porcelain tiles showing some mottled marks after cleaning?

[xelaris]

I'm a bit worried that a cheap deal from ebay is proving to be more costly than expected...
The tiles were looking amazing initially but after using a Swarfega hand cleaner on them some mottled mark started appearing from nowhere - the tiles are dark grey and the marks are lighter - it appears that porcelain tiles are coated with a wax layer....could be this a case where the mild abrasive action of Swarfega has removed the wax in certain areas? If so, and if indeed the tiles are covered with wax, shall I keep cleaning in order to remove the wax completely? Or shall I re-wax the tiles?
These are Porcelanosa tiles and should be of good quality....the marks don't look like scratches to me but these are visible.

 

[DHTiling]

Some polished porcs do have transit wax on them , ring porcelenosa and give them the tile name and they will let you know.
But by your description it is transit wax and that needs to be removed and then the tiles sealed.

 

[xelaris]

Some polished porcs do have transit wax on them , ring porcelenosa and give them the tile name and they will let you know.
But by your description it is transit wax and that needs to be removed and then the tiles sealed.

I've contacted Porcelanosa....they say to contact the one who sold the tiles to me (as to say: "you aren't covered and we got no time for you cos' you bought them from eBay and not from us directly" (bugger)....can't contact the guy from eBay right now.
So, I started to wonder whether this marks are removable at all - these are really stubborn and any attempt proved to be pointless (I'm going to try some alkaline solutions properly made for the job)....could these be "scratches" which have been covered/waxed by the ebay seller? So, cosmetic wax instead the wax normally associated with porcelain is a protective one applied to the back, which sometimes shows also on the front of the tile.

 

[Marksmithtiling]

Before using any products not designed for the job go to a tile retailer, with an offcut or spare tile,and show them, they will be able to supply the correct product.

 

[Tilerbhoy]

Any pictures off it?

 

[AliGage]

Are these polished porcelain tiles then?

If so was the tiles cleaned/stripped of the transit wax prior to grouting?

 

[xelaris]

Are these polished porcelain tiles then?

If so was the tiles cleaned/stripped of the transit wax prior to grouting?

These are matted dark grey (Porcelanosa Urban range - model: Graphic Nature.

The marks appear randomly on the surface mostly grouped in an area but often away from the border and so I don't think this has anything to do with the grouting - beside the grout is black and the marks are lighter than the tiles' dark grey...

I'll see if I can take a picture of the problem....

 

[AliGage]

I picture would perhaps help a little. Looking at the Porcelanosa website these tiles have an effect that you're describing, from the picture. Maybe these specs were masked by grout residue in the first place?

 

[mz30]

Theres no transit wax on them tiles i use them all the time,but graphic nature are black not gray and when water hits them they tend to leave water stains ,they are a pain to keep clean,just out of intrest why did you use swarfega on them?

 

[xelaris]

a few picture of the problem....the mottled marks are quite visible.

 

[xelaris]

I picture would perhaps help a little. Looking at the Porcelanosa website these tiles have an effect that you're describing, from the picture. Maybe these specs were masked by grout residue in the first place?

nah, the specs aren't the same as the marks (hope the pictures are online by now) - and the tiles looked stunning taken from the box....as I mentioned, maybe these have been skillfully waxed to cover some defects? Or maybe these tile are prone to staining from water and dirt...

 

[xelaris]

Theres no transit wax on them tiles i use them all the time,but graphic nature are black not gray and when water hits them they tend to leave water stains ,they are a pain to keep clean,just out of intrest why did you use swarfega on them?

If this is Porcelain and Swarfega is for hands one would assume there is no problem in using such product on such a tough material maybe that's not the case but we aren't all trained technicians to know this stuff are we? (Basic common sense really).
Then, if we can't use Swarfega on tiles I wonder what next...maybe cork soles will damage/stain porcelain? Cat's hair? Candle's wax?....one would assume the obvious and not have to worry too much.

 

[Andy Allen]

was the grout cleaned of properly...

 

[mz30]

What country was the seller you bought them from as they do not look like uk porcelanosa graphic nature,uk version has a smooth matt finish.

 

[xelaris]

was the grout cleaned of properly...

the grout marks are gone - being ebony black it should be so obvious (if I press and twist my thumb on the tile there are no marks left)....my incline is that by removing the grout haze I've also removed some cosmetic wax applied by the seller to make the best of a defective product? (am I being too cynical perhaps? I hope so).

I'm about to use a proper alkaline detergent and maybe there is some hope that those mottled marks are just residual stuff left from Swarfega and other stuff....

 

[xelaris]

What country was the seller you bought them from as they do not look like uk porcelanosa graphic nature,uk version has a smooth matt finish.

the seller is based in UK - the wife sold them to me (she's British) - apparently the guy is a professional tiler working in the Liverpool/Manchester area (see? there is a chance he's recycling seconds?)

 

[xelaris]

What country was the seller you bought them from as they do not look like uk porcelanosa graphic nature,uk version has a smooth matt finish.

the picture is a macro one - and the angle emphasize the texture a lot....in normal viewpoints the tiles looks smooth. No question about the quality of the tiles....these are very vitreous and impervious to water.

 

[mz30]

If they are the same tiles then they do tend to stain when water is dripped (left to stand)on them they are a pain to keep clean, i have done (if they are the same tile)100s of floors in them the last 5 years.

 

[DHTiling]

Especially if you live in a hard water area.. lime deposits are a mare.

