Grout Color Sealer is a user friendly way to: restore your grout to look brand new, water proof your grout against permanent stains, and completely change the color of your grout. While the check list of necessary tools is short, and the preparations are easy enough to do this article is intended to help you get on your way to Color Sealing your grout including how to instructions at the end. GET YOUR GROUT COLOR SEALER KIT HERE

Preparation:

Of course you will want the floor to be clean and free of dirt and grease, so here are some tips and ensuring your project goes smoothly. First of all if you grout is less than a few years old you probably will not need to “etch” the grout, what is “etching” the grout you say? We will get back to that in a minute. Degreasing is the most important aspect of preparing for a color seal, as a matter of fact, you will need to degrease even prior to etching the grout (if that is necessary for you floor). Degreasing kitchens and bathroom areas are a must. Degreasers are high alkaline cleaners that remove organic matter, make sure to have some on hand before you start your project. Back to etching, floors over 3 years old and especially anything in the 10 year range should be etched prior to color seal. Why etch? Well over time as the grout has been cleaned, many hundreds of times, that has caused the pores of the grout to close up and get tighter at the surface, this inhibits the Color Seal from really soaking into the grout. Sure you can certainly bypass all this cleaning and etching, but the bottom line is the fruits of your labor will not last as long. In short of your grout is old, or has been sealed with a clear sealer in the past than etching is an important step.

Tools:

There is a range of tools you will need to do a Color Seal job, and there are other tools that will just make the process so much easier it’s worth the investment.

Must have tools & supplies:

- Color Sealer (of course)

- Applicator brush (yes any toothbrush will work, beware the kind that will cause you knuckle drag)

- Towels or Sponge

Should have items (includes list above):

- Knee Pads

- Applicator Tip (trust me the usefulness of this little guy far outweighs his price!)

- A Mop (preferably the string mop kind, although sponge mops can work)

- Degreaser and/or Etching cleaner/s

- Grout Brush

Items that just make things easier:

- Wet/Dry shop vac for cleaning

- A five gallon bucket

- Pump up sprayer

-Floor machine (I know getting crazy here, this is what a professional would use)

The Color Sealing process:

Basic application
Lay a small bead of Color Seal along the grout line (roughly the length of your arm span, smaller is better in this case). Ensure the bead is small, more is definitely not better for Color Sealer (the applicator tip will help tremendously for this). Using a long scrubbing motion spread the sealer over the grout line (it is good to work quickly but not sloppy) using an applicator brush. Then wipe away the excess across the grout line with a damp towel or sponge (important its damp and not wet). Keep your work areas manageable. Once you have completed a section or are getting close to an hour, stop and thoroughly DAMP mop the area, twice or more is better than once (remember to thoroughly, very thoroughly, ring the mop out ever time). This is removing excess sealer and haze from the tiles, it is better to go overboard on this one. When you have completed the entire area go back and once more a damp mop and then dry buff it with towels or a floor machine.

Degreasing & Etching
Mix the cleaner per the instructions on the bottle. Apply the cleaner to the floor, especially the grout lines (this is where the low pressure pump up sprayer can come in hand to apply directly to the grout lines), and let it dwell long enough for the cleaner to do the work. Scrub the grout lines with a grout brush or something similar. Thoroughly rinse (the five gallon bucket and a shop vac can really help speed up the rinsing process), then let it dry completely. The grout lines will turn from dark to light so its easy to tell.