You guys. Tile grout paint = amazing.
A grout paint review, plus tips for painting grout.
So, a little while ago, The Non-Consumer Advocate pinned this post about painting tile grout.
I've got some seriously funky grout in my house, even though the tile job is only a few years old, and I've tried cleaning it with various things like baking soda, vinegar, and spray cleaners.
Nothing really got it looking too fabulous.
I was scared to try painting my grout!
I'd heard of grout paint before, but I thought you had to be super careful not to get it on the tile, and that scared me off from using it.
(I am waaay not precise enough for that.)
After reading the Live, Love, DIY post, though, I realized that this job requires about 93% less precision than I originally thought.
Choosing a color
After I decided this was not going to be a terrifying project, Mr. FG ran out to Home Depot to buy some grout paint.
It's made by the same company that made our grout, and it comes in all the colors that grout is available in.
You don't necessarily have to choose a color that matches the original grout, though, because the paint will totally cover over your original grout.
I was most excited to use it in the kids' bathroom, which has white tile and nearly white grout. At least, the grout used to be white.
Ahem.
How to paint grout
To use the paint, you just brush a small bit onto the grout lines with a toothbrush (of course, I used an old toothbrush, not a brand new one.)
The paint will soak into the grout but won't soak into your tile.
I found it worked best to let the paint dry a bit and then wipe off the excess.
You can use a paper towel or a rag, and if you let it dry for too long, you can always scrape it off with your fingernail.
I am so very pleased at the difference. I never though I could get my grout to look this good, especially in this spot where my girls had spilled nail polish.
Yay!
Here's another shot where you can see the difference.
The process is pretty time-consuming, but it can be done in little bits, here and there. (Unlike, say, kitchen cabinet painting.)
This paint is supposed to seal the grout and make it easier to keep clean in the future, but since I've only just applied it in the last week, I can't vouch for that yet.
(see update below!)
Can you mix different colors of grout paint together?
Yes, I think this would work fine as long as you did one batch of mixing. That will help your colors stay consistent.
Does grout paint last and stay clean?
The grout does look good for a while, but it gets dirty over time. It's not a permanent solution to fresh looking grout (such a thing does not exist as far as I know!)
Can you clean painted grout?
(Updated 2020) I'd say the painted grout is easier to clean than unpainted grout. Since the painted grout is a little more sealed than it would be otherwise, dirt sits on the surface and is easier to remove (vs. dirt that penetrates the porous grout).
Still, after a few years, you should expect to do a repainting job if you want the grout to look really new again.
P.S. A reader used this grout paint on her kitchen floor and sent me before and after photos!
Awesome! I've got to try this. It looks great.
I just used Polyblend in the entrance from my garage door into my kitchen area. It looks AMAZING! Letting it dry then going to wipe down excess on tile. It's tedious but we'll worth doing. Looks so clean! We have three small dogs that track a lot of grass and dirt in. Sis and I are going to do the rest of the house this weekend.
How did you keep the dogs off till it dried? I have 4 dogs lol. And super yucky grout.
Is this paint available in the UK? I am so fed up with the dirty tiles in the shower. Tile pen does not last.
You can order it on Amazon !
Wow, that looks great. My tip for shower stall tiles is to use a good quality squeegee and then wipe down the tiles with a terrycloth rag/towel after EVERY shower. It may sound like a hassle but in the long run it make cleaning easy and grout looking good for a long time. I have few old tired looking wash cloths which I use for the wipe-down.
I am so glad to know about this product! I have tile on my kitchen counters, and it looks dirty no matter how clean I try to keep it. I am definitely going to try GroutRenew ~ thanks!
I've always heard that the trick with grout is to seal it. Is this paint a paint and sealer all in one?
