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Why did my grout Turn White and How can I get back the Original Color?
QUESTION
We have a dark pebble and dark grout shower floor. After 6 months, the dark grout has turned bright white and nothing works to remove it. Tried cleaners, vinegar, scrubbing. We were told by the tile store to use grout with a special sealer mixed into it and then seal the floor afterwards, too., when thoroughly dry. It was carefully and painstakingly installed. We even sealed the stones separately before any other sealing.The floor looks horrible and is getting progressively worse. How can we remove the "effloresce"? And then what.....reseal with a different sealer?
ANSWER
ANSWER - It is not clear what kind of sealer you used. Normally sealers are not mixed into the grout when you install the grout, so that may be part of the problem?Grout turning white can be caused by efflorescence which is the calcium from the water and the underlying concrete or mortar migrating up through the porous cementitious grout. Excessive efflorescence is considered a symptom of an excessive moisture problem. If the water isn't draining away properly in the shower pan that cause be the cause of the excessive water that is causing the efflorescence. If the weep holes in the drain or if the waterproof membrane in the shower pan isn't sloped properly to the drain that can cause water to not be able to evacuate. The only way to determine if this is the problem is by either intrusively removing tiles to inspect the underlying conditions. You could let the shower not be used for a few days and monitor it with a moisture meter to see if it dries out or not.
If the while condition is actually efflorescence then it should be able to be removed with a slightly acidic solution like vinegar, which should only be used as a test to verify it is efflorescence. If it is efflorescence, then purchase a tile cleaner that is made for removing efflorescence. Removing the efflorescence does not solve the problem, since it is the symptom of the problem, so it will likely return.
You could have latex leaching where vinegar will not remove it. You can test this out by buying a tile latex leaching remover and seeing if it works.
The other condition that can cause grout to turn white or cloudy is if water is trapped under the tile and the grout is sealed with a non-breathing sealer. If this is the case then you have to remove the sealer if it is a surface sealer. If the sealer is deep into the grout then you might have to replace the grout. There are grout colorants where you can paint the grout color a different color and it seals the grout at the same time, which is another option to consider. But again, you are treating the symptom of the problem and not the problem.
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I have just had my walls and floor tiles grouted in our kitchen. The grout is a Bal grout, Graphite coloured. The grout has dried in patches of dark and very light Gray. The tilers came back and re- grouted. But this has happened again!
Bal now say we have to complain to Top Tiles as we bought grouting from them before Bal will take any action.
I understand grouting can change colour after a while , but not surely a week!
Please can you help as I really need some advice of my next step ASAP. Thank you
Normally when the grout dries in a blotchy condition it is due to the installer using too much water in the grout mix and/or using too much water in cleaning the grout during the installation process. Using too much water causes the color pigment to be pulled out of the mixture that can cause the variation in color. The installer should follow the installation guidelines of the grout manufacturer that states how much water to use.
Donato, I am sure this is my problem. My husband and I decided to install our tile floor our selves and probably used too much water, how can we fix it now? Do we need to remove it? I am hoping there is another way!!! ????
If the grout color is blotchy or not the color you want, most of the grout manufacturers offer what is called a “grout colorant” that matches the color charts. It is an epoxy paint that allows you to paint over the grout joints. It is a tedious process to apply and keep off the tile, but it works if done properly.
My charcoal grey grout turned white from the grout sealer. Why?
From my experience when the grout turns white after applying a sealer it is normally because the sealer was applied when the grout was still damp. So the water is trapped in the grout. It might dissipate over time or you might need to use a sealer stripper to remove the sealer and let it dry. Best to call the sealer manufacturer and ask for their advice.
I have grouted my porcelain slabs and some of grout is the colour is suppose to be and other bits have gone what can I do to get this back to how it should be
Depends on what type of grout you used and how it was applied.
Cementitious grouts tend to have a propensity to vary in color depending on how the grout is mixed, applied, and cleaned during the installation process.
I would check with the manufacturer of the grout as there are many grouts on the market today that state their grouts are consistent in color.
If you use too much water in the clean up process you can pull the pigment out of the grout and it will appear different in color.
There are grout colorants that is like an epoxy paint that match colors of grout, but you would have to apply it over the entire installation and it isn’t easy product to work with to get good results.
Same situation with my grout. We used the Prism grout. It was supposed to be light smoke (a light brownish color), but after drying was a greyish white color. I called the company which walked me through the acid wash process. I waited the 10 day cure period and did the acid wash for it to still dry the greyish white color. I have porcelain tile. What would be the next step? I even went over some places a second time with the same result. HELP!
