Marvelous! Thank you, dlbkelly_cfl_rr_com and the rest! I used Bostik Dimension diamond urethane grout which I’d used before with little issue, but I apparently waited too long to wipe AND since I had varying tile thicknesses this time -- I had the clever and time-consuming idea of combining 3 different styles/brands of tile sheets -- there was more residue to clean off. My glass -- regular, polished and frosted -- and stainless/polished steel mosaic tile looked horrid. Sadly, I used the manufacturer’s suggestion of Windex and that made the area’s grout I tested just a tiny shade of bluish white instead of brilliant white - only noticeable to me but still annoying. A half-vinegar/half-water concoction worked with the bulk of the thinner residue and I finished off the thicker bits with a razor blade/glass scraper (only on the glass); the glass scraper was necessary for the frosted glass tiles but I will go over it again with a pumice stone or magic eraser as was suggested elsewhere for matte tile. The brushed stainless tiles are giving me a hard time and the polished metal tiles did get scratched by the grout/ocelo no-scratch scrub and wipe sponges but a huge improvement! If this hadn’t worked, I’d have to run out and get the Bostik Blaze which is also good for urethane grout haze clean-up.

Depending on what type of prep work was done on the old wood floor before the new flooring was applied it may not be hard to get up. If the top flooring was glued to the wood it can be removed, but you need to be careful to not damage the wood floor underneath excessively. If a layer of plywood was nailed down before the present floor was installed, the damage can be severe enough to make refinishing the old floor not very effective. Even if they are filled, the nail holes can still show. There may be no real way to tell until you start tearing things up. Sometimes you can remove some quarter round or door sills to see the stack up of the floor.

Believe it or not, we ALWAYS recommend using an ammonia-free Windex or similar product to clean hardwood flooring. The ammonia-free windex is strong enough to clean just about anything that's on your hardwood floor, and gentle enough to mist and wipe with a dry Swiffer daily. Because the product evaporates quickly, it reduces the risk of seeping into the seams of the wood planks. If and when an oil-based formula is used like a Murphy's oil or something similar, the hardwood develops a kind of "dependency" on the oil, and you'd have to continue to use the same product. Anything with harsh chemicals like ammonia or even vinegar, is advised against because it will dull and eventually damage the finish. General cleaning for a hardwood floor should consist of removing surface dirt with a vacuum and a hardwood flooring attachment that has a fuzzy end, and then a mist of ammonia-free windex, wiped up with something like a dry Swiffer. Here's a link about hardwood flooring general care and maintenance tips: Hardwood floor care and maintenance tips Also, check us out on our Facebook page here: Facebook/The Couture Floor Company

I'm going out on a limb here by suggesting you find out what type of homeowner DIY asbestos removal is ALLOWED by your state/local community. In the USA, there are some states (sorry - I don't live there so I don't know which ones allow this) allow a small square footage of homeowner DIY Asbestos mitigation. I know there is at least one state that allows (roughly) 135sf of DIY mitigation. What materials does that 135 entail? I don't know. Does that include the asbestos filled cut-back adhesive? I don't know. How does it work? I don't know. Because you are in 'investigation mode' and are looking at removing the hated tile in the hallway and mudroom, you *might be allowed to do it yourself....so long as your state/location allows it. You will have to investigate if your state allows it. You will have to follow the rules which includes landfill requirements for the 'bagged and tagged' asbestos tiles (and pay any fees required). As for me, I would do everything ELSE...but not the asbestos tile. You can DIY hardwood install. In theory you can DIY sand/finish on your own. I would pick a match to your current hardwood (that means width, cut, species and grade) and then use a high-end water based poly to get you the toughest possible finish. You can leave the current hardwood alone until you can move your stuff to the other side of the house. You then sand/refinish the existing hardwood in the IDENTICAL finish. No stain. Stains are picky and it is near impossible to match a stain a year or so later (it takes a special refinisher to get it done). Once you are ready for the kitchen RENOVATION you then demolish ALL the asbestos based tiles...with professional mitigation (assuming your state doesn't allow for DIY). I know your DRIVE is to get the tile OUT....but it isn't in your budget to do so properly. And your kitchen renovation is NOT in your budget for a full kitchen flooring install. It doesn't make any sense to remove the hated-tile today (spending a few thousand on kitchen flooring) only to have to REDO the kitchen flooring when you do a complete gut in a few years. It is money wasted. Those of us who have posted on Houzz long enough know this is going to happen. And I mean 98% chance you cannot save the replacement kitchen floor. Ask youself: Will I have the finances in 7 years to redo the kitchen floors when I do a full gut of my kitchen? Will it bother me that I have different floors in the hallway/mudroom than in the kitchen when I do the kitchen reno?