The Bold Abode

helping warm-hearted women take small steps toward positive lasting change

How to Renew Grout… even if it’s totally disgusto!

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I can’t believe I’m finally writing this post.

How to Renew Grout... even if it's totally disgusto!!!

You see… I’ve lived with nasty, dirty grout for years.  It was gorgeous when we moved into The Bold Abode.

I mopped… sometimes.

And then it got dirty.  And then, it got dirtier.  And then,  well.. take a gander.

how to renew grout-2

 

GROSS!

how to renew grout-3 DISGUSTO!!

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HURL!!!

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DON’T EVEN GO IN!!!!

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I tried cleaning it.

I used natural cleaners like baking soda.  FAIL.

I tried toxic cleansers with bleach. FAIL.

I tried using a pumice stone. FAIL.

So, how did I go from OY VEY! to YAY! ?

I stumbled upon this:

Custom Building Products Polyblend #11 Snow White 8 oz. Grout Renew Colorant GCL11HPT


Custom Building Products Polyblend #11 Snow White 8 oz. Grout Renew Colorant

Buy Online, Pick Up in Store. Now available at a H

What is it? You ask.

Well, it’s not exactly a cleaner. It’s a colorant.

In normal person terms… that means it’s like a paint… for your grout.

I used the color, “Snow”.  It’s a bit whiter than I really wanted, but it’s all good.

Oh, I’m not gonna lie.  This was not a quick fix.  But it was totally worth it, yo.

How you do it.

I tried using a paint brush, but it didn’t get down into the grout like I thought it would.

So I switched to the recommended toothbrush method.

See?

how to renew grout-9

Then [VERY IMPORTANT], wipe the excess off as you go. I used a lightly damp cotton rag.

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Le Sigh.

how to renew grout-21

Ahhh…

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Happy Dance.

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I still have to finish up the toilet area, but I couldn’t wait to share this miracle product with you.

I completed the bathroom area about three weeks ago, and it’s still gorgeous!

So, if you are at your wit’s end with your grout and have tried everything else, grab some PolyBlend Grout Renew. I got mine from Home Depot.

Hooray and Yay!

Interested in more cleaning tips for the home? Check these out!

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The Bold Abode is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com as well as other affiliate networks.

What the BOLD ones say:

      • Susy says

        But you are not cleaning! All the dirt is still dawn there… you just covered it…

        • Gwen says

          No, I clean it before I use the product, Susy. But using the product makes the grout bright again. I can never get the grout white like it was when we bought the house and this does the trick!

          Gwen

          • Dabid says

            How long did it last? Used same and it came off, because it sits on the surface and does go into the grout.

            • Gwen says

              Mine lasted for about 3 years. It never rubbed off, just kinda got dirty again.

              The one thing I will say is to make sure you clean your grout really well before you apply it! Maybe you did and it just didn’t do well for some reason. I’m sorry to hear that!

              I just redid mine this summer and it looks fantastic again!

              Gwen

  2. Tanisha says

    I totally want to do this! I’m wondering how much space can be done with one bottle? If I’m wanting to do two small-ish bathrooms, a kitchen, and a medium sized room, would one bottle be enough do you think? Basically, does this stuff go a long way, or not so much. Thanks 🙂

    • Gwen says

      Go for it, Tanisha!!!

      I used about half a bottle to do the bathroom, so you might want to buy 2 just in case. Or buy one and see how far it will go!

      It does seem to go a long way, but I try to always err on the safe side. Good luck!

  3. Kim says

    I have slate in my living room and I just did this this weekend. It is also a sealer, which I hope helps keep it clean looking. It is a lot of work, but the end results are amazing. I had seen the product in the store but didn’t know the results until I read about it on Pinterest. Definitely worth the work.

  4. Rachel M. says

    About how long did it actually take and is it really strong smelling? I’m very sensitive to smell, but I’m also very intrigued by this stuff because my grout is worse than yours.

  5. Joyce says

    I cant believe I just came across this tonight on Pinterest, I just did my son’s bathroom shower floor in charcoal yesterday. I saw it about a month ago in the tile dept of Home Depot & picked it up to try. It does look amazing the results, but the charcoal is really hard to remove the excess off because it was staining my hands & everything black. Wondering if they have it in a deep blue color for my other kids shower floor. Didn’t see it at our local Home Depot.

  6. patsy says

    I have used acrylic paint from a hobby store and it works greatl. I did it 9 years ago on a fireplace that’s tile and it still looks brand new.

