Tile Grout - Best product to restore to original color?

[mickeysgal]

We have white tile and snow white grout in two bathrooms. The grout is discolored and I didn't realize how bad the grout is until we replaced a tile that had broken and we regrouted around that tile.

We can have the entire floor regrouted, but is there another way to completely restore the color? Does anyone have a product that works correctly and completely?

 

[Boo'sMom]

The tip that I read here on the DIS, and works very well on my snow white grout is to spray with 409, then pour hydrogen peroxide over it, let sit for a bit, then clean up. If I encounter a very bad stain I'll scrub that mixture with a toothbrush.

Works very well

 

[MBeds]

Oxi Clean works for me...
But i'm going to try the 409 idea too...

 

[Disneyrsh]

Finazzle.

 

[Galahad]

I've used those bleach sticks. They work pretty well too. I hate white tile/white grout!

 

[kdibattista]

Mr. Clean magic eraser... seriously!!! My grout looks brand new after I use it. It takes about 4 erasers to do my entire kitchen.

 

[mickeysgal]

Finazzle.

That stuff is freakin' AMAZING!!!!!!

Seriously, never seen anything like it. I've been using it on the tile floors of our new (to us) 36 year old house. Still can't believe it.

Use a good quality grout sealer after you use the finazzle to keep any more gunk from getting in.

Ok...where do you get this stuff?

 

[mickeysgal]

Finazzle.

That stuff is freakin' AMAZING!!!!!!

Seriously, never seen anything like it. I've been using it on the tile floors of our new (to us) 36 year old house. Still can't believe it.

Use a good quality grout sealer after you use the finazzle to keep any more gunk from getting in.

I've answered my own question. Finazzle can be found at Ace Hardware, Home Depot, and all Publix stores.

As soon as I get this grout restored, we're sealing it. I really don't care for the white tile/white grout, but its in excellent shape and very accepted in the region that I live in. Its not dated here. I agree, though, I hate white grout!

 

[mickeysgal]

Finazzle.

That stuff is freakin' AMAZING!!!!!!

Seriously, never seen anything like it. I've been using it on the tile floors of our new (to us) 36 year old house. Still can't believe it.

Use a good quality grout sealer after you use the finazzle to keep any more gunk from getting in.

Here's an update:

THANK YOU Disneyrsh!!!!

I bought Finazzle at Home Depot. Well let me tell you that this stuff is indeed AMAZING. All you have to do is spray it on, wait 5 min, and with a nylon scrub brush scrub it down. The stuff literally melts off and you're left with brand new grout. It hardly took any scrubbing at all. And this is after I've tried so many other ways to clean this grout!

We are absolutely stunned at how well this product works. No fumes either.

We used Finazzle for White Grout. They also have Finazzle for Colored Grout and Finazzle for Soap Scum. I'll certainly be trying the other two.

My bathroom floor looks like we've installed a new tile floor. The results were that dramatic.

 

[lil mermaid]

Finazzle.

That stuff is freakin' AMAZING!!!!!!

Seriously, never seen anything like it. I've been using it on the tile floors of our new (to us) 36 year old house. Still can't believe it.

Use a good quality grout sealer after you use the finazzle to keep any more gunk from getting in.

I used Finazzle, and got marginal results. How exactly did you use it??

 

[mickeysgal]

I used Finazzle, and got marginal results. How exactly did you use it??

I can tell you how I used it.

I sprayed Finazzle on in a stream mode hitting every grout line. I didn't use the spray mode. I did small sections at a time - like a 3 ft. section. I left it soak in for 5-7 minutes then used a nylon scrub brush to scrub the grout lines. I used an old toothbrush for corners and hard to reach places like under the bathroom cabinet by the toe kick (I couldn't fit the full sized brush under there). Then I used a rag and a bucket of warm water to rinse off the section of floor.

I think the key is to let it sit and soak, as the directions indicated.

Now, I will say that our house is about 16 years old, so I don't know how it would work on very old grout. Our grout was brown and it should have been white. I had tried everything, including straight bleach. While the straight bleach worked somewhat, it was still uneven, had a ton of fumes, and took a whole lot more scrubbing.