It is paint & sealer but I would probably go over with a sealer product, just to be sure
You can't imagine how happy this post makes me! We are closing on a house built in 1943 in about 3 weeks and it has a white tile bathroom. It is a foreclosure that has been empty for almost 5 years so it needs a serious cleaning. I wondered if it was going to be possible to actually get the grout to look clean no matter what we did. You have eased my mind so much! Now I know that after I clean it I CAN get it to actually look that way. Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! You totally rock! The timing couldn't be better. 🙂
I couldn't agree with you more about how awesome grout paint is! I was also wary of it because I had been told it could have a "painted" and sort of fake look. Not true! The best part is that it is non-porous, so when you clean it, it actually gets clean - unlike real grout that can still look dirty (at least mine did). I use the small brush that came with a haircolor root touch-up kit. It helps to get less on the tiles to wipe off.
That's so true-it doesn't look like painted grout, it looks like fresh, clean grout.
Tile in bathrooms was created by an idiot who never had to clean. Seriously, why create something that just begging for mold? We clean ours with good old H2O2 and that sort of works. We want to rip all the tile out, though.
We have/had ugly pink (salmon?) colored tiles in our kitchen. We painted over them with white enamel based paint until we can replace them. Now they are still annoying but tolerable.
Not all grout and tile is bad -- we had in throughout our entire previous house and for the entire time we lived there (over 5years) it looked AMAZING. The problem is the old tiles and grout. The new tiles now come in porcelain which is super heavy duty and the grout can be sealed to where it no longer is absorbent so it always looks clean. But the old tiles were ceramic and broke easier and the grout was super porous. That's why this product works -- it fills in the old porous grout with new color and seals it off so it will continue to stay clean. The same happens with regular grout if you seal it and you seal it multiple times as the directions say. It may be time consuming in the beginning, but worth it in the end!
Actually, I've found my really old tile, from 1961, to stay perfectly clean. It's the newer floor tile that seems to attract every tiny piece of dirt. And even though it is only 1/5 the age of the old tile, the new tiles have had a bunch of the tiles crack and some of the grout come up. I want so much to blast it all out of here. The stuff from 1961 looks brand new, except for one piece that is a corner piece. They don't even make that shape now. Anyway, just my two cents worth.
Can't wait to try this. I've done battle with my grout for years and no amount of sealing/cleaning/slaving over it makes me happy with it. Thanks!
That's a great description" I've done battle" with my grout...because thats EXACTLY how I feel too...I've about had it with it to be honest. I thought replacing carpet with ceramic tile eight years ago was going to be such an easy care solution...ha! Maybe at first. But oh my word, the grout. I'm after it constantly. Now to do my entire kitchen is going to take awhile but guess what? I'm going for it.
Hate my grout. Idiots put it in and the grout in the kitchen is 1/2" to 3/4 ich wide. I've been cleaning it on hands and knees for years. Trying this now! Hope it works until I canteplace the floor. We have broken tiles and can't find any replacements!
Mine, too. The grout lines are so wide, I'm a little nervous about evenly painting with the grout tile. We have off-white (did they call it "almond" in the 1970s?) tiles with medium brown grout. Can you imagine? So unattractive. AND the installer grouted around the sink and along the tub instead of caulking, so I have my work cut out for me. The grout is clinging for dear life in some places and in others it is completely gone. Any advice about painting the wider grout lines? I like the freshness that white paint will bring to the room, but my husband thinks it would look strange with white on off white...
Hey there
I really enjoy reading your blog, and on your suggestion, went ahead and ordered some of this stuff for my own grungy tile. I have used products similar to this in the past, and have been pretty happy with the end result.
Like you, I have tried EVERYTHING under the sun to get my grout back to its original condition, but to no avail.
I'm a man who appreciates what you blog about, and Im proud to be a reader. Please keep up the great work, you're blog is great.
Trying it soon!
Yay, I love this! You could *totally* guest post for my pretend "Inoffensive Decorator" blog, where I write about home decor projects that make a home look, well . . . less offensive!
🙂
Katy
Wow, I didn't know there was such a thing! My bathroom grout chips out if I try to clean it, and I've never gotten it clean! The previous owners left pretty grody grout for us. 😉 I think I'll just give this a try!
Looks like a brilliant product. Never heard of it before. The results are amazing.
