Experts recommend thoroughly sealing your grout after any new tile work is done, but even those who have sealed it (or have had it done professionally) back when their floor, shower surround, or backsplash is newly completed should break out the sealer regularly (anywhere from every six months to a year) to keep that nice protective coating on your grout. You don’t absolutely have to, but it really cuts down on maintenance and keeps it looking mint for years to come.
What does sealed grout have over non sealed grout? Well, by not allowing moisture or dirt to penetrate the grout, it relegates these things to the surface, thereby protecting the look of your lines. In other words: white grout stays nice and clean and white. And any other colored grout looks as good as new (all while warding off mildew and other gross stains). And one tip that we heard from several tiling experts was that not only should we thoroughly seal our bathroom’s floor and wall grout two months back when we completed our big bathroom overhaul (learn more about that project here) but that we should go back in and reseal everything about six months afterwards- just to be sure we didn’t miss a thing and that we have a nice thick seal on everything (which can literally be the difference when it comes to having to scrub dirty grout lines to rid them of mold and mildew).
So far our initial sealing efforts have definitely paid off. I can proudly admit that I’ve had to scrub the shower grout exactly zero times since we initially sealed everything over five months ago (and I haven’t had to touch the floor grout either). Thanks to that nice impenetrable seal it looks like we actually accomplished the lower maintenance bathroom that we dreamed of- and we didn’t even have to give up white subway tile or the coordinating white grout to do it. Whew.
And because we heard from more than a few pros that sealing grout is a great idea around six months after the initial sealing job- we figured we’d take you guys along for the ride in the form of a simple step by step tutorial so you can seal your grout right along with us if you so desire. Of course we should mention that if you start with dirty, cracked, discolored, or mildewed grout, sealing that will do nothing to keep it looking clean (since you’ll just be sealing those flaws in). So you might want to go to town scrubbing the heck out of your grout to get it back to its original glory before taking on this project. And those who are dealing with especially nasty grout can actually dig it out with a grout knife and regrout the whole tub or floor- which you can learn more about here in this post and by asking the experts at your local home improvement center.
But back to sealing the deal grout. The first step is to clear the room. That means everything on the floor or the shower walls (or your kitchen backsplash) must be removed so you can seal without worrying about getting it on the shower curtain, the floor mat, or the blender. We even removed our shower caddy to be sure there was not a centimeter of grout that was left inaccessible. So after we tossed a nice little pile of bathroom stuff in the nursery we were well on our way to step two.
The second step is to ensure that the grout (and surrounding tile) that you’re about to seal is clean and dust free. Since our grout was most definitely not stained, cracked, discolored, or mildewed we just ran a microfiber cloth over the surface of the shower walls to grab any spare dust particles that we didn’t want to seal into our sparkly white grout lines. And as for the floor, we did some sweeping to be sure that we picked up every last spec of dust and hair so that surface was also good to go. Again, if your grout is not in stellar condition, this would be the time to clean the heck out of it (note: be sure to read the back of your sealant instructions to see how long the grout must be dry before it’s sealed- aka: don’t scrub your tile and then try to seal it while it’s still soaking wet).
Once you have your grout nice and clean and dust free, the next step is to whip out your sealant of choice. There are tons of sealants that you can choose from at your local home improvement store, so just read the bottle to see what materials it’s meant for (some will specifically say “for use on marble or granite tile” or “specially formulated for dark tile” so it’s nice to find one that works best with your surface- and you can always ask the experts in the tile area if they have any recommendations if you find yourself standing there scratching your head over all the options). We opted to use this sealer from Home Depot for the white subway tiled walls of our shower/tub since the description sounded perfect for the job:
And when it came to our precious dark marble floor with mocha grout lines, we purchased this specialty sealer from The Tile Shop since it not only said that it works on all surfaces but was specifically formulated for marble (we felt it was safer than relying on something that lists a wide range of materials, only one of which is marble). It was pretty pricey at around $50 (although the special marble sealer at Home Depot was around $40 so it’s not usually cheap stuff anyway), but the box not only included the sealer- it also had a sponge, a grout brush applicator (for anyone with thicker grout lines), and a special cleaner formulated just for marble tiles that keeps them sparkling between annual sealing adventures. Plus we had more than enough for the initial sealing job back in January and still have tons left for touch-ups to keep things nice and protected throughout the years.
