Keeping your bathroom tiles clean is a relatively easy job but when the grout starts to become dirty or discoloured, it can ruin the appearance of your bathroom. If you haven’t tried already, there are many high quality grout cleaners you can use but if they weren’t up for the job, the best way to clean the grout upon your tiles is to remove and replace it.
To help you successful remove grout from tiles and replace it with new grout, we have created the below guide that covers each step of the process.
What You’ll Need
- Grout rake or a multi-tool
- Face mask (optional)
- Masking tape
- Vacuum cleaner
- Grout float
- Grout (we would recommend a ready mix formula)
- Grout finishing tool
- Grout sponge
How To Remove Grout From Tiles
1. Equip Yourself With A Removal Tool
In order to easily remove grout, you’ll want to equip yourself with a suitable grout removing tool. Depending upon the amount of grout you need to remove will determine the best tool for the job.
In this particular example, we used a grout rake, which can be bought for very little and it’s an easy to use handheld tool with a diamond blade on the end (as shown in the images below).
Of course, there are other tools that you can use for the job such as a drill with a blade on the end, multi-tool and even an angle grinder. However, we found that the cheap grout rake was more than ideal for this grout removal task.
2. Mask The Edges
To avoid damaging any of the tiles as you are removing grout, you may want to use masking tape on the edges. This will help to avoid any damage to the tiles as you are running the rake or alternative tool through the grout.
3. Target Sections
Although you may be tempted to rush the removal, it’s recommended that you target one section of the tiles at a time. Therefore, working in one direction, run the rake or power tool through the grout with a firm sawing action.
With regards to how much grout you should remove from the tiles, we would recommend that you try remove approximately half of the grout’s thickness as shown in the image below.
4. Vacuum As You Go Along
Due to the composition of grout, as you are removing it, it can become very dusty. Therefore, after successfully removing grout from one section of the tiles, you’ll want to vacuum the area to clear away any dust.
5. Wipe Down The Tiles
After removing the grout, wipe down the tiles with a damp cloth to reveal the final finish. If you spot that there is still old grout, you’ll want to remove it before applying fresh grout to the tiles.
Before & After Results
From simply removing the grout from the tiles using the method above, we achieved the following results:
As you can see, the old grout has been removed/raked out and it’s now ready for the next stage, which is to replace the grout. It’s worth pointing out that if you smoothly raked out the grout, you may be able to leave it without adding new grout. However, due to how discoloured/dirty the grout was, we raked out a lot and it was worth our while replacing it.
How To Replace Grout
After removing at least half of the grout’s thickness, you can proceed to replacing it using the below method:
1. Mix Up The Grout
Depending upon the new grout you wish to use, you may need to mix the amount you need with water. In this guide, we used a ready mix formula due to its simplicity and it certainly sped things up when it came to grouting the tiles.
2. Work The Grout Into The Joints
To apply the new grout to the tiles, use a grout float to work it into the joints and then use the edge of the float to wipe away any excess. As with the removal, you’ll want to work in sections at a time to avoid the grout drying out.
3. Use A Finishing Tool
To finish up the grouting, you can use a finishing tool to smoothen out the fresh grout before it has time to dry. Although this isn’t technically required, these finishing touches make all the difference and it takes just seconds to do whilst the grout is still wet.
4. Clean Any Excess Grout From The Tiles
After you have completed the grouting, you can then proceed to cleaning any residue/dust upon the tiles. Although you can use a standard sponge, a dedicated grout sponge will do a far better job at cleaning the tiles.
If you want to give the tiles a more thorough clean after wiping them down, read our guide to cleaning bathroom tiles.
Conclusion
Hopefully our guide on how to remove old grout and replace it with new grout has given you the confidence to try it out yourself. It’s a relatively easy DIY task that anyone can achieve and it’s also very satisfying too.
If you need further information with regards to the removal and replacement of grout, feel free to get in touch and we will try to help out where possible.
