Removing grout haze from the grout itself…options?

Question

I just grouted my new shower floor yesterday using a dark gray (pewter) grout that matches the tiles. Looked great going down.

I let it sit for a half hour, then began wiping off the excess with a sponge and water. After a couple of hours I went back a few more times to clean as much off the grout haze off as I could.

Today...the tiles look great but the grout, itself, is mostly covered in a haze. I've seen lots of people mention using vinegar and water and I've tried that along with a scotch brite pad to scour the grout with, and while that helped a little bit, it didn't really do much given the amount of scrubbing I had to do.

The big box sells an professional acidic haze remover which I may try, but that states I need to wait 7 days before using it...which isn't ideal as we're hoping to be done with the grouting entirely before the plumber comes in a few days.

Would the acidic remover potentially cause issues if I only waited 3 days to use it? Are there any other methods I should consider?

EDIT:

So upon more research, I've found that this may have been due to the mix itself and/or too much water used in cleanup--which is, sadly, the likely culprit. I probably cleaned too early. As such, it appears the only real solution is to either rip it all out (not gonna happen) or use a ground colorant/dye. Looks like I'm going to be doing that.

Answer 1

I had a similar problem last year, and found someone on a forum talking about using Bar Keeper's Friend to remove grout and thinset haze. It's available in big box stores where I live. I did 3 tiling jobs in my parents house, using Tec Power Grout grout, and it worked on 2 of the 3. The one it didn't work on was actually because I had someone patch drywall shortly after completing the tile. He was messier than hell, and the grout absorbed the mud. I found that if you let it sit for just 5 seconds, it worked better, but its unclear whether it affects the grout in any negative way long term. It's been 6 months and still looks good. Best of luck!