How To Paint Grout Lines (4 Easy Steps)

This article may contain some affiliate links and if you make a purchase after clicking on any of teh links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

When your tile grout becomes impossible to clean, it can ruin the look of your tile floor. 

This has made many people opt for painting their grout lines using a grout colorant to restore the original look and color of the grout. 

Grout colorants seal and protect the grout lines from becoming stained and make them much easier to clean and maintain.

However, painting grout lines is only recommended for ceramic and porcelain tile floors; porous stone tiles absorb paint, and it causes the grout to become stained. 

If you have a ceramic or porcelain tile floor and you want to paint grout lines, this article will teach you how to paint grout lines effortlessly.

Let’s get started!

Can You Paint Grout With Emulsion?

Yes, you can paint grout with emulsion; the question is, should you? There are specialist tools best suited for the job, like a grout pen.

These pens are very easy to use, and you can simply go over all your grout lines as if you are using tipex. 

When transferred accidentally to the tile surface as you paint, emulsion creates a bigger mess than using a grout colorant or grout pen.

How To Paint Grout Lines

How To Paint Grout Lines

Step 1: Clean The Tile

Before you begin painting your grout lines, you must, first of all, clean the grout and tiles thoroughly.  

Grout colorants bond with the grout silica; this means if the grout is not properly cleaned, the colorant will be unable to properly bond with the grout. 

Scrub the grout lines clean with an alkaline tile and grout cleaner, removing all the dirt, grease, and grime from the tiles and grout.

After using an alkaline cleaner to clean the grout, use an acidic cleaner on the grout lines.  

The acidic cleaner opens up the grout pores, enabling the grout colorant to bond better.

Read Too: Can You Clean Grout With Bleach?

Step 2: Paint The Grout Lines

After cleaning the grout and allowing it to dry, you can begin painting it.  

Most grout colorant kits come with some type of applicator tool with which you can paint the grout. 

If these applicator tools are too difficult and confusing to use or your grout colorant kit did not include any, you can paint the grout lines with a toothbrush.

Here’s how to do that;

Dip the toothbrush into the grout colorant and apply the product to the grout lines.  

You do not have to worry about excess grout colorant spilling onto the surface of the tiles; just ensure to apply the grout colorant to small sections of the grout at a time. 

When you are done painting each section, wipe off excess grout colorant from the surface of the tiles using a damp chamois cloth which is the best-suited cloth for removing excess grout colorant. 

Do not allow the grout colorant to dry on the surface of the tiles, as it can become difficult to remove later.

Paint the entire grout lines on the floor, remove the excess grout colorant as you do, and then allow it to sit for 20 minutes to dry before inspecting it. 

Most times, you may need a second coat to cover the grout entirely and even out the color of the painted grout. 

Go in with a small paintbrush and address any area of the grout lines without grout colorant. 

You may also need to apply additional coats of a grout colorant to large cracks and holes in the grout to fill it completely.

Step 3: Clean The Grout Colorant Haze Off The Tile Surface

With a clean damp cotton towel or wad of damp paper towels, remove the grout colorant haze. 

Do not apply too much water or pressure on the grout lines as you clean the grout colorant haze to avoid damaging the freshly painted grout lines.

After cleaning up all of the grout colorant haze, inspect the tile floor closely from different angles and sources of light to ensure all of the grout colorant haze has been removed.  

For stubborn grout colorant haze, you can use a diluted alkaline cleaning solution or some isopropyl alcohol to remove them.

Step 4: Allow The Grout Lines To Dry

After painting the grout lines, do not walk on the tile floor with shoes for 24 hours.  You can walk on the tiles with socks only after an hour or two of drying time. 

Grout colorant usually takes about 48 hours to cure and dry totally. 

During this period, limited traffic should be allowed in the area, and you need to be careful so you do not spill anything on the grout or get any dirt on the grout.

Related Post: How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Laminate Flooring

Conclusion 

Now that you know how to paint grout lines, you can go ahead and give your tile floor the much-needed revamp.

Happy painting!