have to try that today! Thanks for thinking for me - see you really do have a original idea LOL - needed you to keep my mind straight. THANKS AGAIN

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams LOL, some questions stick in the back of my mind and thoughts come to me randomly. Haven't used CLR recently - since I discovered scrubbing bubbles is much easier to keep the shower glass and tiles clean and free of scum.
Let me know how it works, may take a few applications, and with the dry weather you have, you may still want to soak a small towel with the product and place on top of where you have applied it - good luck :)

Sharron Abrams · Answer

To clean my shower I use a squeegee after every shower just to get the water off the tile and glass. Once a month or so I spray with vinegar and hose off after using a magic sponge bought at the discount section of the grocery store (Fry's) easy does the cleaning - it really works. I used a small coat of car wax once a yea to the tile and glass. I use this on my dish drainer too. It really works great for me and we have really hard water here. Try it without the car wax and see what you think. - good luck :)

Sharron Abrams · Answer

I tried the vin and oxy stuff - no help - ran out of CLR - going to try that next - any more suggestions? Sent photos of my new pot. This is so I can hose off the tile and get under the hose to clean from the dust storms we get. Thanks so much for all the suggestions so far.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

I still have the stain - hoping for more answers and suggestions

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams I was searching something totally unrelated but this product popped up and thought you might be interested http://en.nl.hg.eu/products/show/id/407/rust_and_oxidation__stain__remover

Sharron Abrams · Answer

Well the place is in Holland. Really going to have to check into this product. Thanks so much for sticking with me on this one. I even tried my tile guy and the only thing that he suggest is to re-grout the area, unless I can find a better way to clean it - that is what I will have to do. Right now he is at my brother-in-laws house doing the front walk. This will have to be delayed till I get the carpets finished. We are having half of the house redone. Hubby only wants carpet on his feet when he gets out of the bed. Hummm wish he could handle tile and a rug -

Gail Salminen · Answer

HI again @Sharron W still thinking about your problem LOL. I have seen on several posts here what a miracle worker 'barkeepers friend' is, I have never seen it in our area, but lots of talk about treating rust with it. Seems to be a powder cleanser. Just thought I would send that idea your way, not sure where to find it but likely Walmart or a graocery or hardware store. Hoping you have luck. Again I would likely use it on the tile after they have cooled down with cold water in the evening. But maybe you have already regrouted?

Lelanda Muzzell · Answer

Try C.L.R it will work

Sharron W · Answer

@Gail Salminen , Bless you Gail for putting so much thought into the issue...but You tagged the wrong Sharron...LOL

Sharron Abrams · Answer

Hello neighbor named 'Sharron' how nice of you to respond - thanks

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Sharron Abrams and @Sharron W sorry about that, my bad LOL, thanks Sharron W for responding - not many spell that name with two r's - so now I have met two in one spot! Gotta love this site.

Sharron Abrams · Answer

I m always surprised when I meet someone whit the same spelling - I believe my mom and dad said that it is the French spelling. I have been real busy this week and for the next two weeks. Hubby decided to have the floors re-done - but wished that he could of had them done in stages. It is hard to have upstairs and down stairs done all at the same time. Computer will be unplugged for 2 weeks at least - till I can get back into my house. It all starts on Saturday. Half carpet and half tile. He doesn't like hardwood. Trust me I would of done all hardwood and tile. Once this is finished will return back to my tile problems. Hummm Enjoy this website and will return fast as I can. Thanks for all you help and hope to return with pictures and updates.

Sharron W · Answer

@Sharron Abrams I would try the Amway product, REDU, I've seen it get rust stains out of clothing without harming the color...and it's specifically made for rust. comes as a powder you take the amount you need and add the appropriate amount of water...like 1 tsp to a cup of water.... the instructions are on the bottle....

Laura · Answer

I would try lemon essential oil or other quality essential oils.  I can't imagine it not working and it's non-toxic unless you get a cheap brand.

Hayley@ TheDesertNestDubai · Answer

This post just came up on my feed and I can see it was from a while back! Did you find a solution? I have a very easy way if not! http://www.hometalk.com/diy/clean/bathroom/how-to-clean-grouting-the-easy-way-4969076

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