Anyone know how this works if you have a fairly porous (i.e. natural stone) tile versus a porcelain tile?
I just moved into an apartment last week and was looking for this type of product. Thanks for the review. I will pick some up is week.
You may want to choose another color for your grout. My tile installer told me to do this and I have been very pleased as it makes the tile stand out and it keeps from looking gross. That said, I am wondering if this product comes in other colors? My tile floor in my bathroom has gray grout and my son's tile floor in his bathroom is a reddish color (like a brick red). I have some stains and would love to cover them up!
Oh yes, it comes in lots of different colors.
Wow, that looks great - good to know for the future 🙂
I absolutely love this. Kristen, it looks great! What a high return-on-investment type project. One question -- does the product have a strong scent/smell while you are applying it?
It really doesn't-in fact, I didn't smell anything at all.
Would it repel dirt and Mudd from dogs paws?
I'm not sure! I don't have dogs. It does seem to be a little more scrubbable than plain, unpainted grout, so it would seem hopeful.
You and your 93%...Hilarious!!!!!
It's just so much more interesting than 90% or 95%, you know? 😉
I feel giddy! Our grout looks awful no matter what and I hope this new weapon will take care of it! 🙂
So glad I found this post! I can't wait to try this to cover up the blue grout in the bathroom of a home we just bought. The pink/mauve tiles are another story, but I think it will help tremendously!
So, I am wondering how it is holding up with time???
It's been about six months now and the highly trafficked areas don't look quite as bright as they did originally. However, they are easier to clean than they were before, and they still look way better than they did before I painted them.
Thanks so much for this idea! I did my kitchen but noticed it wipes off the grout some when I wash my floors. Have you had any issues? I didn't pretreat or do anything to prepare my grout and I'm wondering if that's why. Thanks for any insight
Hmm, I'm not sure. But my lack of knowledge is likely due to the fact that I am a terrible, terrible slacker when it comes to floor washing. Which basically means I haven't washed mine enough to know if it wears off!
I have white tile exactly like yours and last year I used the same product on our grout throughout the whole house. I applied two coats and then an additional sealer (very easy too apply). Since the product was applied, I have only used vinegar to clean the floor but eventually the lines started to look dirty again, or perhaps the product was fading after one year. However, I bought a bathroom cleaner and used one of those green Brillo pads to clean the grout lines and I was amazed to discover that the product still looked as good as new. I am so happy with the Polyblend product, I totally recommend it!
Thanks for the post. I have an interesting project. I have an outdoor table that used to have a tile mosaic. The tiles peeled away, but the table is still in good condition.
The grout that is left behind has interesting texture because of the various sizes of the mosaic pieces. I'm thinking I paint it, then do some type of glaze treatment to fill in the holes and smooth out the surface.
Any ideas about the glaze treatment? I want the texture to be visible. It needs to be able to handle heat and rain...
Thanks!
Oh man, I wish I had a good idea for you, but I've never done any projects quite like that before! Hopefully someone else will come along with a good tip.
I painted my grout more than two years ago. I wish I hadn't done it. I did all the tile on my main floor which starts at the foyer and extends into the powder room and into the kitchen. The worst part is in the kitchen in front of the sink, stove and fridge. The main traffic area and where it gets washed the most because it gets the dirtiest. The paint is chipping off there and looks terrible. I am hesitant about repainting that area because I am afraid the new paint wont match the old paint. Besides the chipping it is a pain to keep clean. You need to get down on your news and use a toothbrush to lift the dirt! I hope this helps someone else who is thinking about doing it.
This is good to know, since I haven't got two years of experience under my belt!
I used grout paint 19 years ago to change the color, and it only has come off This year where there is heavy traffic, like in front of the sink. Never had a rug there. Great success.
This product worked like a champ. Don't bother trying the grout pen.
Where can I buy bottles of this product?
I bought mine at Home Depot.
Hi - what color did you use. I think we have the same white tile and there are a few white choices available.
I just checked, and mine is called Snow White. Hope that helps!