  7. Heather says

    I did my large kitchen and it was the most excited I have been over such a tedious task. Turned out so lovely. We bought a new house and the house used to house rescue dogs. Needless to say there has been a lot of cleaning and painting. I bleached my kitchen floors and the tile came out nice but the grout was so gross. I also had some grout that I needed to repair. So I grabbed the grout I had leftover from a bathroom remodel and then I used grout renew over all my grout. No worries about matching the disgusting grout. My kitchen is now brighter and feels clean. I bought 2 bottles but ended up only using 3/4 of one bottle for my large kitchen. Other helpful tips. Use a child size toothbrush. And use baby wipes to wipe the excess off the tile.

  8. Carrie says

    You indicated that it was brighter than you wanted but I think that it looks AMAZING!!! How did this solution hold up for you? I am considering doing this in my bathroom-I have very similar looking tiles. Thanks!

  9. Judy Cupp says

    The product works great !! I used light beige (white is too white) it makes your tile floor look brand new !! I bought mine at Menards, Lowes and Home Depot all carry it. I bought 8 0z bottle approx $12, well worth the price. Apply with tooth brush, clean up as you go. Done mine 2 months ago still looks great. I still have alot left in bottle, it goes a long way. Best thing I ‘ve ever used , it stains your grout but does not look like you painted it.

  10. Rose Andrews says

    I have a tiled table I am going to use this on! thanks!

  11. Pam says

    My husband & I bought a house in Mexico which has all tile floors. Although the house is only 8 years old, some of the grout is missing & the rest is just plain UGH! If we can find this product, we are going to give it a try as we’ve tried every other product you mentioned. Thanks for bringing this product to the forefront. Can’t wait to try it!!

  12. Maggie Watkins says

    Thanks everyone finally have a solution to my grout problem! Will tell you my results.

  13. Teresa Proctor says

    If you are wanting to clean and NOT color, your grout will clean (good as new) with Greased Lightening cleaner. Especially if the grout is in the kitchen. The grout collects grease over time which makes it hard to clean. Spray it on and brush the grout and watch while all the brown dirt and grease are lifted.I also clean the entire tile while i go along. The tile will not seem totally clean while its still wet but wipe and rinse let DRY and you will be so proud of your clean floor. I used a hand grout brush which took a while but I recently saw a grout brush with a handle like a broom. Im trying that next time. Cleaned mine 8 months ago and they are still white today. You can find this in walmart-k-mart-sams-lowes etc.in the household cleaners section. TIP—–I also have been using this to remove grease spots from all my laundry and to clean grease and prints off my stainless steel appliances. Works like a dream there too!!!!!!

    • Gwen says

      Thanks so much for the information, Teresa! I will have to check that out!

  15. Yolanda says

    i bought some Grout Renew after reading about this on Pinterest. I LOVE IT! My grout looks like new!

  16. Yolanda says

    I recommend youn clean your grout before using Grout Renew. I think it will adhere better. Just finished my bathrooms and it looks amazing!

    • Gwen says

      Absolutely, Yolanda! I’m so glad to hear it helped your bathrooms! Yay!

  17. Beryldean says

    I also got tired of trying to keep the grout on my ceramic floors clean so I bought paint pens from the craft department at Wal-Mart in the “Cream” color. They worked great and I didn’t have to use a toothbrush. These pens have their own applicator that fits right in the grout area. My bathroom floor looks brand new and that’s really saying a lot. My next project will be the grout in the kitchen floor. I have heard people say you shouldn’t paint the grout but I think those are the people that clean grout for a living and if I can paint it and make it look as good as it does, then I have really accomplished something and it’s a lot cleaner than it was when I called them every six months. (A lot cheaper too. The paint pens were $2.00 each and I used 1 and 1/2 pens in the bathroom.)

      • Beryldean says

        So far it has held up great. I think that’s the best thing I have ever done. I had a leak in my toilet a year or so ago and the water that leaked was blue because I had used one of those blue tablets int he tank for cleaning. Even after I had it professionally cleaned, I had to hire someone to remove and replace the grout. Well, that was a huge mistake because he left it a mess and it looked worse than ever. I have fought with it and decided it was time I do something myself. I certainly couldn’t make it worse than any of them did. I am so happy with it and I finally do not have to make apologies to guests who use my bathroom.

        • Gwen says

          That is great, Beryldean! I hate having to make apologies, too! Yay!