Next it’s time to crack any windows that you can for a bit of nice ventilation- and turn on any and all fans (like the vented bathroom fan, or your ceiling fan or range hood if you’re working in the kitchen). The reason that we mention doing this now is because once you’ve sealed something you’re not supposed to walk on it or use it again for a few hours, so if you’re sealing your way out of the bathroom or the kitchen, the last thing you want to do after you’re all done is walk back across your freshly treated floor to open a window or turn on the fan.
Then you should decide how you want to apply your sealant. Some people like to just seal their grout with a grout sealant applicator brush (which is sort of like a wire-y nail polish brush that can be traced along a grout line to distribute sealer along that groove. We prefer to rely on the sponge because we have very thin grout lines so we like that it feels a bit more thorough than just tracing each grout line once with an applicator brush- plus it has the added benefit of sealing our tiles while we’re at it (which can also be sealed to keep them more stain resistant and to protect them from moisture penetration as well). In other words by applying our sealant with a sponge we’re sealing entire sections of the bathroom, like the entire tub and shower surround and the entire floor. This is nice because natural stone like marble and granite can be very porous and therefore a lot more prone to staining or damage if they’re left unprotected.
Next it’s just time to sponge on that sealer. I prefer to pour small amounts of sealant straight from the bottle onto my sponge by tipping it to get a good splash or two on there. Then I work in small sections to be sure that I don’t lose track of what I’ve sealed and what I haven’t and I apply the sealant in a circular motion, sometimes working back and forth or up and down to get the edges of things. This isn’t exactly a gentle process, you have to apply a good amount of pressure to work the sealant into those cracks. As you go you can subtly see what has been sealed and what hasn’t because the sealed sections of tile should look slightly wet and the grout usually looks a bit darker where it has been saturated.
Another reason it’s smart to work in smaller sections is because five to ten minutes after you’ve begun to apply your sealant, you’ll have to start wiping it off. Of course we recommend following the specific directions on the sealer that you purchase, but both of ours had a time limit within that range that they recommended as the wait time before wiping. This meant that I could seal one out of the three shower walls (which took about seven minutes) and before I moved onto the second wall I used a dry rag to wipe down that first wall since any excess sealer should be removed within that 5-10 minute range. Then I moved on to the middle wall, which I sealed and then wiped down after around seven, and finally got to my third wall which I also sealed and then wiped down within about seven more minutes.
You really only need to do one or two passes with a clean dry rag (I like to do a light pass to get any obvious droplets off and then I do more of a “buffing pass” where I gently buff the surface of the tile so it sparkles, which more thoroughly removes any excess.
Then you just leave everything undisturbed for the amount of time that it says on the bottle. Our shower sealant said it needed 48 hours to fully cure before it could get wet (so we strategically applied it on a Friday night when we knew we’d be out of town for the weekend so it wouldn’t cut into our showering time). By contrast our floor sealant only needed 24 hours to fully dry (but could be walked on in just two hours) so be sure to read those labels to see what yours calls for. Either way it should only be a day or two at the most that your room is out of commission, and that’s a small price to pay for months or a full year free of grout scrubbing and mildew battles.
Then you’ll just want to repeat this whole sealing thing every six months to a year if you can, just to head off nasty discolored or mildewed grout before it gets a chance to rear its ugly head. It’s just a smidge of maintenance to keep your bathroom looking mint, so we definitely think it’s worth the effort. We’re thinking every year from here on out will work just fine for us. What about you guys? Are you overdue for a grout sealing adventure? Has anyone already sealed theirs and noticed the easier maintenance perk that we’ve mentioned? Dish the grout sealing dirt.
Update: We finally created this Shop Our House page to help you hunt down any furniture/accessories that you see in our house, along with all of our paint colors.
Catherine @ waking up with you says
Any recommendations for grout cleaner? I bought some a while ago but only used it for about 2 seconds before the fumes overcame me. It was so unbelievably strong, and that was with a window and two doors open as well as the exhaust fan on. I’ve tried vinegar and bi-carb but didn’t see spectacular results.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Catherine,
Scroll back through the comments for some great reader submitted suggestions. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jen @ Jewel of the Prairie says
THANK YOU for this. We have some serious tile issues in our master bathroom, and I think it’s because the previous owners didn’t seal the grout. Unfortunately, the tile and grout is only 3 years old, but it is already cracking!
Any suggestions for fixing cracked grout? I’ve heard you have to chisel it out and redo it completely. Do I seriously have to remove ALL of the grout, or just stick to the problem areas?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question Jen, the safe thing would be to redo all of it but I guess you could try doing a small section that needs it to see if you can “spot treat” the problem. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
aimi says
i am so lucky to have come across this post. thank you for sharing this information. i hope you dont mind me linking your blog onto my blog. i write about you guys all the time. if in any way my blog impedes on your blog rights, please do inform me. thank you. keep up with your great work.
