Cleaning, Sealing & Regrouting Tile
Tile grout is the surface in Ontario bathrooms and kitchens that most clearly shows cleaning history — clean, bright grout looks pristine; stained, dark grout makes a clean bathroom look dirty. Understanding the lifecycle of grout — cleaning, sealing, and eventual replacement — helps Ontario homeowners maintain tile surfaces properly.
Cleaning Grout
For surface staining and normal grime: a stiff-bristle grout brush (a toothbrush works for small areas) with an oxygen bleach solution (sodium percarbonate dissolved in warm water, applied and left 10 minutes before scrubbing) is the most effective DIY approach. For heavier staining: baking soda paste applied with a grout brush, left 5 minutes, then scrubbed. For very heavy staining or mould: a diluted bleach solution (1:10 bleach to water) applied carefully with a brush — ventilate well and avoid on coloured grout which can be bleached.
Sealing Grout
Unsealed cement grout is porous and absorbs stains and moisture. Sealing with a penetrating grout sealer (available at any hardware store) fills the pores and dramatically reduces staining. Apply sealer after thoroughly cleaning and drying the grout — on new grout, wait 28 days before sealing. Reseal annually or whenever the water droplet test shows the sealer has worn (water no longer beads and absorbs instead).
When to Regrout
- Grout is crumbling, cracked, or missing in sections — this allows water behind the tile
- Grout is persistently dark or mouldy despite multiple deep cleans — the mould is internal and won't come out
- Grout has failed at the caulk joints (corners and tub/floor transitions) — these specific joints should be caulk, not grout, and must be maintained