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August 9, 2012

How To Restore Dirty Tile Grout

I recently restored the dirty grout in our bathroom and kitchen for only $10.
And I'm so excited over how well it worked.


How to restore dirty tile grout! This is so great!



It all started when I began updating our master bath. I painted the walls and vanity, and as things began to shape up, our dirty tile grout began to be much more visible to me. I did some research online and found that there was a special paint for tile grout.

I was so excited to get some and see that it actually worked. Here is the bathroom floor after I used the product on half of the grout. 



To see what it looked like when I was totally done AND to see the scary before pictures of this bathroom, go here. You've gotta see the befores.

I also decided to use this product in our kitchen. It had the same tile with the same sad, dirty grout.


After painting the kitchen cabinets and adding a chalkboard to the inside of each door (seen here), the kitchen started to looks so much better, and again, the grout stuck out even worse.


So, I used the grout paint on it, too.
Here's what it looks like now.



Isn't that great?

Here is what I used in both the bathroom and kitchen to restore the grout.

How to restore dirty tile grout! This is so great!




It's called Polyblend Grout Renew and it comes in a bunch of different colors. I chose 'Snow White'. 
The entire bottle was only $10 and I only used up about a quarter of it on two rooms. The only other 'tools' you need are a toothbrush and some paper towels.

  Update: I've been asked how long this lasts. The greatest thing about this product is it has a sealer in it. That means that if dirt or liquid gets on the grout, it won't soak in! You can simply wipe it away. It's amazing. Our bathroom tile is constantly getting wet and dirty, but after 6 months the new painted grout still looks great.

Here's what you do.
First, squeeze a little dot out onto your grout line.


Then, using your toothbrush, scrub the grout paint into the grout line, going back and forth to make sure it has even coverage.


I worked on a small space at a time, moving quickly. 


The grout paint dries fast, so once it looks like the pic below, take a paper towel and wipe off the excess. 


After you wipe off the excess, it should look like the tiles in the pic below.


I'll be honest, it's time consuming. Each room took an entire evening....about 4 hours.

I just set up a little towel to sit on with all of my supplies, turned on the Netflix, and went to town!


I took a few breaks, (you can see where I stopped for awhile below) and then powered through!


The results are totally worth the effort.
Says the crazy girl who sat on the floor with a toothbrush for 4 hours.


And that's all for today! Thanks so much for stopping by! 
(To see how I painted my outdated tile countertop, go here.)



How to restore dirty tile grout! This is so great!



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45 comments:

  1. I saw this product on the Lettered Cottage and went out to buy it that night. I have lacked the motivation and the full tutorial you provided to get started. Thanks for the post to motivate me. It looks great!

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  2. Oh yay, Emily! I'm so glad you found it helpful! And motivating!! :)

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  3. How long does it last? Just curious if it lasts for like 6 months or so? Thank you and it looks great!

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    Replies
    1. I did this on my bathroom floor 3 years ago. And it still looks great!

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  4. WOW! That's amazing! Of course I totally love all of your house...I'm a white room/white cabinets/white woodwork lover too :-)

    So can this be used on shower tile? Sometimes these great products won't withstand constant water.

    Either way, this is great to know about for customers who's tile looks horrible but can't afford to replace. Wow, wow, wow! Talk about a whole new look for $12 + time.

    Now...hopefully this product is available at other stores (maybe Lowes?) besides Home Depot. Our HD closed! Can you believe that! Geesh!

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  5. Funny, I was holding this product in my hand a few weeks ago but talked myself out of buying it because I hadn't looked up reviews yet. I don't want to buy something that sucks! I'll go buy it now though...my grout makes your old grout look like a fresh spring day, lol. Did you try and clean the grout first or just paint over the dirt?

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  6. Did you clean your grout before you applied this product? I'm wondering how much I need to clean it...

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. I used a product similar to this on my kitchen counters. Amazing results just like yours. So worth the time too!

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  9. OMG you crazy woman!!! I JUST did this to my master bath (after the baby flooded it) and was getting ready to do it to the boy's bath and post it. We seriously need to collaborate on these things! ;) Looks great...miracle product, right?!

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  10. Oh man, thank you for this. Can't stand the look of my grout! With four kiddos around, it didn't take long to look yuck! I am so excited to do this! :)

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    1. I am very excited to start this project, too!

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  11. I used this very product more than three years ago in my master bath. The grout looks the same as the day I did it! I love this stuff. I also used it in the shower so it holds up fantistic to everyday use!!

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    1. Thanks, I was wondering how long it lasted. Headed to Home Depot tomorrow.

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    2. Thanks, I was wondering how long it lasted. Headed to Home Depot tomorrow.

