How To Colorseal And Restore Sanded Shower Grout

Shower Grout Colorsealing Tips

By Troy Cantini

Often times sanded shower grout has become impossible to clean and remove stains from.  In many showers the sanded grout has gotten extremely porous allowing mold and mildew to constantly grow in the porous grout. Trying to regrout a shower with sanded grout is extremely difficult due to the hard nature of sanded grout. The best option for restoring sanded shower grout is to clean and colorseal the grout.

before and after colorsealing shower grout

Sanded shower grout can also become worn out, and porous over time.  When the grout becomes too porous water can start getting through the grout and into your homes walls. Normal clear impregnating sealers are not very effective when grout becomes too porous. Colorsealers will get into the pores of the grout and provide a water tight seal. Colorsealers also will bond together any loose sand and act as a cement in the grout to hold the grout together. Also any small cracks and holes in the grout will be filled in the grout colorsealer.

Before attempting to colorseal shower grout all of the dirt, grime, mold and soap scum must be effectively removed. An acidic type of tile and grout cleaner works well in tile showers to remove the many layers of soap scum that can get deposited in the shower. Acidic cleaners are also effective at killing any mold and mildew that has become embedded in the grout lines. You should not use acidic cleaners in stone tile shower because they will etch the finish of the stone tiles.

filling in low grout lines before colorsealing shower grout

You do not want to colorseal the grout in a shower with missing grout that has significantly worn down low in the grout lines.  Trying to colorseal low grout lines will cause the grout to look painted on. Also if too much grout is missing then there is the potential for water to get behind the grout and into the shower walls causing mold to grow in your home. It is best to apply some sanded grout to the low areas before colorsealing the grout. After filling in the areas of missing grout you should allow the grout at least 24 hours to set before colorsealing the grout.

applying colorsealer to shower grout

A normal toothbrush can be used to apply the colorsealer to the grout lines.  Apply the colorsealer to only small sections of grout at a time. You do not want the colorsealer to dry on the surface of the tiles. It can be extremely difficult to scrub off colorsealer that has set for too long on the tiles. If you start getting comfortable with the process then you can start applying the colorsealer to larger sections of the grout at a time.

removing excess colorsealer off surface of the tiles

After you have applied the colorsealer to an area of grout then it is important to immediately wipe the excess colorsealer off the surface of the tiles.  A clean, damp chamois cloth works best to clean the colorsealer off the surface of the tiles. You can fold the chamois cloth so that you can get many passes with the chamois cloth before having to rinse it out in a bucket of water. Ensure that you have removed all the colorsealer off the tile surfaces before moving on to the next section of grout. It can be extremely difficult to remove dried on colorsealer from the tile surfaces. A colorsealer haze will form on the tiles and this can be removed later after you have finished colorsealing all of the shower grout.

new looking shower grout after being colorsealed

After you are done colorsealing all the grout then it is time to remove the grout colorsealer haze off the tile surfaces.  The colorsealer haze can be removed with a damp cotton towel or with damp paper towels. After wiping the haze with the damp towel a clean dry towel should be used for a dry pass over the tiles while the tiles are still damp. This dry pass is essential to removing all traces of colorsealer haze off the tiles. You should inspect the shower to make sure that all traces of colorsealer and colorseal haze have been removed. The colorsealer will take about 24 hours to completely harden and it will be much harder to remove later.

You should wait at least 24 hours before using your shower after colorsealing the grout.  Daily cleaning of the colorsealed shower grout should only be done with a Ph neutral tile and grout cleaning product. Harsh alkaline or acidic cleaners can break down the colorseal over time. To get rid of the soap scum a mild acidic cleaner can periodically used with a gentle scrub pad. Avoid excessive scrubbing in the grout lines with aggressive types of scrub pads or scrub brushes. Using a liquid soap instead of a bar soap will cut down on the soap scum that builds up in the shower.


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