Should You Seal Grout

Kathleen, who loves to have clean grout in Peoria, AZ, asked a common question about sealing grout.

"Thanks for the info on cleaning the grout. After it is clean can I paint some protector sealer on the grout?

A tile man did once when I was in my other house and it kept my kitchen safe from stain. But that was a long time ago. Thanks."

Kathleen, years ago I was a proponent of sealing grout, but I've since changed my mind.

Here's why.

Grout sealers, most of them, prevent water and other liquids, from entering the cement matrix of the grout.

But along the edge of grout where it touches up against tile, staining liquids like cooking oil, red wine, beet juice, etc. can seep into the grout and stain it BELOW the surface of the sealer.

It's very very hard to then remove the stain.

opens in a new windowI've sold opens in a new windowStain Solver, a Certified organic oxygen bleach, for nearly twenty years now. It cleans just about every stain you can imagine from grout if there's no sealer in the way. I've got countless opens in a new windowBefore and After photos sent in by Stain Solver customers to prove it.

I would NOT seal the grout. I'd just opens in a new windowpurchase some Stain Solver and have it on hand in case your grout gets dirty or you spill something on it.