I assume it wasn’t the grout manufacturer Custom Building Products who told you to do an acid wash. Normally they would never tell you to acid wash the grout as it would tend to lighten it. Sometimes acidic cleaners are used to clean the grout haze off of the face of the tile, but the they are highly diluted phosphoric acids. You should never use a muriatic acid.
At this point your best bet is to use an epoxy grout colorant in the Light Smoke color to paint over the grout joints. It is a tedious process, but it can work if done correctly. You should call Customer Building Products Technical Service at 800-282-8786 and talk to them about it. They claim that their Prism Grout “offers consistent color with no shading.” They might give you the grout colorant.
Funny, it was Custom Building Tech support that told me to get the acid crystals and walked me through what to do. He said efflorescence is the cause more than likely and to do the acid wash and I should get my color. I have to say that I do not recommend the Prism grout at all because the consistent color is just not true. I bought it for that reason and because it was highly recommended by many tile and grout professionals. I had professionals do the tile and the grout and still I get that greyish white color. I did try to contact Custom Building but I guess they are closed since it is Saturday so it will be Monday or even Tuesday before we hear anything I am sure. I am nervous about the grout colorant because I know I will end up getting it on my tiles as I do not have a steady hand. I may just have to let the ugly grout be and get on with my life as my house is all over the place due to the construction and I need to put it back together and get back to work. I appreciate your help. I just thought I would see if you had any thoughts on the next step, but if its the grout colorant I will probably do a hard pass….HA!
They must have recommended sulfamic acid crystals which is the least corrosive acid. It makes since that if you did have an efflorescence problem it should have removed it, but it sounds like grout is faded maybe due to using too much water during mixing or cleaning.
If you do use the grout colorant then get blue masking tape and tape the edges of the tile adjacent to the grout joint. Make sure it is tight against the tile. Right after applying the colorant pull the tape right away before the grout colorant dries so you get a clean separation.
I have the same problem with charcoal colored grout that I think my installer used too much water because it’s light gray. I have charcoal penny tile with charcoal grout. Can I use the grout colorant on that? I know you say tape off the tile but that’s almost impossible. Please help!
Candace, Yes you can use the black grout colorant to go over the faded charcoal grout. Because it is an epoxy paint it will seal the grout too. But it is a tedious process to do it so it looks good.
Another thing you can try is get a sealer enhancer which tends to give porous natural stone and grout more of a wet look. It does wear, so you have to reapply from time to time. Test it out first in an inconspicuous spot to make sure it will work to your satisfaction.
Yes, that is what they recommended was the sulfamic acid crystals. Well I feel better! Thank you! And good advice on the blue tape! It will be time consuming and tedious, but might be the only other option. After we do that would we have to seal the grout or does it have a sealant in it!
the grout colorant is an epoxy and impervious so it doesn’t need sealing.
Thank you very much for all of your information and help today! I really appreciate it!
My wife has been using bleach on our tile and She didn’t know I didn’t seal part of it! So that part of the dark brown grout has turned white, what’s the best way to get it back to the original color? Should I use a wire brush, some type of chemical, vinegar and baking soda doesn’t seem to be doing the trick?
You really should not use bleach on tile grout or you might bleach the color out of the grout. I am assuming that is what you mean by a portion of the grout turned white. If that is the case, then the only thing you can do is replace the grout or buy an epoxy grout colorant and paint over the grout to achieve a consistent look.
You should not use acid or bleach on tile and grout. You should use a neutral based detergent to clean them with a scrub brush on an extended handle. Use a wet vacuum to pick up the dirt water and rinse the floor with clean water afterwards and vacuum that up too.
We just laid new tiles and my husband was told by the tiler that he can use a little bit of acid in the water to help with cleaning the grout off. The dark grey grout got a lot whiter now and we just don’t like it at all. He used just a very small amount of Hydrochloride Acid. Is there anything we can do to the grout now and would it have damaged the tiles?
Not all acids are created equal. In the tile industry it only recommended to use sulfamic acid for removing dry cementitious film. Tile installers will use diluted vinegar that is not very acidic and normally works well. There are some phosphoric acids that are highly diluted that are contained in some commercial products sold as tile cleaners.
The acid that you used was hydrochloric acid ant it is extremely corrosive so even using a little is too much. Muriatic acid that is used in swimming pools is very corrosive and should never be used, it is diluted hydrochloric acid that is between 14% or 29% acid to water.
When using an acid you first have to saturate the tile and grout joints with water first so the acid doesn’t readily absorb into them. Then after cleaning with a diluted sulfamic or phosphoric acid, you have to rinse it with clean water to remove all the acid residuals.
