How to improve appearance of shower tiles and grout?

[jarrodvasso]

Hi all, recently bought this house and am interested to know if there is any way I can restore the look of these shower tiles? Have tried CLR as well as baking soda & vinegar but doesn't seem to be making any improvement. Grout doesn't look like it has been sealed in a long time which I will do once I determine if I can remove the white marking on the tiles. Same deal with the grout, have tried long life grout cleaner with minimal improvement. Would like to remove the white and orange markings. Water does seem to pool along the grout where the orange markings are.

 

   

Would staining the grout with a black stain improve the look? Cheers.

[JacobZ]

Hi @jarrodvasso,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

I'd suggest having a look at How do you clean white stains on shower tiles for some ideas on how to handle the white hazy areas on your tiles.

The orange staining along the grout lines could be caused by iron deposits in the water or by mildew and bacteria that thrive where water tends to pool. Standard grout cleaners often won’t fully remove this type of staining. You could try using a paste from Bi-carb soda, like above, but I'm not so sure it would have a great effect if the iron deposits are deeper in the grout.

If you can't get the orange stains out, you may have to consider removing and replacing the grout. This can be done with a multitool with a Grout Blade or manually with a Grout Saw. Once the grout is removed, you can check out How To Grout Tiles for some guidance.

A penetrating sealer like Betta TileCare Tile & Grout Sealer will help protect against future staining, moisture, and mould growth.

For ongoing care, it helps to keep the area as dry as possible. Using an exhaust fan, opening windows, and towel-drying or squeegeeing after showers will reduce the build-up of minerals and mildew. Reapplying sealer once a year is also a good habit to extend the life and appearance of your grout.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[jarrodvasso]

Thanks Jacob, appreciate the input. Do you think a grout stain/paint would cover the staining? 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @jarrodvasso,

To me, the orange stains actually look like a section where the grey grout has been worn through to an underlying colour. I suspect this is actually standard grout with either grey grout paint over it or a very thin layer of grey grout over the original. 

I do believe grout paint will cover both the white staining and the orange areas. I use the white version every few years to restore my grout.

Mitchell