UKC

... on a tiled floor goes a really long way. Before resorting to any radical solutions, does anyone have any tips on how to rescue the once light grey grouting? So far tried bicarb of soda, household vinegar, washing up liquid, scrubbing etc, but to no avail. Thanks.

In reply to jon:

You can get special grouting cleaner from brico shops that works pretty well in showers but I can't vouch for how effective it will be on sunflower oil. Amazingly, we've never had that problem before.

In reply to jon:

Sorry, can't help. But it could be worse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Molasses_Flood

In reply to jon:

Blowtorch.

In reply to jon:

Once it's soaked in I doubt you'll ever get it all back out but lots of powerful detergent is your best bet, something like dishwasher powder and scalding hot water, scrub, rinse and repeat until clean. Don't get it on skin or eyes!
jk

In reply to jon:

This stuff:

http://tinyurl.com/hm3yffe

really cleaned up our white tiled kitchen floor of ingrained grime, much better than ordinary detergents.

Smells like ammonia but did the job.

In reply to jon:

If its any consolation - 5 litres of magnolia paint in the back of my car was worse.

In reply to Babika:

I'll raise you two litres of sodium hypochlorite in the back of mine when I did an emergency stop and the container split.

In reply to jon:

You need a powerful alkali to saponify the oil, something like caustic drain cleaner or tar remover for stove glass would do but it might also attack the grout. What about grinding out the grout and redoing it? An angle grinder with the right thickness of blade would get it out, although it would make a lot of dust.

In reply to jon:

what about the simple solution of putting oil on all the joint grout...all the same colour, sorted!
>tongue in cheek<

In reply to French Erick:



Yes, that was briefly discussed!

In reply to jon:
Thanks for the replies. Have just ordered some of the stuff that Siward suggests... we'll see. And if that doesn't work, maybe the angle grinder.

In reply to MG:



Well at least that cheered me up, Martin! You must admit the Bostonians have a history of being careless with comestibles!

In reply to jon:

https://www.hss.com/hire/c/cleaning-and-floorcare/steam-cleaners

Maybe

In reply to Rigid Raider:

Probably the best bet. Cement is slightly alkali and is attacked by acids, so using an alkili on it might not be so bad (always test on a small inconspicuous area of course)

In reply to jon:

No idea if it would work with oil soaked grout but Milton's sterilising fluid works to get the black gunge that appears on grout in showers off - soak kitchen roll in Milton's, leave overnight on the area and then just lift off. Could be worth a try!

In reply to jon:

Milton is just expensive bleach.

In reply to jon:

I'll raise you 5l of English mustard.

Spilt all over the floor of my local Burger King by a muppet (not me!) that couldn't read the instructions about how you need to pull the plug out and fit the tap on the bag BEFORE putting it in the wall rack! Went everywhere, including all over him, the floor and under the deep fat fryers, so an absolute bitch of a job to clear up, let alone the smell.

In reply to jon:

Jet wash it, 100% guaranteed to work

In reply to jon:

Hire a steam cleaner

When I was a kid, some enterprising pikies were installing tarmac as kitchen flooring in Luton, targeting the growing Asian market. They didn't bother to move things like tables or fridges and just sawed an inch off the bottom of doors if necessary. Lovely people

In reply to jon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grout-Pen-White-Large-Restores/dp/B006MDF3ZQ/ref=p...

Grout pens could be a solution?

In reply to jon:

As a student a house mates girlfriend was blending a kilo of hot chillies with garlic and vinegar to make several jars of sauce. Anyway, one of the jars got knocked onto the floor sending the contents and shattered glass across the tile floor. I don't think it ever got properly cleaned...

In reply to Babika:


Almost 'snap' - Mine was white emulsion.
to the OP - once you've got the grout clean consider waxing the floor with Osmo hardwax oil to prevent stuff soaking into it in the future. It will darken the grout though.

In reply to jon:

Just an update for oil spill fans... I can report that sadly the Grimex that Siward suggested has failed to work - as yet anyway, after a number of applications. I suspect that the oil has penetrated too far for stuff like this to work. Before I resort to a mechanical solution (or indeed just forgetting it) I might try Timmd's colouring pens but I do think the ink/paint won't adhere to the oily grout.

In the meantime does anyone else have any ideas?