How to Make Old Grout Look New

I love bathrooms in historic old hotels. The materials are classic and substantial. I love the look of an old fashioned white pedestal sink with deep moldings, simple white tile, and marble floors. No matter how many times those floors have been mopped, their patina just makes them more gorgeous with age.

Bathroom of the Regent Suite at © The Langham, London.

Just a few years ago we remodeled an old bathroom. I splurged on Cararra marble for the floor.

I left it up to the contractor to select the grout. Big mistake.

He installed the marble tiles with an off white grout. It looked great for about five minutes. Then normal traffic started making the grout look really dingy. I tried cleaning with various products, and even sprayed it with bleach. Nothing helped. I was the only one who knew the bathroom floor was clean.

Eventually the grout became this icky rust color. It looked terrible against the marble tiles. I had to do something.

I read on the internet all about replacing grout. It sounded like a bigger job than I wanted to handle myself. Then I found a product that intrigued me.

Polyblend Grout Renew from Home Depot

If you have old (or new!) ugly, dirty looking grout, this is the answer!

Grout Renew is a water based stain AND sealer for renewing or changing the color of grout. I like to say it is grout "paint." It comes in 12 colors so you are sure to find one that will either match or enhance your grout.

Since my floor is gray marble, I selected a medium gray called Deloreon Gray. I also bought a bottle of Bright White for the areas around the toilet and trim that I wanted to be clean and white.

First I cleaned my floor really well and let it dry. Then I applied painters tape to a small area, carefully taping the very edges of each tile so only the grout line was visible. I used a very fine paintbrush to apply the Grout Renew.

Here's the before and after when I first applied the Grout Renew.

I painted the grout in sections, moving the tape to the next section as I went. If you want to tape the entire floor at one time, it's up to you.

In this photo, you can see where I have already painted the section on the left.

I used Bright White next to the floor board. I'm a pretty messy painter. That's why the tape is important!

After taping and painting, and letting it all dry for a few hours or overnight, I took a gently abrasive sponge and went over the edges to "clean" up any paint on the tile.

And now I have a floor that looks brand new!

To buy Grout Renew, go to Home Depot. It is about $20 for an 8oz bottle. For my small bathroom floor I barely used 2 oz. Oh, and I should mention that the color is actually a little lighter when it's wet. After it dries, you may have to do some touching up if the old grout shows through.

For more information, go here: Grout Renew