I didn't notice from the beginning, but what did you do to prepare the grout to paint? This is my first experience with tile floors, so I am "clueless". I would like to darken my grout a bit, but want to make sure it "sticks". I already brought the very same product last year, but want to get ready to get to work over my Spring Break. Thanks so much.
I just washed the floor as usual...no terribly special prep!
Kristen, or should I say Frugal Girl, you did it like a pro. Great job. You also picked excellent colorant, because this product contains grout sealant, which will provide you long lasting protection from moisture and all kinds of stains.
Hey Kristen, so you didn't prep the tile like it says on the bottle to use TileLab acid cleaner? I'd love to skip that step since it adds a lot more time, but am wary about not following the instructions! Thanks!
I did not...now I'm curious if that makes a big difference!
Hi Kristin,
I have off white grout that I've struggled to keep clean for years. I'd love to try this but I'm wondering.. What is the texture of the grout once you've painted it (smooth, rough etc).
Thanks!
It's definitely still rough once painted...the grout maintains its original texture.
My tile job has just been finished. After the grout dried, it is a pale brown instead of the darker brown shown on the bag. The color is true when sealer was applied, till the sealer dried. What can I do? Thxkay
Hmm, I'm not sure what to suggest except buying a darker color. But that's not a very encouraging solution because oh, it's so much work to apply the paint!
I had tile installed in two bathrooms and foolishly allowed the sales/contractor to choose the grout thinking it would be something neutral. I got a reddish brown with white travertine tile! Because it was lighter in installation, I questioned the installer who said it would dry lighter. It did NOT. And they would do nothing to fix it. Pre-Yelp days, sigh. I ended up painting the grout myself and it turned out fine, looked as it should. But when we eventually sold the house, I have to confess, I was glad to leave that bad installation behind, even if I was the only one who knew. Yeah, I’m a tad O/C.
Read all the comments. I've been through all the things everybody talks about. I"m going to buy this TODAY. This sounds so great.Thanks for helping .
Thanks so much for sharing! I'm regretting my choice of grout color and am so grateful for an alternative! Doing this.
Hi. Thanks so much for your post and for all the other comments. Very helpful. Can you or anyone else give an approximate time-frame for completing a room? Kristen, how long did it take you to do your kids' bathroom? How long did it take to dry? Thanks so much.
Gosh, I'm not sure on a time frame. It's a fairly time-consuming process, though, so I'd load up a podcast or something to entertain you while you paint the grout!
Julie, I am doing my kitchen and main living area in pieces.. I just did the kitchen tonight which is about 12x12 and it took me about and hour or so to apply it.
Hope that helps
I just used this in my kitchen and it looks great! I am nervous about cleaning it. It says to use a non-solvent cleaner. Does anyone hve any recommendations? Has anyone tried a steammop? I would appreciate any advice!
A steam mop should be just fine...solvents are usually fairly strong cleaners, and steam is definitely not a solvent.
Thank you--- could you tell me what brands of cleaners you have you used with success?
Has anyone ever used this product on epoxy grout? I have been using stovetop cleaner with the magic eraser type sponges on my epoxy grout and that does a great job, for the most part, but there are some places that are especially stubborn. I am hesitant about using the paint, since epoxy grout is not porous. I would hate to do the whole floor only to find the paint chips off. What do you think?
I started looking into this product after learning about it through Young House Love. I love how your grout turned out! I am wondering (can't seem to find an answer online) if this is safe for the shower or would the water ruin it?
Boy, I don't know! I've only used it on floors, as my shower grout lines are super thin and would be hard to paint.
Great job! How would you say it is holding up, three years in, I think?
It's holding up well, although it does get dirty over time. I'd say that it is easier to clean than plain grout, though...a spray cleaner and a toothbrush remove more grime from the paint than they do from unpainted grout.
After several years after having applied the paint, do you think it would benefit from additional sealant or is this paint/sealant combo enough? What kind of cleaner have you used on it? Thanks!
Also, the grout aide paint pens give the grout a painted look which is probably why all grout paint has gotten the reputation of having a painted look. I'm trying to figure out how to remove the grout aide paint from my grout. Several years later it is peeling and chipping and looks really bad.