          Gwen

  18. Sharon says

    I hear your lament. Did you ever try peroxide? I’ve use that with great results. That said…why not slap some gray paint on the wall and accessorize with soft yellows then do a gray grout in the floor. No more stained white grout. Mission accomplished. LOL Okay, well, it was just a thought.

      • Sharon says

        😀 I’ve done my share of grout, girl. I hear ya’.

        • Gwen says

          Haha! I’m not sure who invented it, but if I ever build a house, I’m going with the tiniest grout lines I can get away with!!!

          Thanks, Sharon!

          Gwen

          • Tina says

            Gwen , if you get a new house get tiles for the floor that butt together and don’t need grout, no rounded edges, they just butt together nicely! After having the normal ones I went to my snotty girlfriends house (just jealous) and she had tiles that butted together, no grout and looked amazing! So have a look out for those! On the tiles in my house, I get the toothpaste out and a childs toothbrush and if that does not work to Hydroxen Peroxide, if it can turn me white why not my grout! Love from Auckland New Zealand were we are drowning in rain and flooding, our fault for praying for rain after months of none, too many prayers hahaha!

  19. Sherry says

    Did you have to to scrub or disinfect your grout 1st ?
    I REALLY NEED TO DO MY KITCHEN COUNTER TOPS ,what do you suggest I do ?
    Your grout looks GREAT

    • Gwen says

      Hi Sherry!

      I do recommend you clean your grout. I just steamed cleaned it like I normally do, but check the bottle for more specific directions!

      Thanks so much,

      Gwen

  20. Ann Radcliffe says

    I have had success cleaning my grout with Magic Erasers. Even the generic Walmart ones work fine. It takes a little time, but removes the dirt very well as long as you keep rinsing them.

    • Gwen says

      I’m so glad that has worked for you Ann! Thanks for taking the time to comment!

  21. April Driggers says

    Hahahaha… wouldn’t it be better to stain it BLACK then so you’ll NEVER have to worry about it being discolored?!?! HAHAHAHAHAH Whoever invented white grout is probably the same moron that invented white baseball pants… and RED DIRT in the infield! 🙂 🙂

  22. Kerri says

    Can this product be used on shower grout? I’ve tried using the baking soda & bleach paste but that didn’t really work. I’m hoping this product can be used with success on shower tile grout.

    • Gwen says

      I’d think so, Kerri, but check the manufacturers instructions!

  23. Sheila says

    So how is this holding up? Someone asked earlier but I did not see that you replied.

  24. Michelle says

    It truly looks like we have the same tile! Definetly the same grout. My husband and I used bleach in a spray bottle, bought a grout brush from a flooring supply and used my carpet cleaner to rinse and suck up the mess. Looks great!

  25. Todd says

    Woolite carpet cleaner works great but I’ll have to give this a try!

  26. Colleen says

    Going out to buy this and give it a try. I have 1″ tiles in my shower stall so it will be a tedious job, but I’m hoping for the best. Thanks for sharing.

    • Gwen says

      Good luck with it, Colleen! It was totally worth all the time it took. I hope you feel the same way!

      xoxo

      Gwen

  27. Peg says

    I’ve cleaned the grout and it is just an ugly color brown. Could I do a light gray? Changing the color all together?
    Peg

    • Gwen says

      I did, Peg! Mine was a beige color and I went for a whiter one. Try it out in an inconspicuous area to see if you like it!

      xoxo

      Gwen

  28. JEAN GORDON says

    Hello Gwen:
    For years I have been a problem with dirty grout, have paid to clean the floors, but nothing helped! In this country where I live they do not even know what is “Grout Renew” is, and I doubt that they carry “polyblend Grout Renew”. I had asked at the Home Depot year before the last if the had anything to clean the grout, and they did not even know that there was something special to clean grout! Go figure!

    So now I do not know what to do, since I paid someone to clean them, and they came out horribly! It is such a mess!

    I really wish there would be a way for this country to carry such an important and necessary household item!

    Thanks for sharing your really good and helpful ideas!

    Jean Gordon.

    • Gwen says

      I’m sorry to hear that, Jean! I’ve tried so many ways to clean it and this was my last resort. Nothing else worked!

      xoxo

      Gwen

    • Auntie M. says

      Hi Jean, I had so many grout problems. I discovered that a mixture of baking soda & hydrogen peroxide works better than baking soda & bleach. (Baking soda is a base, and bleach is an acid, so they cancel each other out) I did find that using a toilet bowl cleaner, straight with a brush even cleaned wine stains in my grout. Hope this helps!

  29. Linda says

    Other colors than what the store carries can be ordered online.

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The Bold Abode is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.