Shower grout is notorious for discoloration and the Ceramic tiled shower at this property in Prestwick is a perfect example. Grout has a rough top layer, which easily traps dirt and dyes from soaps and shampoo etc. This gets caught and before long leads to the grout discolouring and turning an unattractive yellow.
To keep on top of this it needs regular scrubbing, and we would recommend you use a product such as Tile Doctor Duo Clean for this. However, if not kept in check those stains can become deep and impossible to remove effectively. In this case we often receive requests for the whole shower wall to be re-grouted, however this is a long and messy process and fortunately Tile Doctor have developed a much quicker and effective solution.
Grout Colouring Discoloured Grout
This solution is Grout Colouring which involves painting over the grout with an epoxy grout colourant which is available in eleven different colours, although White is the most popular. I should point out these are not the grout pens you often see in shops, those are fine for doing touch-up work, but for a professional finish you need to use a proper grout colourant.
To start the grout was scrubbed with a Pre-Treat Cleaner which as the name suggests get the grout clean and ready for colouring. Its an acidic product which also microscopically etches the grout to ensure a stronger bond with the colourant. The soiling is then rinsed away and the grout allowed to dry.
Whilst the grout was drying the silicone sealant around the shower tray and along the wall corners was stripped out carefully with a sharp knife. Silicone is even worse than grout for discolouring and once mould gets a grip there is little you can do but replace it.
When the grout was dry a White grout colourant was applied using a small brush wiping off any excess that comes into contact with the adjacent tile as you go. This is slow work but fortunately the tiles were large format so there were fewer grout lines to cover. This was followed with a second coat and then after thirty minutes the tiles we cleaned down with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner and then buffed with a White pad to polish up the ceramic tiles and to remove any excess colourant that was missed earlier.
The last step was to apply a fresh silicone mastic in White between the shower tray and tiling and along the corners.
Once complete the shower cubicle was transformed and looked like a new installation. Additionally, the colourant being a water-resistant epoxy forms a long-lasting barrier against further discoloration and will make the shower much easier to keep clean in future.
Source: Grout Cleaning and Renovation Service near Prestwick Ayrshire