How to Remove Grout from Tile

Brief 

If you’re learning how to remove grout from tile, you’ll need to know how to do it effectively but without damaging the tile. Use something too abrasive and you risk scratching your beautiful tiles. Sure, a grout stain on your tile is not ideal, but you don’t want to end up with discolored or marked tiles.

Insight

When learning how to grout tile, in the ideal world we’d all do it perfectly without grout spilling and staining the tile. In practice all of us make mistakes. We have expert advice for removing fresh grout or dried grout safely, restoring your tiles to their good-as-new condition.

The biggest concern when trying to remove grout from tile is damaging your tile by scratching it. Fortunately, there are several tools and cleaning agents you can use to make sure your tile remains both stain- and scratch-free. Naveen Tikaram is a kitchen specialist and contributing author at 10 Minute Homemaking.

Tikaram recommends a step-by-step process for removing grout from tile. You will need the following (all can be bought on Amazon):

1. TRY WARM WATER

Sounds too easy? Actually, it is often is that simple, if your grout is still fresh. Using just warm water and a non-scratch scouring pad on your tile should be enough to remove soft grout. Of course, as Tikaram points out, ‘this will remove the white stain from the tile but not the stained grout lines.’ If you need a heavier-duty removal, move on to the next step.

2. USE OIL SOAP ON GROUT LINES

If you’re trying to remove not just the grout that’s stained the surface of the tiles but old grout between tiles, Tikaram recommends using Murphy’s Oil Soap diluted in hot water ‘If you would like to remove as much discoloration as possible.’

Use just the tip of your scouring pad – or better, the tip of a cloth. You will need to ‘be careful not to get the Murphy’s Oil Soap on the tile surface, as it could cause damage. You may need to repeat this application a few times before the grout is completely removed’.