Tonia says
I 2nd Kaboom. Our grout and caulk in the shower gets really disgusting where the wall meets the floor. I’d been putting off re-grouting and sealing because it’s in our plans to redo this bathroom in the next year or so. Normally we try to stay pretty “green” with our cleaning products but nothing was working to clean the grout effectiely. I finally bit the bullet and bought Kaboom. The fumes aren’t nearly as bad as I expected and it did a great job with minimal scrubbing.
DanaH says
Thank you so much for this post. I sealed the grout in my shower a few weeks ago and have been loving the results! Haven’t had any mold on my grout yet!!
The tile shower in my master bath has been such a pain to keep clean ever since we bought the house about 7 months ago. I assume the grout hasn’t been sealed since it was installed many years ago! The grout grew the pink and black colored mold so often I couldn’t keep up! I would finally get it clean and a week later I would see the mold forming again! Ever since I sealed the grout though, NO MORE MOLD!! LOVE IT!! Thank you for this post it saved me so much time, effort and back pain!!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to help!
xo,
s
Lucia says
I’ve been delaying sealing our DIY kitchen tile grout for 4 months. It took me reading this post to get it done today! I just did a second coat of sealer(that’s what my sealer recommended) and now it’s no kitchen for 2 hours…well worth it though :)
We’ll be tiling our bathroom vanity Saturday and this time around, we will not procrastinate!
Thanks!
Dionne says
I love your website. My husband and I recently bought a fixure upper, here in Westchester, and I am actually redoing my small bathroom to look very much like your bathroom, with a few minor changes (lol).
We are currently at my moms (waiting to move into our new digs) and she has had the ever re-occuring issue with the grout getting moldy. She just paid someone over $175 to redo the bathtub area. Not even a week later there is mold on the grout especially where the tub meets the tiles. Now after reading your very informative sealing instuctions, I want to call the contractor and find out what he did and what products he is usuing. I think he went to home depot because that is the closest hardware store in our area.
I will be taking your advise about resealing every year. I am going to have to do my moms as well.
Thank you again for creating this website your house is beautiful and I have told all my co-workers to check out your website. Peace and love,
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck Dionne! And thanks for the kind words!
xo,
s
snoopy says
Hi!
Quick question :)
We are in the process of planning our bathroom reno. I have always wanted marble tiles but everyone (husband, father-in-law, home depot guys, random tile store guys) have all knocked my choice. They have all recommended I go with porcelain instead of marble.
My question to you is – how do you maintain your marble floors? Is it true you have to seal then every two months? Is that an arduous process?
I am trying to keep my dream of marble floors alive and hope you guys can give me the ammo I need :)
(FYI – the tiles I’m looking at are the bianco ones at Home Depot)
Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Snoopy,
Heck no, we seal them every 6 months or so and it takes about 20 mins. They’re very easy to care for- just no sharp objects rubbing against them.
xo,
s
Gloria says
Can I use Tilex Freash shower on sealed grout?
YoungHouseLove says
No idea- maybe try checking out their site or calling their help line or looking at the directions on it?
xo,
s
Susan says
Thanks so much for the step-by-step!
We just had ceramic tile installed in our home. I know (now) that I need to seal the grout – but don’t know if I need to seal the tile. I’d much rather use the sponge method you guys describe in your post, but am wondering if I can damage it / it’s finish if sealer gets on it now. It’s ceramic tile, and appears to already be sealed (water beads up on it and can be blown across it).
We’re your shower surround tiles already sealed when you installed them, then resealed when Jon used the sponge technique? I’d really appreciate your input.
Thanks!
Susan
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would bring a tile to the store (you’ll get much better info at The Tile Shop than Home Depot) and just ask what they recommend! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Susan says
Sorry – “were”
Cynthia says
I just had my bathrooms completely retiled. The contractor said I could go ahead and use the showers with no problem (this before he mentioned any sort of sealing). I would never have known to ask about sealer, but I asked if there was anything I should do to them. He didn’t seem very concerned about sealant, even telling me he wouldn’t bother sealing the floors or the walls around the whirlpool tub. Now I wonder if that was a HUGE mistake. The grout is cracking in my shower walls. Was it because I didn’t seal right away? Does sealant help prevent dirt or does it do more? Did they do a poor job? I’m just sick about it (and the thousands of dollars I feel like I flushed down the toilet-pun intended). I have absolutely no idea how to go about getting this fixed. Any ideas are appreciated. :(
YoungHouseLove says
I would say that sealant helps keep stains out and also probably hold the grout together a bit (it’s a flexible seal that goes over it). So sorry this happened. Anyone have extra tips for Cynthia?
xo,
s
Amanda says
Baking soda mixed w vinegar into a paste. Apply and scrub. Then clean it off. Gets my kitchen floors grout looking like new.
