How to Make White Grout in Shower White Again

April 04, 2022 Post a Comment

Information technology is easy to get tiles clean and gleaming, merely information technology is much harder to clean the grout between them. Sometimes, you may have to repaint the grout altogether. Y'all don't need a lot of special supplies to clean grout. In fact, you lot may already have most of them at home. If you choose to recolor your grout, nonetheless, you will demand to buy a special type of paint.

1
Commencement with warm water and a nylon brush. Sometimes, a piddling chip of water and elbow grease is all y'all need. Simply spray some warm water onto the grout, so scrub it with a strong-bristled brush using a circular motion. This might be plenty to become rid of light surface dirt, and reveal the white grout underneath.
- For heavier stains, add a few drops of dish soap into the warm water.
- Try to get a brush made specifically for cleaning grout. If you can't find one, an old toothbrush or a manicure brush will besides work. Don't use a wire brush, however, every bit it can ruin the grout.
ii
Use a water-vinegar solution for mildew stains. Fill a spray bottle with 1 part white vinegar, and 1 office warm h2o. Spray this mixture onto the strained areas, wait 5 minutes, then scrub it off using a stiff-bristled castor. If needed, rinse the area with warm water.
- Don't use this if your tiles are made out of marble or other natural stones. Vinegar can damage these materials.
3
Use a paste made from blistering soda and water on heavier stains. Mix enough water into some blistering soda to class a thick paste. Spread this paste onto the afflicted area. Scrub the area with a strong-bristled castor, then rinse with warm water.^[i]
- Y'all tin can as well spray the baking soda paste with a mixture of one part h2o, and 1 part white vinegar mixture. Once it stops fizzing and foaming, scrub the surface area using a stiff bristled brush.
iv
Apply hydrogen peroxide on tough stains. You can spray hydrogen peroxide direct onto the stained surface area, or y'all tin make a paste using baking soda.^[ii] One time you have the hydrogen peroxide on the grout, wait a few minutes, and then scrub it using a stiff-bristled brush. Rinse the area using water when you are done.^[three]
- Hydrogen peroxide works groovy on blood stains.
v
Use store-bought "oxygen bleach" cleaners. Await for products that say they will work on grout, or that say "oxygen bleach" on them. Plough on the bathroom fan or open up a window, and put on a pair of rubber gloves. Use the product according to the instructions. Most products volition need to sit on the grout for 10 to 15 minutes, and then you will need to scrub them using a stiff-bristled brush. When you are washed, rinse the cleaner off with warm water.
- Common brands include: Biokleen Oxygen Bleach Plus, Clorox, OxiClean, and OxiMagic.
half-dozen
Steam your grout back to its original white. Begin with the steam pressure level set to the lowest setting, and work upward to a college setting if necessary. Use the brush zipper for stubborn stains.
- Steam cleaning does non utilise any cleaners at all. Instead, it uses steam and pressure to "blast" dirt and grime away.
7
Utilize bleach diluted with water in extreme cases. Turn on the bathroom fan or open up up a window. Put on a pair of rubber gloves, prophylactic goggles, and some old dress. Next, fill a spray canteen with 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. Spray the mixture onto the dirty grout and wait 2 minutes. Scrub the area using a stiff-bristled castor, then rinse with water.
- Use bleach with care if your bathtub is made from porcelain. Bleach can cause porcelain to turn yellow or get pitted.^[4]
eight
Try a blistering soda and bleach paste for extreme cases. Mix ii parts baking soda and 1 function bleach to make a thick paste. Spread this paste onto the dirty grout and wait 5 to ten minutes. Scrub the grout using a potent-bristled castor, then wait another v to x minutes. Once the time is up, rinse the paste off using water.^[v]
- While mixing bleach with other chemicals is a bad idea, mixing bleach with baking soda is considered rubber. Many people find that this actually helps improve the cleaning properties of both the bleach and the baking soda.

ane
Buy some white grout paint. ^[6] You can find white grout paint in a hardware shop or a habitation improvement store. You may likewise notice it labeled as "grout colorant." It usually contains epoxy, and is very durable. Grout paint is not the same thing as grout stain, which is commonly translucent and does not come in white.
- Depending on the color of your grout, white grout pigment may look a little nighttime in one case information technology cures.
- If your tiles are very dark, white grout might expect also brilliant. Consider getting a grout paint that is calorie-free gray or an fair instead.
2
Prepare the tile and grout. Fill up in any chipped areas with grout, and permit it cure. If yous need to seal your tiles, do so now, but take care not to get any sealer on the grout itself. Sealers may prevent the grout paint from sticking. Y'all besides desire to make sure that the grout is clean, and free of any oil, food, lather, or grime.
- If you lot washed the tiles, make certain that they are completely dry before you move on.
3
Become a small paint castor and paint pan. The brush should be small plenty to slide downwards the grout lines. Y'all can fifty-fifty use an old toothbrush. A cheap paint brush from the hardware store also works swell for this. Y'all will as well demand a paint pan, or any other small container to pour the paint into.
- If you are worried most the paintbrush shedding and getting bristles stuck in your grout, utilise a cream brush instead. Make sure that it is the same width as the grout line.^[7]
- Consider trimming the paintbrush bristles down a little so that they are stiffer. This will give you lot more control over the brush.
- Another option is to get a small wheel paint applicator. This will permit y'all to apply the paint easily and precisely.
four

