Painted Tile Grout Refresh

For the first time in years, we have a baby in the house again; a baby that is in the form of a 2 month old puppy. (If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably already seen her. I promise I’ll introduce her more formally here on the blog later.)

In the time it took me to type those three sentences just now, she’s attacked my hair, chewed on a table leg, peed on the living room rug, and licked an electrical socket. Suffice it to say the home improvement projects have been at a bit of a slow down lately with a fluffy 8 pound rascal calling the shots.

But the very last home improvement project in Olivia’s bathroom makeover took less than 45 minutes! And that’s even on mischievous puppy time.

Remember this floor? The brown-grout-that-had-seen-better-days floor? I was really feeling stuck on this one.

Part of me wanted to paint the whole floor; I toyed with stenciling some times, thought about laying down some vinyl plank wood flooring on top, or just leaving it and scrubbing it like a mad woman.

 So after getting some input from y’all in this last update post, the vast majority of you guys said to just clean it up and add a rug. (I usually have to be talked off of my cliff since I seldom can leave well enough alone.)

The whole point of this bathroom though has been to make a big change for as little money and as little effort as possible since it’s all going to be gutted (hopefully) in a couple of years anyway after we tackle some larger projects.

But that grout… I just couldn’t live with it.

So for around $15, I made it look freshy fresh.

Supplies Used: (Some affiliate links are provided below for convenience.)

• Old toothbrush
• Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner (or whatever cleaner you prefer- that’s just what I used)
• Dry towel/rags
• Grout Pen

That might be the shortest supplies list this blog has ever seen.

I sprayed all of the grout lines first with the Totally Awesome spray, let it sit for about 5 minutes to penetrate all of the dirt and grime, and then scrubbed with an old toothbrush. That cleaner really does live up to its name.

Then dry.

I have no idea where I’d heard of grout pens before, but since our master bathroom, kitchen, and breakfast nook all have this brownish grout, I thought this room would be the perfect spot to test them out.

I’ve gotta tell ya, they are so satisfying. I bought three to be on the safe side, in case the grout paint ran out, but I only needed one for our entire bathroom floor. (Whatever company makes this grout pen, they have no idea who I am. I’m just sharing this because it worked well for me, and I thought it’d be helpful to pass along to some of y’all needing a quick refresh.)

Let the grout dry completely and then just trace the lines with the grout pen.

SO eeeaaaaasy! The tiles themselves even look brighter because of the grout change.

Pretty soon, I’ll put a bath rug on top of it, so the floor will hardly be noticeable. But I feel so much better about it now.

Now, the final step on the to-do list is mainly to decorate. The fun part!

So far, I’ve hung just 1 shelf to start playing with styling things, but it’ll get there. I’m still thinking some art, a new shower curtain, a window shade, that kind of stuff.

Here are all of the projects and sources that have gone into this space so far + our little to-do list left:

• Paint walls Magnolia Home Weekend
• Paint trim Benjamin Moore Simply White
• Paint doors Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
• Paint sink and tub/shower with Rustoleum Tub & Tile Refinishing Kit
• Refresh light fixture
• Paint vanity cabinet
• Paint tile / grout
• Hang wall decor (halfway finished)
• Decorate final touches

If you want more ideas for jazzing up your floors, you can check out some of these past posts too:

• DIY Moroccan Vinyl Tile Floor
• Faux Marble Tile Floor
• 18 Favorite Peel and Stick Vinyl Tiles
• The Best Tile for a Small Budget
• What to Know Before Buying Jute Rugs

Got any other quick floor refreshing ideas? Or puppy struggles at your house like we do? #SendCoffeeAndChewToys

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