If you bleached the grout color the only thing you can do is buy a grout colorant that is basically an epoxy paint that you paint over the grout joints. They normally are available to match all of the colors of major grout manufacturers.
We have just moved into our new house. I used bleach on my coloured grout for the first time yesterday. Didn’t realise this was something I should not do. I used a fair bit undiluted left for 5-10 mins scrubbed and rinsed off. Then I realised parts of my grey coloured grout were white. By doing this once have I caused irreparable damage to my grout? Have I ruined the sealant? And is there a chance that the white is just efflorescence triggered by the use of bleach ?
You shouldn’t have used full strength bleach on the grout or sealant. The grout might still be structurally ok, but the color won’t come back. The sealant might not have been affected, but you need to look to see if there is any damage.
You can buy an epoxy grout colorant to paint over the joint to give a uniform look. To get it to perform well and last you need to follow the directions carefully.
Hi, we had Polyblend Charcoal grout used in our shower and it turned white soon afterwards; our contractor had us Aqux mix a grout colorant to our black grout and now it is turning white again before the 20 day no scrub deadline was up! As far as we know there was no sealer on the grout prior to us applying the Aqua Mix; It seems to be turning white mostly where the water comes down from the shower. We have now tried vinegar and scrubbing; nothing seems to really work either making it worse or better. What do you recommend next.
Apparently when the grout was installed it had the charcoal color and then later after use of the shower it turned white. If that is the case it makes me think you had efflorescence staining which is minerals from the grout and underlying setting system or stone if you used stone migrated to the surface. It isn’t unusual to get a little efflorescence, but not a lot. A lot of efflorescence suggests a moisture issue.
The Aqua mix Grout colorant is an epoxy paint. So I don’t see why it would turn white. Sometimes when the grout is damp and the covered with a sealer it will turn cloudy white because moisture is trapped.
I would take a small area where it is white and remove the grout colorant by abrading it off and making sure it will absorb water. I would then let it dry out and then try again with the grout colorant to see if it will work.
Thank you! We will give that a try! How long should we let it dry after we remove the colorant?
There is no hard set rule of how long to let it dry. It depends on how damp it is and if the underlying materials are damp. It depends on the temperature and humidity of its environment. Normally 1 or 2 days grout will dry in normal conditions.
I used CLR on a tile and grout floor. As I poured it onto the floor it caused a fizzing action over the grout. After brushing, rinsing, then drying a white haze is left on the grout. This is an older floor and tiles are only about 1 in. square. Can this be fixed and does the fizzing action mean anything?
Sounds like you might have used too corrosive of an acid cleaner on the tile that might have etched the surface. If the 1×1 inch tiles fizzed that might mean you have a marble mosaic tile. If that is the case it is possible to hire a professional stone restoration company to grind and polish the floor to repair the damaged stones. If the tile was a glazed or porcelain tile it would not fizz.
Hi,
I had a floor with dark grout installed 2 weeks ago. The grout color is not uniform. In addition, when you rub the gout with a wet towel a dark color comes off onto the towel. What went wrong?
Some cementitous grouts are made with a pigment, but they are normally stable and don’t cause bleeding. So hard to say what caused that other than maybe the grout wasn’t mixed well. Maybe the installer used too much water, which can also contribute to the grout color being blotchy.
I would scrub the floor with a neutral detergent added to water using a scrub brush on an extended handle and then use a wet vacuum to pick up the dirty water and rinse the floor again. See if this stops the grout bleeding.
If it does, the only thing you can do to make the grout uniform in color is to use an epoxy based grout colorant to paint the grout joints, which is a tedious job…
I am a renter, and the shower is a very nice dark tile, the floor 3/4″ square mosiac in a similar color. I have hard water and used barkeeper’s friend to try to clean off hard water deposits, coupled with a Mr. Clean sponge (I had read that a Mr. Clean coupled with dishwasher det powder was a good bet, but didn’t have any dishwasher powder that day (I’ve cleaned that way in the past). Now I have white stains on the grout that seems somewhat improved if I really scrub with Mr. Clean sponges, but overall, well…it’s not a good look. Did I discolor the grout using the barkeeper’s friend? I believe it’s acidic. Best best the colored epoxy?
Bar Keepers cleaner is acidic so you probably bleached the color out of the grout. Most grout manufacturers make grout colorants that allow you to paint over the existing grout after you have cleaned it thoroughly. It is a tedious process, but it can look good if done correctly.
