Staining grout with permanent marker

**pollypurebred39** · 07-18-2009, 05:39 PM

I've tried bleach, didn't work and wow! tough on the lungs. Hmm..does white out come like a marker yet or is is still a paint on?

**craftypam** · 07-18-2009, 05:59 PM

The one I just got has a triangular sponge at the end of the stick.

**craftypam** · 07-18-2009, 06:01 PM

Just remembered what about the bleach out stick for laundry.

**frugalfranny** · 07-18-2009, 06:06 PM

Good luck.....keep us posted on what you try and how it works out.

**pollypurebred39** · 07-18-2009, 11:51 PM

Okay, I will. It's not on the top of my list at this moment, however it is on my list.

I did try the bleach pens, I tried a paint brush with soft scrub with bleach, painted it on let it sit then came back and scrubbed like crazy. Nada, still looks dingy, dirty *sigh* I've put a lot of work into this grout.

**2ndGenGranola** · 07-20-2009, 07:12 AM

A black sharpie will turn blue/purple over time. I would not try it.

With regular bleach you are just opening yourself up to more stains. Regular bleach makes the tile/grout more porous to soak in more stains.

Professionals suggest Oxy based cleaners. I use a vapor steamer and a brush then when it is clean I reseal it. You are supposed to reseal your grout every 6m to a year depending upon activity level.

If you are wanting to color the grout, I don't see why you don't just buy the product made for that purpose. It is going to be much cheaper than buying enough sharpies to finish the job.

**craftypam** · 07-23-2009, 06:34 PM

I don't know if this can be done. Can you chip the grout out and replace it with a dark color? Or do white and seal it.

**2ndGenGranola** · 07-24-2009, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by craftypam

I don't know if this can be done. Can you chip the grout out and replace it with a dark color? Or do white and seal it.

We asked a friend who is a tile guy. You can chip out the old grout but it is labor intensive. You can't chip just a little bit and cover it up. All of it needs to come out.

With a seal, it will still stain. The average life of a seal is around 6 months (give or take with use). Any use of bleach, vinegar or the like will shorten the life of the seal greatly.

**iamnoone** · 07-17-2010, 05:29 PM

your only real options are the specialized markers for about $8 each(expect to use two on a small bathroom), or about $30-40 on better quality paint-on kit that will allow you to pick from a lot more colors.

or just rip it all out and replace if it needs it.

**Momto5RN** · 07-17-2010, 07:09 PM

have you seen this ?
Grout Paint - Harriet Carter - Bed & Bath > Bath Accessories

**NewLeaf** · 07-18-2010, 10:26 AM

I have tile in my small bathroom too. It's not the slick kind but is kind of rough. The grout is rougher looking too. I have not been able to keep the grout clean in the walkway area. It is dirty looking. I have been trying to find an easy way to clean and reseal it. If I had to do it over again, I would just put down vinyl flooring - it's easier to care for......

**pollypurebred39** · 07-18-2010, 01:07 PM

Love the grout pen Momto5RN!!!

My bathroom tiles have now started to fall off.

I don't know what else to do to make this bathroom decent. Looking forward to the day when it gets completely ripped out

**Nana2two** · 07-25-2010, 05:13 PM

Starting Out Savvy|Tag Archive|one coat grout pen

White grout pen.

**Nana2two** · 07-25-2010, 05:17 PM

You might want to check on ebay for grout pens.

**arocbuild** · 10-22-2010, 01:47 PM

i dont know if its worth it. How many square feet of tile. I agree with the other poster that bleach is a safe, cheaper, less labor intensive alternative then manually taking market to it.