How do I "paint" the grout in my kitchen tiles.

Dor15450617
by Dor15450617
My tiles are just fine but I would like the dark grout to be light.
Need help!!!

  11 answers
  • Ken Ken on Oct 06, 2017

    There are lots of choices out there for painting grout. Search for a grout pen or grout paint with a wheel applicator. You are not alone in wanting to recolor your grout and the manufacturers have responded. Any hardware store, Home Depot, Lowe's, or Amazon will be able to fix you up. Will that be cash or credit card?

  • Catherine Anspaugh Catherine Anspaugh on Oct 06, 2017

    They do sell a product for this at the hardware store. It is sold in pen form. I would think you need a pretty steady hand.

  • Roxaneg Roxaneg on Oct 06, 2017

    Tile stores now have a special grout colorant that you can paint on. Check out the local store.

  • Eleanor Korf Eleanor Korf on Oct 06, 2017

    Lowes and Home Depot carry a colorant made for this type of project and (sometimes) a squeeze bottle applicator. They didn't carry the exact shade that I wanted, but by mixing colors I got the exact shade I needed.


    It is time consuming and you must follow the directions on the bottle to immediately wipe off colorant that you might get on the tiles themselves, though if you miss a spot or two you probably (but I don't know) can use a razor blade to scrape off the overrun. I found that once the bristles in the squeeze bottle applicator were worn down a bit it was easier to use and more accurate to apply the colorant. You will have to seal the newly colored grout after you apply the colorant and it has dried.


    You can also use q-tips to spread the colorant. They work well on narrow grout lines that have non-sanded grout, but they don't last very long and you go through a lot of them. Also small paint brushes can work if you have a steady hand.


    I have read that people have used paint but I don't know what kind of paint and how that would stand up to multiple washings. I would guess that a semi-gloss or low gloss paint could work, but I haven't tried it.

  • KattywhampusLOL KattywhampusLOL on Oct 06, 2017

    Hello Dorothystick22, You paint grout the grout in kitchen tiles very carefully with the root end of a single hair from the head of a Sasquatch, LOL! Of course I'm just joking, but you WOULD use a smaller brush to do it (like a new soft toothbrush, or a paintbrush that size), rather than spray, because you don't want to risk an overspray getting onto the tiles themselves.

    First you need to clean the grout with a grout cleaner. Of course by the time you are finished preparing the grout for color you will be so tired you won't want to color it -- well, I wouldn't anyway, because I just don't have the patience for all of that. You need to know if your grout is already sealed or not because if it does have a sealer on it, that will have to be removed before color will take on the grout itself. To find out if your grout is sealed just spray water on it and if it beads up it is sealed. And just and FYI if anyone ever asks you if your grouting is sanded or unsanded grout, UNsanded grout is used in the narrower grout joints (less than 1/8-inch wide) and Sanded grout is used in wider grout joints. Okay so, now on to the coloring process. I don't know if you have sanded or unsanded grout so I am posting a video on each type:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSSh6SYDQUQ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9wqvn8MYeo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GppgHj_2Iw0


  • KattywhampusLOL KattywhampusLOL on Oct 06, 2017

    Dorothy, I just want to add one more note, IF you decide you want the pen type (which, of course is more expensive than the other types, because you pay for convenience) they should have them at any of the Big Box stores (like Lowe's , Home Depot, Menards, etc, and you may even find them at Walmart or K-Mart stores) and if they don't you can ask them if they can get them. I don't know how much luck you will have finding them online at a decent price because a lot of folks seem to always ready to pay fro convenience no matter the price that is asked. (below is an Etsy site that has colored grout markers but no sealant or primer .. in case you are going from dark to light you'd need to prime after cleaning the grout) ... Okay, so good luck Dorothy, and thanks again for asking HOMETALK for help.

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/528239752/grout-aid-markers-34-different-colors?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-craft_supplies_and_tools-paints_inks_and_dyes-other&utm_custom1=5a183496-51f2-4c70-90f4-87c4e616643f&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImfjyq9Hc1gIVASlpCh06ow7fEAQYBCABEgJWSfD_BwE

  • Dor15450617 Dor15450617 on Oct 06, 2017

    Thanks, I'll inquire both ways. 😀

  • Dor15450617 Dor15450617 on Oct 06, 2017

    yes, I would pay for the convenience.

    I will definitely

    look into that.

    Im older and need all the convenience I can get.

    AND, I am not that picky as to the light color I want.

    Well, thanks again.

    Dorothy



  • Libbie B Libbie B on Jan 10, 2022

    We painted ours with a simple paint pen! You can see it here: https://alifeunfolding.com/updating-the-kitchen-in-our-rental-property/