Pour some paint into the paint pan. Pour out less paint than you retrieve you might need. You can always cascade out more paint subsequently. If yous pour out too much paint, it tin dry earlier you use it all.
five
Brush the pigment onto the grout using long, back-and-along strokes. ^[8] Dip the brush'due south tip into the pigment pan to pick upward a pocket-size corporeality of paint. Carefully run the castor along the grout. Be careful not to get any paint onto the tiles. It is possible to remove it, but the less cleanup yous have to exercise, the better.
- Grout paint volition only stick to grout, and can be easily removed from tile. If you are still concerned about this, mask off the tiles using painter'south tape.^[9]
6

Wipe off backlog grout paint from the tiles using a damp cloth. If the pigment has dried on the tile, scrape it off using your fingernail.^[10] Y'all tin also utilise a pallet knife or an old spoon to scrape the pigment off.
7

Look until the paint dries before applying a 2nd coat. Depending on the make, this can take 1 hr or more. Refer to the label for more specific drying times. The paint must be completely dry before you apply a 2d coat.^[11]
eight
Let the paint cure, if needed before using the surface area. Depending on the brand you are using, yous might need to let the pigment cure first before you can apply the tiled area. Some paints only need to dry.
- It is always a good idea to let the pigment dry out for longer than it indicates you should. This will assistance to ensure that it is truly dry.
9

Consider sealing the grout using a grout sealer. This will aid your paintwork last longer. It volition also help proceed the grout clean longer and go far easier to clean afterward.

Add New Question

Question

Practise I need to cover the tiles before applying grout paint?

Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Comeback Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman Boston. With over 15 years of experience, Ryaan specializes in home comeback and belongings maintenance by leveraging technology and craftsmanship. Ryaan holds his Structure Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. Unlike most handyman contractors, Best Handyman Boston is licensed and insured. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the All-time Handyman in Boston.

Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Reply

You don't have to, but it can exist helpful to utilise some painter's tape to record off the grout lines and so you don't get paint on the tiles.
Question

What kind of grout paint should I apply?

Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Comeback Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman Boston. With over 15 years of experience, Ryaan specializes in home improvement and holding maintenance by leveraging technology and craftsmanship. Ryaan holds his Structure Supervisor and Habitation Comeback Contractor Licenses. Dissimilar virtually handyman contractors, Best Handyman Boston is licensed and insured. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the All-time Handyman in Boston.

Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Answer

They actually have grout paint pens that make applying the paint super easy. They're just similar paint markers.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your e-mail address to go a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Proceed grout in your shower clean past spraying it downward two to three times a week with a 1:i mixture of white vinegar and water. The vinegar will kill whatsoever mildew.^[12]
Spray your shower down once a week with rubbing alcohol to kill whatever mildew.^[13]
Seal new grout with a grout sealer 10 to 14 days after the grout cures.^[xiv] This will protect the grout from getting stained, and make cleaning it easier.
Grout usually appears darker when it is moisture. If the grout is not as white as yous'd like it to be, expect until it dries before reaching for your cleaners and scrubbers over again.^[15]

Don't mix bleach with other household cleaning products. You may create a chemic reaction and stop up with a toxic gas.
When working with bleach and other household cleaners, make sure that you have good ventilation. You might also want to wearable gloves, a long sleeve shirt, pants, and safety goggles. There may be lots of splattering when you are scrubbing the grout.
Avoid using wire brushes. They tend to be also harsh on grout, and tin can scratch it up (as well as the surrounding tile). Instead, opt for a nylon brush.
Avert using vinegar on marble and natural rock tiles. Information technology tin damage them.^[sixteen]

Things You'll Need

Cleaner of choice
Store towels
Scotch brite scrub pads
Potent-bristled, nylon castor
Protective goggles and gloves
Human knee pads

Grout colorant or paint
Minor, potent paintbrush
Paint pan or pocket-size container
Clammy cloth or annoying sponge

Most this article

Article Summary Ten

To whiten grout, start by spreading a baking soda and water paste on the grout. Then, apply a stiff-bristled brush to scrub the paste into the grout before rinsing information technology off with warm water. If at that place are mildew stains on the grout, spray them with equal parts water and white vinegar and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, scrub the grout with a castor and rinse the vinegar mixture off. For stubborn discoloration, you may need to use hydrogen peroxide or oxygen bleach. To learn how to paint grout white, scroll downward!

Did this summary help you?

Cheers to all authors for creating a folio that has been read 308,605 times.