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Whitening bathroom tile grouting!

ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
in The potting shed
So ... the dilemma.  Have had my bathroom decorated, during which the grouting was whitened.  Looked lovely.  Really fresh.  However, I have noticed that, a week on, it is already wiping off.  😕  Have researched the whitening products available online and these all seem to be water-based ... which in a bathroom is going to make them very short-lived surely?

Am I missing something ... or is this the norm?  Apply, let dry, wipe off whenever you sponge down the tiles after a shower?  Seems a very impermanent solution. 
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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited November 2023
    Oddly, i just used a Ronseal product for this. It seems fine so far. Make sure the grout is bone dry before you apply or it doesn't work.


  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    edited November 2023
    If you run a damp cloth over it, does it wash off? 

    My grouting was extremely dry before it was whitened, so don't think that is the underlying problem. 
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    I'd looked at that one on a large retail site and reviewers are reporting it washes off quickly despite the silicone.  

    Maybe these products have to be water-based to allow the grouting to breathe. 🤔
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I diluted white water based paint and then painted it on to the grout. Slop it on no need to be careful as you buff it off. Shined the tiles too. This was in the kitchen and lasted well . Not sure how it would do in a bathroom but really cheap to try if you have some leftover paint.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    I can see that working in the kitchen where most tiles stay dry most of the time, but round the shower where they get wet and are wiped daily, surely the water base would be an issue? 


  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I used the Ronseal whitener around a bathroom basin and the surround doesn't get that wet.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited November 2023
    I don't know how it would stand up to it. Perhaps you could try a patch somewhere.  It was the paint for woodwork so it might have some durability once it dries
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Other than findng a total sealant to use once you've got the tiles and grout clean and dry, I find it helps to wipe down the shower walls after every shower with one of those squeegee rubber strip thingies like you use for cleaning windows.

    Even so they'll still start looking grubby eventually and then you can use a mix of 1 cup/240ml of baking soda, 1/3 cup/80ml hydrogen peroxide and 1 tbs/15ml of washing up liquid.  Spread the paste along the grouting, leave for 20 minutes then remove with a damp cloth or brush and rinse.   CLeans grout in floor tiles too.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    Maybe that's the answer.  Clean rather than disguise.  I will try your recipe on the re-exposed bits.  

    I do wipe the tiles dry after each shower.  The grouting had gone a bit yellow though, with a few cracks here and there.  Originally my thought was to replace it, but this is quite a big job apparently, with noisy tools, a lot of dust, and the potential to crack a tile.  So I went for "tarting up" instead. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    On the Ronseal grout pen, I did look at reviews before I bought one and they are generally very good. The main problem flagged was the the pen is too small to do much. No mention of wiping off.


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