DIY: Refreshed Grout Lines

D and I have talked about renovating the master bathroom, but there are so many other projects that we would rather do, that we have pushed a full bathroom renovation to the bottom of the list.  In the meantime, however, we have plans to do some minor things to the bathroom that will be functional and look nice.

So, while the tile flooring in the bathroom is in good condition, the grout lines are not.  In high traffic areas, the grout lines have turned black, whereas in other areas, like behind the toilet, the areas are still a light gray, which is what I'm assuming was the original grout color.  The dirty grout lines don't only look gross, but they actually stick out too, so the focus on the floor becomes the grout lines instead of the tiles, even though those aren't the most attractive either.  

I came across this stuff at Home Depot, called Grout Renew.  I picked up a couple of bottles in the Snow White color and decided that coloring the grout would help it look better than it's current state of gross.  

Before applying the Grout Renew to the floor, I used a cleaner to get as much of the dirt out as possible.  Then, I poured a small amount of the Grout Renew onto the tile.  

Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, I spread a thin layer of the colorant onto the grout lines, careful that it didn't pool on any of the grout lines. I started with a small area first to test out how quickly it dried.  Since the areas that I covered below hadn't dried when I ran out, I knew that I could cover a little more surface area at a time for the rest of the bathroom.

After brushing the Grout Renew onto the grout lines, I went back with a damp paper towel, and wiped the excess colorant off of the tile edges.  Then, I left this one test area to dry.  

The Grout Renew didn't dry as white as I wanted it, but I think that mainly has to do with how dark the grout lines were to begin with and how thin a layer I applied.  Since I only did this small test area, I have plans to go back and add a second coat to see if it dries a little more white, and hides the dark grout lines underneath.  

For those of you who decide that Grout Renew is something that will make a big difference in your house, keep in mind that you may need to go a little heavier on your first coat, or apply two separate coats, especially if your grout lines are dark to begin with.

With our bathroom being a little larger than 300 square feet, I have a long way to go with this project, so I will have to leave you in suspense for the full before and after pictures.

Have you ever used Grout Renew? Are you looking forward to changing the color of your tile grout now that you have been introduced to this product?