Grout in New Cabinet Grain ...

FlooringGirl · August 24, 2010, 08:02 PM

My customer just sent me these - apparently, my installer slopped his sponge a bit on the new cabinets while wiping grout, and on the first pic, customer tried to clean it and it went down into the grain. They are afraid to touch the second area. I have to go there tomorrow. Surely I can just use a toothrush?
My installer is magnificent, but he can be just a little sloppy, bless his heart! This is not my husband, in case any of you wonder.

Tia

Danny Ferguson · August 25, 2010, 03:47 PM

Wipe it down with some Murphy's Oil Soap, should take it right off.

Kman · August 25, 2010, 05:01 PM

Danny Ferguson said

Wipe it down with some Murphy's Oil Soap, should take it right off.

My suggestion as well.

Sean Moore · August 25, 2010, 08:16 PM

really? Does that work with cementious patch too?

Kman · August 25, 2010, 09:49 PM

It would work with residue, but if there's a significant amount of material it would probably need to be scraped clean first.

FlooringGirl · August 25, 2010, 09:50 PM

Thanks, I'm going to use a stiff toothbrush and Liquid Gold. Hope it works. Sean: I am also taking some solvent which my adhesive and grout expert is sending me, that should loosen up the dried grout when rubbed on with the toothbrush. Because you're right, it dries into a cementious situation!

Tia

cproader · August 25, 2010, 10:18 PM

FlooringGirl said

Thanks, I'm going to use a stiff toothbrush and Liquid Gold. Hope it works. Sean: I am also taking some solvent which my adhesive and grout expert is sending me, that should loosen up the dried grout when rubbed on with the toothbrush. Because you're right, it dries into a cementious situation!

Tia

....WHOA GIRL !!!....I wouldn't be puttin no solvents or grout removers on that wood at all. Brush it good and use the Murphy's......

FlooringGirl · August 26, 2010, 08:25 PM

cproader said

....WHOA GIRL !!!....I wouldn't be puttin no solvents or grout removers on that wood at all. Brush it good and use the Murphy's......

Thank you for that! Just saw this, but had a long discussion with my expert this afternoon, and he didn't really grasp the situation until he came in today for his bi-monthy visit and I showed him the pictures. Perhaps I didn't portray the situation correctly on the phone. He told me to use stiff brush, hot water with dish soap, then Liquid Gold would be fine. From having older homes with lots of woodwork in the past, my preference is definitely for Liquid Gold over Murphy's. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Thanks again,
Tia

FlooringGirl · August 27, 2010, 09:44 PM

UPDATE: I did what should have been done in the first place - looked at the manufacturer specs. See, this was DuraCeramic, therefore vinyl/acrylic grout.
Guess what they said? Ammonia-based window cleaner. I went today, used that by rubbing it in with a new, white cloth, than also did the same with a touch of Liquid Gold after. They love me, it's all better ... Whew!

Tia

Sean Moore · August 28, 2010, 01:18 PM

Yeah, residue is what I was thinking about. Hot water just doesn't get it all. I've never had a complaint but *I* can still see it

Tim Konrad · August 28, 2010, 05:49 PM

You are a dedicated salesperson and I admire your dedication to customer service BUT why didn't you send your installer out to clean his mess up? I bet you didn't get get paid to go out to your customers house and fix your tile setters problem which became your problem because he wasn't careful cleaning his grout joints.

I loved the suggestions about using Murphy's oil. What would you have used if epoxy grout had been used?

Robert Akin · August 28, 2010, 07:50 PM

Tim Konrad said

You are a dedicated salesperson and I admire your dedication to customer service BUT why didn't you send your installer out to clean his mess up? I bet you didn't get get paid to go out to your customers house and fix your tile setters problem which became your problem because he wasn't careful cleaning his grout joints.

I loved the suggestions about using Murphy's oil. What would you have used if epoxy grout had been used?

Good point Tim! The installer should have been sent back to take care of clean up.

Rob

Sean Moore · August 28, 2010, 07:54 PM

Robert Akin said

Good point Tim! The installer should have been sent back to take care of clean up.

Rob

Or the installer needs to be fined. Beer is our standard fine.

FlooringGirl · August 31, 2010, 02:55 PM

Thanks, everybody. I didn't send my installer back because the customer wasn't too keen on having him back to touch the new cabinets again. He did pay me for supplies and will just have to owe for the time and frustration ... the right time will come, like when I'm ready for a new backsplash, haha!

I'm not sure about what to use on epoxy grout, and hope never to need to know.

There must really be something effective about both Liquid Gold and Murphy's Oil, since I've had people try other types of wood cleaners that didn't do a thing.

Tia

Barry Carlton · August 31, 2010, 03:01 PM

FlooringGirl said

Thanks, everybody. I didn't send my installer back because the customer wasn't too keen on having him back to touch the new cabinets again. He did pay me for supplies and will just have to owe for the time and frustration ... the right time will come, like when I'm ready for a new backsplash, haha!

I'm not sure about what to use on epoxy grout, and hope never to need to know.

There must really be something effective about both Liquid Gold and Murphy's Oil, since I've had people try other types of wood cleaners that didn't do a thing.

Tia

Most painters will tell you NEVER to use LG. It makes the wood virtually unstainable in the future.

Grout in New Cabinet Grain ...

"Grout in New Cabinet Grain ...," in the Ceramic and Stone Q&A forum, begins: "My customer just sent me these - apparently, my installer slopped his sponge a bit on the new cabinets while ..."

Grout in New Cabinet Grain ...