Grout turning white in areas. I just had tile installed for a half bath (2 weeks ago.) The grout is a dark gray Permacolor Grout. The tile was finished 2 weeks ago, but we haven’t used the bathroom yet (sink and toilet not installed) and haven’t used any chemicals on floor either. Just a damp rag the day after he finished to wipe the residue on the tile up a bit. the tile is porcelain. What could be causing the white chaulky look? It’s not everywhere, more on one side, near where the sink will go, and the doorway.
The white material is likely efflorescence which are minerals found in cementitious materials that are like salts that dissolve in water, and when they water evaporates it precipitates the white minerals. It is unlikely it is coming from the grout itself. Chances are the tile is installed over concrete or mortar that was damp and as the moisture works its way up through the grout joints and evaporates it leaves the efflorescence. It should be easy to clean. There are products on the market for removing efflorescence from grout. As long as you don’t have continuous source of moisture from below driving the moisture through the grout, it should not reoccur at some point.
Hello! As most posters have mentioned – our grout is turning white within 2 weeks of install and unsure what to do! The shower has ceramic tile floor using Polyblend Sanded Grout in Pewter. Within a few days of use… we noticed discoloring – where some areas were turning white and some were the dark grey. I stopped using shower for a week now – as was worried that contractor did not seal tile and that was causing a moisture issue. Our contractor said that he did NOT seal the floor and that it was not necessary (just around the perimeter). The shower at the is completely dry and the grout is all white. We have not used any cleaning products on floor.
1) Do you recommend that we do seal the grout? There is mixed messaging that if shower was properly installed – sealing the grout may actually trap moisture between the basin and tile. I don’t know what to do – so we just aren’t using shower. It is completely dry at this point.
2) With the grout turning white – this seems like the efflorescence so many people have mentioned. I kind of don’t care that it looks ugly – it is what it is. I see that their are products to fix this. But this moisture below driving moisture up -is what is causing this. How do you “diagnosis” this?
I will do whatever necessary – just do not to have mold or moisture accumulating over there. And would like to use our expensive new bathroom!
Thanks in advance
First question is what is the white substance making your gray grout turn white? You need to know what it is in order to clean it and to prevent it from reoccurring. It could be caused by the quality of the water that was used in terms of being very hard containing high mineral content. Or it could be the the underlying substrate is being subjected to moisture that migrates up through the grout and precipitates minerals leaving the white efflorescence. I would buy some tile efflorescence cleaning and do a test to see if it cleans it up. You could try some diluted vinegar as it is acidic. But be careful and test in an out of the way area to make sure it works satisfactorily.
Next you need to know what is the source of the water that is migrating and precipitating the minerals? You need to stop the moisture source if possible. This is a trial and error process. If you have a shower then if it was constructed properly then you should have a waterproof membrane below the tile assembly. The waterproof membrane has to be sloped towards the drain. If the membrane is under the mortar bed then the drain weep holes have to be protected so they are not plugged. Often the weep holes get plugged and the water becomes trapped in the mortar bed and that could be the source of the water. The only way to know for sure is to do an intrusive inspection.
After the grout is clean and dry, then you can use a penetrating sealer for tile and grout. Go to tile store and buy it there are a number of different brands to choose from. The sealer will help prevent water getting into the grout and to a degree might minimize any moisture coming up from the floor. Normally penetrating sealers will breath and not trap moisture, but read the sealer manufacturer’s data sheet for uses and limitations, and how to apply it.
Hi! Question: I just had my 15 year old marble kitchen backsplash resealed. The color of the grout that was on the backsplash prior to it being resealed is now inconsistent, color is either somewhat missing on various tiles or lighter than the rest. Therefore, I am considering recoloring the grout with a grout colorant (Mapei Grout Refresh or Polyblend Grout Renew). Will a new grout colorant adhere and work well if the grout lines were sealed when I resealed the backsplash? Thank you!
Chances are that as you cleaned the marble backsplash it bleached the grout joints causing the discoloring. Sealers don’t cause color variation in grout. Enhancing sealers will darken the grout, but shouldn’t cause color variation.
The grout colorants are epoxy base so they may or may not bond to the sealed grout; it will depend on the chemistry of the sealer. It is always better to have the grout joints absorb in the grout colorant to give a better bond and attachment.
You will have to experiment to see if grout colorant is compatible with the sealed grout. If not, you can try to strip the sealer out of the grout joint. What you are doing is experimental so always test everything out in an out of the way area to make sure it works before applying it to the entire installation.
