Jun 12, 20193 min
Let's face it, tile is everywhere. It's on floors, backsplashes in the kitchen, walls in bathrooms. It's durable, easy to clean and won't freak out if you get it wet! If you have tile in your home then you have grout lines and where there are grout lines there is dirt. If you are like me, a visual person who also happens to be a perfectionist :) Dirty grout lines will drive you mad. Ripping up tile and replacing it, especially while living in a home is no easy task. Not to mention expensive. Over the years I've tried bleaching, tile cleaning companies who come out with heavy duty machinery, and scrubbing with a toothbrush. None of these options left me satisfied with the way my tile looked. Until one day I was wandering aimlessly through Home Depot and I saw this item called Grout Renew. I thought, well I've tried everything else, might as well give this a try...it's $13 a bottle.
This is hands down the cheapest and easiest way to make tile in any area of your home look brand new! I could not believe how easy it was and how well it worked. It is easy to use but it IS time consuming. Put your big girl/boy pants on, muster up patience or a bottle of wine or both and get to painting. First clean the tile really well. I used a mixture of bleach and water. My method is to shake the bottle really well, pour a small amount of paint onto a plastic plate or bowl, dip my index finger in and draw a line over each grout joint, quickly wipe the excess paint off the tile with a wet paper towel. The best way to do this is with a partner...if you can convince someone to do this with you. One does the joint and one wipes the excess paint. The paint dries quick so you don't want to allow it to dry on the tile before wiping the excess off. I learned this the hard way. If you happen to let the paint dry on the tile you can use acetone to get it off. I convinced my husband to do one small bathroom with me. I coaxed him with wine and music. You can also seal the newly painted grout with grout sealer to make sure the results last. This spray version is the easiest to use. Here are some before and after photos of homes I've listed that my clients did their due diligence (probably while cussing me lol) and painted the grout. The floors look brand new!
Before and After of Parkbrook Listing
Before and After of Springtide Listing
Top of Fireplace Grout Painted with One Coat on Bayou Terrace Renovation
Up close of fireplace grout. My client was contemplating replacing the marble tile but the paint proved to be an easy fix saved us $1200+ in removal and replacement of the tile. This grout needed 2 coats of paint because the grout was so dark and the paint was white.
Tips and Tricks!
Purchase several colors and use the one that best matches the base color of your tile. If one color doesn't match best, try mixing 2 colors. Return colors not needed. Keep your receipt!
Allow one coat to dry before applying a second. Some grout will only need one coat. If the grout is very stained or very dark you may need 2 coats.
You can also use this for tile countertops as a quick fix until you decide to renovate. It will give them a much cleaner appearance.
A little goes a long way. I was able to do my kitchen tile countertops and two bathrooms with one bottle and still had a good bit left. No need to purchase large quantities.
I hope you have enjoyed this post! Let me know how your projects go and shoot me some before and afters using the hashtag #southerlydiy
#southerlydesignandstaging #southerlysecrets #groutrenew #homedepot #diy #renovation #batonrouge #tile #tileflooring #tilecleaning