How To Use A Grout Pen On Tile And Do They Really Work?

Have your ever wondered about grout pens? How to use them or if they really work to restore and refresh old grout? 

I used one to whiten the grout on my tile floor and shower and here's what I found out.

The Grout Pen

A little over a decade ago, we ripped out all the old, mismatched yellow tile in our ensuite bathroom and in its place, we installed white tile. Everywhere.

White subway tile in the shower, on the walls and large square tiles on the floor. 

And we placed bright white grout lines in between it all.

It was gorgeous.

Well, for a little while anyway.

You see white tile looks fabulous, elegant and classic...but only when the grout is clean.

When the grout dulls and becomes discolored, especially in the shower, everything looks dirty.


And restoring that white, bright, fresh look, isn't so easy.

For the first several years, keeping the tile grout in tip top shape was a no brainer. The white grout had been properly sealed when we installed it, so it repelled water and stains. 

Whenever I cleaned the glass showers doors, I gave the grout a quick spray with water and white vinegar, a few scrubs with my old toothbrush and I was done.

However, somewhere around year ten, as the sealer aged, we began to notice more and more stubborn mildew spots that no cleaner or amount of scrubbing would remove.

The whole room was looking dingy and my white tile was taking on a gray hue, thanks to the stained and discolored grout.

That's when I'd had enough and tried this grout pen. 

The Grout Pen I Used is Here

I'd heard people talk about them, so I figured I'd give it a shot. With all the other bathroom renovations going on, I wasn't going to re-grout my bathroom shower and floor tile.

This seemed like an easy answer.

Of course, they're not just for bathrooms, you also use grout pens anywhere you have tile, a kitchen backsplash, a laundry area, or floor in any room, including high traffic foyers or mudrooms.

How To Use A Grout Pen 

Grout pens are basically water resistant, paint pens. Think white out for your shower, except it won't wash off.

Since grout is porous, and sealer wears, over time, water and mold can settle into the grout and it stains. Grout paint pens simply cover the old discolored grout.

They come in variety of colors to match your grout, although white and black are most popular.

Step 1. Clean the grout

Since grout pens are only made to cover the dirty grout, cleaning was first on the list.

As I said, the grout pen will essentially seal your old grout with a paint formula...and I didn't want mold and mildew sealed anywhere. 

So while I normally opt for gentle cleansers or non-toxic, natural cleaners, this time we used Comet with bleach to kill everything. And get the tile and grout as white as it could be and therefore easier to cover.

Step 2. Let the tiles and grout dry

I let everything dry for a day before I used the grout pen. Wet paint doesn't stick and again, I wouldn't want dampness sealed into my room.

Step 3. Paint the grout lines

Super simple process. It was basically coloring in the lines.

I shook the pen to move the paint forward in the tube, placed the tip in the grout line and pushed down to release it. 

From there, you're basically just drawing on your grout lines. It takes time, sometimes it takes more than one coat to completely cover a dark spot and it can be tedious.


But it's not difficult.

You might need to prime the pen a bit first, or from time to time, if the paint doesn't come out right away. To do that you can push the nib, or tip, on the cardboard package, until it starts to flow.

Step 4. Wipe away the excess

The paint definitely gets on the tile, so I kept a damp paper towel handy to wipe away any paint that settled outside the grout line.

Step 5. Let it dry completely

The paint needs to set and even though, it dries pretty quickly, we didn't use our shower for a solid 24 hours.

When I was done, I was so thrilled with the results, that I decided to do the floor and was equally as pleased.

*You can peek at my shutter project and my pleated fabric vanity DIY if you like.

Do Grout Pens Really Work?

The before and after in both the shower and on the floor was dramatic. No doubt about it. Everything was white, bright and refreshed.

So yes, paint pens work. Temporarily. 

The grout pen paint won't wash off, but it does eventually wear away and mildew and mold grow right on top of it in short order if you're not cleaning regularly.


In a busy family bathroom, with several daily hot showers, it happened fast, too. You might see better results on a kitchen backsplash.

It'll also last longer on the bathroom or kitchen tile floor than in the shower for obvious reasons.

So using a grout pen is great way to refresh the color of grout, or even change it from say white to black, but it's not a permanent fix. Granted you can paint over the grout again in few months.

Paint pens don't fill gaps.

They're made to cover the old, worn grout.

We had a few holes and while the paint initially covered them, if I jammed enough of it inside, it wore away quickly and the gaps were back.

You'd need to add new grout first then paint over it.


However, keep in mind that the grout pen paint will not adhere to recently sealed grout. They're made to restore old grout.

What is the best grout pen?

Well that depends. This is the grout pen I used.

I chose it because it said it was non-toxic and had no odor and with my allergies that was very important to me. The reviews backed that claim up and were generally very positive.

It came with a replaceable nib, if the first tip wore down or frayed. 


It also covered my entire shower and floor before running out of paint.

However it only comes in white and buff and with one size tip.

This is another grout pen that is highly rated.

It's the best seller. I didn't choose it, because it's low odor, not no odor, and some reviewer noted its strong smell.

This one does come with two tip choices though, for wide or narrow grout lines and in 10 colors to match your grout.

One last point, white grout comes in ton of shades. The grout pen whites are very vivid. 

If you're going to be matching grout colors in spaces that are nearby, you might want to test it out in an inconspicuous spot.

Overall, I was super happy with my results.

Using a grout pen was a very easy DIY and gave my entire bathroom a lift.

It's also made the grout easier to clean, now that it's been lightened up with the paint.

It looks almost brand new.

Eventually, we might have to regrout and/ or reseal the shower, but for now I'm happy with my quick fix.

And the return of my gorgeous, bright white tile...and grout.

😉

Have you tried grout pens?

Happy DIYing, Friends!