Brittany says
Can you do an update on the grout sealant, two years later? Are you still pleased with the results in 2012 as you were in 2010? Have you been resealing the tile once a year? This information would be helpful. Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Still looks awesome! Well it looked great when we sold a year and a half ago! Haha. Didn’t even have to scrub it for signings!
xo
s
marianne healy says
just put 1″ glass tiles in the kitchen on the backsplash, grout just put in, do you seal immediately & do you think the grout gets a little darker with the sealer (which we would like it to do)or is there is sealer that makes the grout a bit darker. We had hoped for a more tan look, but looks almost white.
YoungHouseLove says
I would read the directions on the grout and the sealer. They might give you a timeline.
xo
s
donna says
If I paint the grout lines with sealer, do I still have to wipe the sealer off?
YoungHouseLove says
You should just follow the directions on the container since they differ by brand/material. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Belle says
I’m lucky to have come across this. I recently replaced my kitchen backsplash with the help of a contractor, and asked him whether I should seal the grout. He replied no, but after reading your post, I feel pretty certain that I should.
J.T. says
Great info from everybody who chipped in, and thank you for the site!
Concerning discolored white grout, I have had pretty good luck lightly sanding the surface discoloration off to get to the original, bright white grout color, then reselling the grout.
If I have to scrape or sand down too far and a groove develops, or if I find cracks or small holes in the grout, I’ll then re-grout the area and reseal with grout sealer.
Has anybody else had luck using these techniques? Any long-term success using these techniques? Any pitfalls concerning these techniques that I haven’t thought of?!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo
s
Stephen Dearmond says
CLEANING: A pro tip I got on cleaning before sealing. Vinegar and a tooth brush then rinsing. Worked awesomely for me
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man I tried vinegar when we moved in. Cleaned it but didn’t seem to change the did colored parts.
xo,
s
Kristin says
Hi – I recently moved into a new place 4 months ago and did not seal the grout in the bathroom shower walls and floor before using. I have white subway tile and white grout on the shower walls and have noticed a greyish yellow de-coloration in one corner. I have been using the magic eraser and miss myers. I want to clean it well and seal it to prevent future discoloration. What would you recommend?
Thanks,
Kristin
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds exactly like what I’d recommend. Clean the heck out of it and seal it while it’s sparkling clean. Just go to Home Depot and see what you find (read the back to be sure it’s ok with whit grout and subway tile- most things will be) and then just follow the directions. It’s not too hard, I promise! Good luck Kristin!
xo
s
Tom says
I had just started doing research on this and came across your web site [excellent, by the way, and sorry I missed your wedding ;^)]. One of the common themes I found was the recommendation not to use a water-based sealant in the shower, or other area constantly exposed to water. The SurfaceGuard that we have in the local Home Depot is water-based, which is probably why you talk about needing to reapply regularly.
Was this a conscious decision on your part – not to use one of the other options (polyurethane or silicone based sealers)?
YoungHouseLove says
We just heard good things about it and have been so happy with not having to scrub the shower at all, so reapplying it once every 6 months or so is worth it for the great day to day look and maintenance-free no-scrubbing result. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Colleen says
All natural grout cleaner that really works
7 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vinegar
mix well and apply with spray bottle. let soak for 3-5 minutes, then scrub away the funk. Work in small areas and wipe away dirt as you go. If you wait to long to wipe up dirty mess baking soda starts to dry and the powdery feeling will remain.
I used this on grout that looked black but when clean was milk chocolate.
Sara says
Thanks for the post! We close on our new house next week and I’m looking forward to sealing everything before we move in! Thanks for keeping it short enough to read quickly, but detailed enough to do a good job! The cost and time/sq. ft for doing it yourself compared to a professional would have been great to include. We have a lot of floor tile (in the main living areas) as well as 3.5 bathrooms, so it would be great to know when it’s worth the time/money/effort to DIY or not. Keep up the great work!