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  12. I could kiss you for this seriously...

    Going to run, not walk to Lowe's...I will blog about it and promise I will link back to this post! :)

    My bathroom is from 1938 with the original tile...the grout is one of the "energy vampires" in our home...

    Sharing at Pinterest.
    <3
    Nicolette

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  13. I am getting some of this... like today! :)

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  14. Thank you so much for this post! I have been scrubbing my grout with bleach and other things, trying to get rid of that nasty brown color. Nothing has worked, I am going to try this! Also, my bathroom looks almost EXACTLY like your "before" pic, from the lighting to the brown cabinets. I am so curious to know what you did to take yours (and my) bathroom to the glowing white it is now? Sanded and painted the cabinets? Any tutorials on that?? Appreciated!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! That's awesome! I'll actually be doing a tutorial very soon on painting cabinetry white. Check back soon! :)

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  15. Brilliant! Question: how do you clean the excess? Does it stick to the grout but not the tile? Does it need to stand for a bit to dry? A little confused about the steps between applying it and final outcome :) help! I wanna do this NOW!!!

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    1. Hi Lola! The excess wipes right up with a paper towel. If any of it dries on the tile, you can clean it up with water. It sticks to the grout and wipes off the tile. It dries really quickly, too because it seeps into the grout. Hope that helps!

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  16. Hmm...I think I have the same questions as Lola. I'm actually in the process of doing this do my bathroom tile, and it seems to wipe off the grout, when I wipe the excess of the tile. Am I not waiting long enough?

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    1. Hi Jenn! If you have very porous grout, you may want to leave it on a little longer or do an additional coat. In a few really dark areas of our grout, I went back over the grout with a second coat. If you're using the product I used though, in my experience it seeped into the grout really well.

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  17. Thanks for sharing! I will definitely try this on my scary kitchen backsplash grout!

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  18. Just found your blog. Did you clean your grout first? Was your grout dirty----or you just didn't like the color?
    Thank you.

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  19. Thanks for the tip! I'm going to Home Depot today and doing this ASAP!

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  20. Can't wait to try - I assume you just did a good mop or steam of your tile beforehand? Awesome results!

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  21. Does it work on shower floors, Your House looks great

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  22. How did this hold up? You posted this about a year ago... did the grout repel dirt similar to a sealed grout? curious if it kept the crisp whiteness easily?

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  23. This is the best DIY post I've ever come across! Not exaggerating! I bought a condo with some serious dingy grout, but no $$ to do an overhaul. I felt like I won the blog/pinterest lottery when I found this tutorial. I'm currently working on this project in my guest bathroom (slowly but surely in the evenings after work) and man it looks 100% better. Thanks for the tutorial! -Amber

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  24. Amazing post! I had to try it out and it worked beautifully. I linked to your blog in my post...couldn't take the credit for finding this beauty!

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  25. Where did you buy that brand. I can't seem to find it on amazon... or maybe I missed it?

    Thanks!

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  26. Can't wait to try this on my black grout in my downstairs bathroom. Thanks for the post!

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  27. Came across your blog while researching and I an going out today to buy grout paint. I was going to re-grout white bathroom but kept putting it off because of that big job of removing the grout and now, after reading your blog, I am motivated to get it done and looking pretty again. Thanks.

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  28. Ran out and got this after reading your post. My "almond" grout is now brilliant white. Worked just as you said. I actually used a Q-tip to spread it and then the toothbrush. Wipe and done. Gorgeous. Easy. THANK YOU.

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  29. I did it....my bathroom looks sleek and clean and it was soooo easy.

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  30. I am very excited to try this. I am doing it right now! Just came back to see if there was any tips on cleaning up the tile. I just started on a small spot behind the toilet...just in case.

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    Replies
    1. Awesome! I didn't do much to clean beforehand other than just mop the tile. :)

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  31. Hi Virginia...I had started cleaning my grout with a vinegar and baking soda solution, while scrubbing with a toothbrush. It works ok but very time consuming and you use a lot of elbow grease and although it looks better, it still could be brighter. Your method looks easier and it has a sealant that protects the dirt from building up again. Definitely going to try your method! Is the only prep work you have to do is just mop your floors first before you begin?
    Thanks for your tutorial,
    Judy

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  32. Wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing.

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  33. I am going to pick some up. We're going to be selling our home and this will help restore the grout in my bathrooms! Thank you!!!

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  34. Ohmygosh, as I totally love your blog, I equally (probably more so ) love that photo with your laptop and speakers facing your workspace on the floor. I would soooo do the same lol

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Thanks so much for leaving a comment!! I do the hammer dance every time I read one.

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