 

[lil mermaid]

Thanks for the tips. Sounds like I used it the same way you did I even let it soak for more time than indicated.

The thing is - my house is only a year old! The dirt is just in high traffic areas and is mostly due to mop water. I don't have any really bad stains.

I am now thinking - I used the Finazzle for colored grout, and maybe that was the problem? Maybe I should have used the Finazzle for white grout. I just made an assumption that since my grout wasn't pure white, it was considered colored.

I think I will call the company and ask them what they think. I just think I must be doing something wrong, or maybe I should have used the white grout type, since it seems that so many have obtained awesome results.

 

[mickeysgal]

Thanks for the tips. Sounds like I used it the same way you did I even let it soak for more time than indicated.

The thing is - my house is only a year old! The dirt is just in high traffic areas and is mostly due to mop water. I don't have any really bad stains.

I am now thinking - I used the Finazzle for colored grout, and maybe that was the problem? Maybe I should have used the Finazzle for white grout. I just made an assumption that since my grout wasn't pure white, it was considered colored.

I think I will call the company and ask them what they think. I just think I must be doing something wrong, or maybe I should have used the white grout type, since it seems that so many have obtained awesome results.

I'd be interested to hear what the company says to you regarding your situation. Their number is 1-800-342-7731. www.finazzle.com

Good luck.

 

[Disneyrsh]

Thanks for the tips. Sounds like I used it the same way you did I even let it soak for more time than indicated.

The thing is - my house is only a year old! The dirt is just in high traffic areas and is mostly due to mop water. I don't have any really bad stains.

I am now thinking - I used the Finazzle for colored grout, and maybe that was the problem? Maybe I should have used the Finazzle for white grout. I just made an assumption that since my grout wasn't pure white, it was considered colored.

I think I will call the company and ask them what they think. I just think I must be doing something wrong, or maybe I should have used the white grout type, since it seems that so many have obtained awesome results.

The finazzle for colored grout does not work well on the white grout. I ran out of the white grout finazzle once and the store had sold out of it, only had the colored stuff, so I bought it. Not NEARLY as good.

 

[damo]

My grout is grey. I wonder which finazzle would work best? I am interested in what they tell you, lil mermaid.

 

[mickeysgal]

My sunroom is tiled, but I have no way of telling what the original color of the grout shoud be. Its a step down sunroom, so by looking at the tile on the riser, it is different in tone than the color on the floor, yet I'm not sure what color the grout originally was. In other words, I'm not sure if I should use the white grout cleaner or the colored grout cleaner. If its supposed to be an antique white or greyish white, I don't want to strip it to white if I use the white grout cleaner. Perhaps I should start with the colored cleaner and see what happens??

 

[Disneyrsh]

I dunno,

 

[mickeysgal]

I dunno, but I do know that I was unimpressed with the colored Finazzle cleaner, and that I used the finazzle for white grout on some gross tan grout and it looked a lot better. Still, maybe try it on a small spot, first, just to see what happens....

Well for what its worth, I bought the last bottle of colored Finazzle cleaner at my local Publix. One of the managers told me that it might be discontinued there because the sku didn't work anymore. They will be stocking the white cleaner. My local Home Depot didn't even have a spot for the colored stuff...just the white.

On another note, I restored the white floor grout in another bathroom. Wow...back to brand new. I now have one more white bathroom to go AND that sunroom. I'm on a roll. No one can believe the drastic difference this cleaner produces.

 

[damo]

I tried the Zep Grout Cleaner from Home Depot on my grey grout this weekend. It restored it to it's original light grey colour. I let it sit for a minute or so and then used the stiff grout cleaning brush that they sell in the tile area of Home Depot. Then I rinsed it off and let it dry. It looks good as new.

 

[barkley]

"ultimate grout cleaner"-available at ace hardware. got 7 year old HEAVY, DARK coffee stains out of snow white grout around my coffee pot.

apply, let set, scrub-works wonders.