YoungHouseLove says
That would have been great to include!
xo
s
maggie says
Moved into an apt with a brand new bathroom. Within a week, the grout line between the tub and wall/tile started cracking and chipping off.
Had the super regrout, and he said we could use the shower the next morning (less than 24 hours later). Learned the hard way how wrong he was (grout washed off, leaving the same chipped/cracked sections).
He came back and re-re-grouted, and I didn’t see him chisel out the old grout, just apply a new coat.
I asked him about sealant, and well, his English is a barrier and he didn’t understand what I was talking about.
At this point, I’m reading to take things into my own hands. Should I a) just apply the sealant over the whole bathroom? Or b) chisel out the old “damaged” grout, regrout and seal it all myself?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I’m tempted to tell you that grout is only as strong as its foundation, so if it’s already cracked and peeling behind it, the new stuff will fall out soon enough. But it might be strong behind it, so maybe just live with what he did and wait. If it starts flaking or cracking out, then I’d chisel it all out, re-grout, and then seal. Good luck Maggie!
xo
s
Eileen says
Thanks for the great tips. I am having my tile floors in my kitchen and hallway cleaned and sealed today. What do you suggest for cleaning the floors now. I was told that I can no longer use cleaners like Pine Sol or 409 to clean the floors since it will strip away the sealer, is that correct?
YoungHouseLove says
I would use watered down Mrs Meyers All Purpose Cleaning Solution. Just a little (mostly water and a splash of that) to gently wipe it down.
xo
s
Angie K says
So, I know you wrote this years ago, but my favorite DIY-ers popped up when I was in a desperate hunt to do something about the tile in my kitchen. We have big white tiles with pretty thick grout. I’ve never had tile floors and have just been washing the floor like normal. After 6 months with three kids and a puppy who isn’t quite trained — the floor is so gross I can hardly stand being in the kitchen.
I looked at the floor and thought there must be a product to put over the very porous grout to make this oh so much easier?!?!?
And after your very detailed post, I just ordered some grout cleaner and sealer to match my tile and can’t wait to have clean floors again! Yay for not being grossed out every solitary time I step into my kitchen!
Thank You So Much!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! So glad! Just be sure to scrub scrub scrub before you seal (otherwise you’re locking the stains in, instead of locking them out). Good luck Angie! I bet it’ll look great!
xo
s
Derek says
My wife is a huge fan of your blog and we recently moved into a new home where the grout isn’t sealed anywhere. I plan to do this soon, but wanted to get your recommendation on silicone vs water based sealant. Thanks !
YoungHouseLove says
That’s tough! I think it depends on the tile type, so I would read all the bottles at the store to see which ones call out your tile by name (ex: great on slate!) and go with that.
xo
s
Kristin says
I just did a powder room, a kitchen and began to clean the grout in the large foyer of my home. Other than the kitchen, the floors are original to the house – 44 yrs old. I used baking soda and vinegar and good brush. They look beautiful! My wrist is killing me but I can’t wait to get upstairs next week and work on the two bathrooms. I have to say that my grout and tile are in pretty good condition in spite of their age. I am a 65 year old woman so if I can do , anyone can do it!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Go Kristin!
xo
s
Larry says
I recently had a complete bathroom renovation including a new shower and tile. The tile retailer suggested epoxy grout (very expensive) as it will “never get mildew or mold”. WRONG. After 6 months, I am having to clean and then seal the grout. Epoxy grout appears to be not much different that regular grout – seal it!
Amanda says
We moved into a new house and weren’t told to seal the grout. After it turning dark and my neighbor explaining it needed to be sealed, we scrubbed it clean, sealed it and made sure no shoes in the house. Well, about 2 months later it started turning dark again. Again, we scrubbed the grout clean. Well, about 2-3 months later it has started to turn dark AGAIN? I did two applications of sealer as per instructions on the bottle. I’ve even tested the grout with a drop of water and it beaded up. I mop only with water, since someone told me I should never use cleaner, yada, yada, okay, and we dip our sponge mop in clean water and then squeeze into a different sink. I am going to great lengths to ensure clean grout but something is happening. I don’t have pet, we eat at the table, don’t wear shoes in the house. I’ve even tried a steam mop! What am I doing wrong?!
YoungHouseLove says
I have no idea! Does anyone have tips for Amanda? Sounds so frustrating!
xo
s
Cindy says
Wow wow wow.
Thank you so much for great tip!!!!!
I do not usually use a word amazing, but I have to use it now.
You are amazing.