Just curious... why not use regular white mildew resistant paint? I have a VERY large area to do... 1,400 sq feet.
I'm not sure! It might work as well, but I don't know.
WOW !!!!!! You made my day! I'm currently painting a small hall bathroom as we speak. There's a tub, and white tile with that tan old grout. Tile goes up only 5 tiles high on 3 walls. It's weird but I don't want to change it now. Trying to be thrifty. At first I thought I'd paint the tile and redue the tub!!! But maybe your idea is my solution. I can do the grout to see how it turns out. Thank you so much!!!!
I mounted little beach stones onto a wall end and in an opening in the new floor tile. Grouted around all that and now considering painting the grout a wet sand color with the latex paint that is on 2 of the walls. This is a bathroom . maybe over that a coat of polyurethane over the whole thing to make the stones saturated again . experimenting. Have a hunch latex paint will be fine because latex is used on masonry. Will test a section first .
My tile was professionally cleaned and sealed in my new house (well I thought so) and still stained in a very short period of time. And I can get the stain out of the grout. Would this product work over that?
LE
Oh yes, I think you could paint over your grout even if it's been sealed.
Frugalgirl:
I have to confess I didn't real thru all of these comments from so many happy followers, so I'm wondering how your job has held up? Have you had to "redo" it? How long does it last in a high traffic area like a kitchen.
Thanks for this post. I had lost hope of getting mine clean. What a downer to have clean tiles, but dirty grout!
Marianne
You do still have to clean the grout, unfortunately. But the good news is that once it's painted, it's easier to clean...the dirt is more on the surface, so to speak.
So, I still give this a thumbs up. If they made a kind that stayed magically clean, I'd be even more thrilled. Ha.
I am currently in the middle of covering my kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and foyer grout color. I'm using a colorant I bought at Menards called TEC Grout Colorant in Standard White color, and am covering a mauve colored grout.
The paint is going on well using a kids toothbrush which is thin enough to cover the lines well without going over too much onto the tile. I meticulously cleaned the grout prior to applying the colorant using Zep Grout Cleaner and Whitener from Home Depot which is a remarkably fast cleaner.
The upkeep afterwards is something you must pay attention to if your job is going to last. Use a soft bristle brush and a ph neutral cleaner so you don't strip the colorant off of your grout. I picked up Rejuvenate All Floors Cleaner at Walmart, its ph balanced and streak free. They also have a sealer which I may put on once my job is done to make sure the grout is well sealed and stays sealed.
Good luck everyone, this is a huge job, but WOW does it look awesome.
Would this work on ceramic/vintage tile?
I just did my whole condo grout...got the wrong color at first but ended up with the perfect color...my tile looks absolutely brand new..was so easy to do...highly recommended!
If you want easy maintenance floors, use good quality sheet vinyl.
If you want indestructable floors, use tile and install it right.
If you have older ceramic porous tile that is looking grungy, try sealing it with linseed oil. Get the boiled stuff with driers. Wipe on, let soak for a bit, remove excess. (Anything ON the surface turns into a gooey mess. Then let it dry. May take several days. The oil will darken. with time.
When you put tile in don't use a light colour for the grout. You *Know* the grout will get dirty, so start with a colour that is close to dirt. Grey brown works. We have dark red in our laudry room, and it still looks new 15 years later.
To make the it easier to lay a bead on the grout use an Elmer’s glue top. It will fit the bottle.
That is SO smart.
I am going to apply this stuff with a "Tile Grout Sealer Roller" as in this picture.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjkuO3rxMnbAhVhzVQKHQsGDnoQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FHDX-12-oz-Grout-Sealer-Applicator-Roller-Bottle-10279X%2F203714427&psig=AOvVaw0fk2HYghUtm-DrGe8wweYJ&ust=1528735275480248
I was considering doing the same. How did that work for you?
Hi. I used this product recently, albeit in Buff, and can say that I was not impressed.