 

[xelaris]

If they are the same tiles then they do tend to stain when water is dripped (left to stand)on them they are a pain to keep clean, i have done (if they are the same tile)100s of floors in them the last 5 years.

The marks appeared suddenly as I was trying to clean the grout haze....it's like I wiped away a masking wax from the surface - if those marks were formed at that stage e.g. from using Swarfega then I'd expect to see the marks changing their shape and patterns as I was wiping the floor...instead these were fixed in their position and not getting any bigger (nor smaller unfortunately) - very frustrating indeed.

Is it possible that the seller used some wax to mask these marks? If so, were can I find a similar wax? (If you can beat them....join them).

 

[AliGage]

Do these marks subside when the floor is wet? i.e Mopped?

 

[Dougs Third Go]

The marks appeared suddenly as I was trying to clean the grout haze....it's like I wiped away a masking wax from the surface - if those marks were formed at that stage e.g. from using Swarfega then I'd expect to see the marks changing their shape and patterns as I was wiping the floor...instead these were fixed in their position and not getting any bigger (nor smaller unfortunately) - very frustrating indeed.

Is it possible that the seller used some wax to mask these marks? If so, were can I find a similar wax? (If you can beat them....join them).

very unlikely.

 

[xelaris]

Do these marks subside when the floor is wet? i.e Mopped?

no...the marks show permanently after wetting the floor with a sponge.

 

[xelaris]

very unlikely.

it might not be "wax" as such but surely there are plentiful of chemicals/polishes out there which could be used to apply a cosmetic layer on defective tiles....the tiles looked perfect before the Swarfega - if anything the Swarfega showed the "true colour" of the tiles (can't blame it on Swarfega but on a dogdy seller?)

 

[AliGage]

I made a call on your behalf this morning to Deb Limited in Derby. They make Swarfega. Waiting for a call back from them.

However, i've been looking at your pictures and scratching my head over it. Looked at the data sheets for a lot of the hand cleaners and they do seem to be quite potent in chemicals. All with a pH rating of around 7.0 - 9.0. Which is what has led me to make a call for you. If it was more acidic i would of blamed the cleaner straight away perhaps. But, the pH rating is quite high. Now household bleach is approximately 12.0 on the pH scale. I'm just wondering wether scrubbing and cleaning the tiles with the Swarfega has may have broken down or bleached the finished surface of the tile?

Hopefully someone from Deb Ltds tech team will be giving me a bell back today. I'll let you know.

 

[xelaris]

it might not be "wax" as such but surely there are plentiful of chemicals/polishes out there which could be used to apply a cosmetic layer on defective tiles....the tiles looked perfect before the Swarfega - if anything the Swarfega showed the "true colour" of the tiles (can't blame it on Swarfega but on a dogdy seller?)

Thanks a lot for bothering...I've just checked the PH scale myself - all values above 7 are for bases (alkaline) substances... values around 7-9 are pretty common - then I wonder what happens if a drop of lemon (PH2) hits these tiles?!
Then, all this stories about porcelain being such a tough material? A bit of Swarfega and these fabulous tiles look like have been aged by 20 odd years in a few seconds of Swarfega wiping? (not even scrubbing as such and no abrasive sponge involved). I find it very hard to blame the Swarfega alone - maybe a combination of factors - e.g. the Swarfega + Microflex grout....or something else.

Unfortunately, I'll have to postpone the alkaline solution cleaning as there are still more work to be completed and the floor corners haven't been sealed (silicone along the perimeter)...if that Heavy duty pro cleaning fails, I will definitely consider using some polishing/tinting solutions.

 

[beanz]

I'm sorry but I don't understand why you'd use swarfega to clean tiles!?! It's abrasive in nature! Would you clean your car with it?
Have you got any spare tiles left? Have a good look, if you have. Try cleaning one (with something more suitable for the job), and see if any hidden marks appear...

 

[xelaris]

I'm sorry but I don't understand why you'd use swarfega to clean tiles!?! It's abrasive in nature! Would you clean your car with it?
Have you got any spare tiles left? Have a good look, if you have. Try cleaning one (with something more suitable for the job), and see if any hidden marks appear...

actually....I'll clean some broken bits of the original tiles with Swarfega once again (no grouting there); and see if that's the cause....
Still, being porcelain, the whole material should have the same colour - an abrasion shouldn't change the colour...unless there was a polishing layer on top - the solution would be to remove that layer completely (to achieve consistent colour) or re-polishing on top.

 

[AliGage]

They're not full bodied porcelain though are they? I think you've bleached or worn down the "painted" finished surface of the tile. The porcelain is underneath, i think you've made a mistake using an abrasive cleaner on the tile.
I can chase Deb Ltd back up in the week for you but i suspect in the meantime if you clean a spare tile or piece of tile with the cleaner you used you will get the same result.
You could see if you can get a singlular tile from porcelanosa and try it as well. I don't think the seller would go to the efforts of trying to disguise imperfections the way you are thinking. far too much effort. It would be easier for them to not mention the name of the tile and sell it as is.

 

[DHTiling]

actually....I'll clean some broken bits of the original tiles with Swarfega once again (no grouting there); and see if that's the cause....
Still, being porcelain, the whole material should have the same colour - an abrasion shouldn't change the colour...unless there was a polishing layer on top - the solution would be to remove that layer completely (to achieve consistent colour) or re-polishing on top.

Through bodied porcelain is the same colour from face to back but porcelain bodied tiles with applied finish are not ...