What is this in the bathroom tile grout?

Question

The grout in the bathroom tile has a white residue. Does anyone know what is it and how to fix it?

Jean Aranson · Answer

Do you have a water softener system that has salt?

Cynlane55 · Answer

Mold     clean it with bleach

William · Answer

Looks to me like efflorescence. Check out these sites: https://www.tcnatile.com/faqs/32-white-residue-on-grout.html http://www.mapei.com/public/US/linedocument/TB_Grout_Efflorescence_EN.pdf

Katrina Warren · Answer

Looks like hardness / mineral deposits from hard water.  Lime Away, or CLR should get rid of it with a little added scrubbing.

Mcg4157699 · Answer

You need a filter for you water that takes out the limescale and other stuff, it will eventually wash away after using clean water for a while, by the way, if tis is on your tiles i hope you don't drink the same water ?

Janet Pizaro · Answer

www.beaumont-tiles.com.au/Tile-DIY-info/The-Tile-Doctor/Grout-Going-White

Lana Ryland · Answer

Looks to be mineral and salt deposits leaching thru.  Best thing to do is paint the grout lines... completely seals the grout and it doesnt come back.  Makes your whole room look larger if you use a light colored acrilyic  ( sp?) paint.  Very easy to do,. I flip houses and do this in every house I flip... bathrooms and kitchen.  Doesn't come off, never had a problem, easy to clean.

Bea7222265 · Answer

I;m sure its called Crafters Acrylic You just paint it into the grout

Cj · Answer

Ahhh, I just dealt with this one while remodeling whole headache house with more to go. But the bathroom grout looks like hard water, 
First try a baking soda and peroxide paste leave it in awhile see if it comes off. 
If that doesn't work, there's this stuff called ' The Works' use a lot of ventilation glove up and mask or bandana so your not breathing this stuff in.  
To get your grout color back, road trip to Lowes. Paint section get a small container of concrete paint, headache #2 tape all the squares off and lightly brush your color back into the grout.  Do this as last resort.  I actually had to dig out grout in 1 bathroom and just redid the whole thing rather than keep breathing the Works cleaner. Which worked but way big job. 
Good luck

Lana Ryland · Answer

Yep..Crafters Acrylic paint. Cost abourt $.80 a bottle with a coupon from Hobby Lobby.  One bottle goes a long way.  I never had an issue with it washing off or wearing off.  It gets down into the grout line and seals it so no stains on light colored grout. Gives such a 'clean' look .  About to do this in my current house.

TONYA · Answer

I would simply try a tile and grout sealer found at most larger hardware stores .

Elena · Answer

Thank you for your advise I will try with the acrylic paint.

Johnchip · Answer

Looks like calcium build up from the hard water. Use a metal scrubby and seal.

Evelyn Haralson Jackson · Answer

I live in San Antonio, Texas where we have extremely hard water &  calcium/limestonebuild-up  is the norm.  Vinegar is excellent at removing hard water residue. I mix mine 50/50 with Dawn dish washing soap, use it in a spray bottle for easier application and let it sit for at least an hour. Usually just  rinse with fresh water & it's clean, but you can use the scrubbing side of a kitchen sponge if build-up is really stubborn. The regular 5% vinegar acidity is usually enough to break-down the calcification, but if not, try the 9%, available in most grocery stores in the same location as regular vinegar.

Lizzy L · Answer

I used Polyblend Grout Renew from Home Depot and it worked great.

Sri8158813 · Answer

how can i  remove grout from tiles ?

Fay · Answer

Looks like a hard water stain

Shirley · Answer

I have the same problem and am looking for a solution.

Chas' Crazy Creations · Answer

Here are several tips and tricks that might help you https://chascrazycreations.com/floor-cleaning-hacks/

Mogie · Answer

Grout turning white is usually due to efflorescence and that is just the movement of salt or minerals to the surface of porous material (like your grout) and forms a whitish coating. There are a few ways this can happen. The most common is moisture from below the slab, but grout may also turn white from the rain, in rare cases from water used to clean the floor. Another possibility is that grout containing polymer was used that wasn't mixed just right.

Deb K · Answer

Hi John, looks to be hard water stains, white vinegar or CLR will remove this. Hope this helps you.

Combine equal parts vinegar and water, storing the solution in a spray bottle for easy use. Frequently spray the concoction on your tiles and surrounding grout and allow it to sit overnight if possible. You can then use a sponge or brush to scrub the area and remove any stains.

What is this in the bathroom tile grout?

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What is this in the bathroom tile grout?

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