Personally I would not recommend using the applicator brush unless you are painting large grout lines. Instead I opted for a small paint brush that I "borrowed" from my daughters craft box. This made far less mess.
I also found that it was much easier and neater to wipe off the excess after every few tiles. Maybe it was the SEQ summer heat but the product dried far quicker than the label suggested, when I attempted to wipe off the excess the fact that it was dry meant that it pulled off the paint from the grout line also.
For me, this "fix" was not suitable. It was time consuming and I was not happy with the finished product. If you're happy for your tile grout to look as if it has been painted then maybe this product is for you.
In the end I grabbed the grinder and cut out the old dirty grout and re-grouted both bathrooms. Yes it took longer and made more mess but it looks heaps neater.
Each to their own though.
Thanks
Is this product true to color. I have read reviews that it dries lighter. How many bottles for 18in tile? How much will it cover. Curious before I order bottles.
It does dry lighter than when it goes on wet, but the color is pretty true to the representation on the bottle.
How much it will cover all depends on how wide your grout lines is, so it's hard to say for sure!
Oh, boy, do I feel your pain! A few tips from someone who has also "done battle" with grout, because whoever installed this stuff thought a DIRT TROUGH (deep and wide) would be a great idea for a grout line, so you could just mop the dirt off the tiles and right onto the grout.
First, the best things I've found to clean and lighten grout are OxyClean OR baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. I found out the hard way that you should NOT let a paste or solution of OxyClean sit long enough to dry. It turns to concrete, and I basically had to chip that stuff off.
Second, if you color(ed) your grout grey (or oyster if your colors are warm), it would look modern and STAY looking clean a lot longer. With white grout, you can count on having to clean it really often, which of course makes the colorant/sealer come off faster... If you look at photos of subway tile from recent years, it's usually grouted with grey or some form of it.
Best of luck to you!!
I did this and after cleaning my bathroom a few times, the product was completely gone. Bad product!
Why did you not use tile / grout sealer after you painted grout ?
Hmm, that didn't occur to me! I figure the paint would kind of be its own sealer.
Grout paint is still difficult to clean. I painted my grout with exterior paint and it works wonder. I use my steam vacuum to clean my tile and the paint in the grout stays and easy to clean.
do you think that would work for tile on the shower floor?
I have small tiles on my bathroom floor so the grout lines are thin, does this grout paint wash off your tiles themselves
Yep, as long as your tiles are not absorbent (natural stone would absorb the paint!) you can wipe it off the tile when the paint is wet, or once the paint dries, you can scrape it off.
Have you ever had a residue remain on the tiles? Maybe the tiles were not wiped quickly enough but a residue was left which picks up dirt easily and is not removed with my steam cleaner. Any suggestions besides scraping with my nails?
If I have extra paint left on the tiles, I just scrap it off with something plastic. Do you have something that's sort of like a plastic spatula that you use to cook with? A plastic tool of that type works great to scrape off excess dried tile paint from the tiles.
If I'm wanting to paint both the time and the grout (not the same color), which do I do first? My kitchen backsplash is a brown/tan mixture and nothing else (including the granite countertops) match it.
I have never painted tile before, but if I were to try that, I'd do the tile first and then the grout.
This particular paint will not stick to most tile, so you'll definitely need some other kind of product for the tiles themselves.
Previous owners had installed 1.5 inch tiles in our smaller bath, light ivory color with brownish flecks and veins. Nice looking tile. The color of the grout was the color of poop! It looked awful. The larger of our two bathrooms has light colored 10 inch tiles with whitish grout. No amount of cleaning brought that grout back to decent. I used this paint in both rooms. What a huge difference! This was about 5 years ago. Last year I noticed that in higher traffic areas, the paint was wearing thinner and the awful brown seemed to shadow through. I painted over it again. Now, it seems it's happening again. With so much grout in the smaller bathroom, I'm looking for an alternative. Or should I paint again and go over it with a sealer? The larger bathroom, which is used much less, still looks as great as it did when I first painted the grout. It washes well and hasn't peeled or done anything weird. I highly recommend it.