Yes grout turned white. I understood that the thin set (mixture between subfloor and backer board) would be dry in 4-6 hours. We let it dry overnight and laid porcelain tile the following day. Only got half done due to tile cutter issue. But then I completed the tile four days later. Looked great that night. Next morning my light grey grout is white. I am sure I used too much water. Didn’t ever read that that could be a problem. So I have wiped down the floor three more times to remove haze and white effervescing. My question is could it also be that the thin set still had moisture in it. If so, can it ever get dry enough to remove the effervescence? Water is off in the bathroom. Not in use at all. I don’t want to use any moisture to clean it if there is a window dry time. When I found this site and read comments I’ve seen 10 day and 20 day on sealant. But not much on cure times except what is on bag (Mapei Keracolor). The extra mixed grout I have left over is stored. I’ve checked it twice and it’s still the correct color.
You can normally install the grout the next day after setting the tile as long as the tile thin-set has set up to prevent the tile from moving. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions.
You might not have efflorescence, but rather a cement or latex haze. If you clean it off with dry cheese cloth soon enough the day you grout and the grout has set up you can dust it off. If you leave it too long it can be difficult to remove. You might need to buy a highly diluted acid cleaner for removing grout haze or a latex remover from your tile supplier.
If the grout color is blotchy then that may be due to using too much water in mixing the grout and/or too much water in cleaning the grout during the installation process.
Thank you! Will do. I wiped it about 20 minutes after I completed grout. However I could have used a gentle cloth but used the standard wet sponge thinking I was smoothing it better. Now I know. I have two other areas to do and will use what I’ve learned. And thanks for being there for us to reach out to.
I have charcoal gray penny tile on my shower floor along with charcoal gray grout. We have hard water so our shower floor was getting a brownish/orange hue to it. I cleaned it with tile and grout cleaner, and when the shower dried the grout has started to turn light gray/whitish! Is there any fixing this to turn it back to the charcoal gray grout color?
If the whitish color is efflorescence then you should be able to buy acidic product made for cleaning efflorescence off of grout. If you used a highly concentrated acid to clean the grout you might have bleached the grout. If that is the case you might not be able to repair it.
After the grout is clean and dry you could apply a enhancer sealer that will darken the grout and will help protect it from future staining. Although sealers don’t last more than 6 months or so in a shower.
If the grout can’t be cleaned, there are epoxy grout colorants that sort of match the various grout colors that you can apply to get a consistent color and will be more resistant to staining.
I have a foyer with dark charcoal grout. Some areas have something white on them. I tried cleaning with just water and initially it looked like it was dark again but as it dried some areas returned to being white or having something white on the grout. I did have a cat liter box in this foyer with crystal litter that contains the following: Silica Sand, Oxygen, Water & Hydrolyzed Herbs (does not contain Crystalline Silica). This Silica Sand litter does have white dust and I was able to get areas where that was off of the grout. But there are other white areas possibly not from the cat liter and I don’t know what caused them. Any suggestions on what I should try as a test to try to remove the white from the grout? I think I will try the vinegar solution test you recommended earlier on this page. Thank you.
You have to experiment to determine how best to remediate the white haze problem. Maybe what is giving it the white appearance is the Cat Litter? Or maybe it is efflorescence staining from minerals migrating up from underneath the grout. Or maybe it is a left over haze from when it was installed. Or maybe the grout was cleaned with a too acidic solution that has bleached the grout?
I would test to determine the best cleaning option by taking an out of the way small area to clean. First try clean water with a liquid detergent with a scrub brush. Let the solution soak in the grout joint for 10 minutes. The scrub it with bristle brush on an extended handle. Use a wet vacuum to pick up the dirty water. Rinse it with clean water and pick it up with the wet vacuum.
If that doesn’t work. Wet a small grout joint with the white condition and take some diluted vinegar (1:1 ratio) and apply to the grout joint and scrub it with the bristle brush. Use a wet vacuum to pick up the dirty water. Rinse it with clean water and pick it up with the wet vacuum.
If that doesn’t work, you can try applying a penetrating enhancer sealer over the dry white hazed grout joint. It is suppose to give a wet look so it might blend the grout color so it isn’t noticeable.
We have hard water . The porcelain floor and wall tiles in the heavy used areas of the walk in shower have a film on them. The taupe colored grout in the same areas is turning white as well. It has been years since the installation but the issue seems to be getting worse . I have tried several different cleaners for tile and for grout and scrubbed both areas using a lot of elbow grease.
I would love any recommendations on a product that would work.
A calcium buildup in a shower due to hardwater can be fairly easy to clean if you clean it on a timely basis in a proper manner. When it is left of an extended period of time, the soluble calcium oxides and becomes insoluble and becomes much more difficult to remove.
I have heard that Multi-use CLR calcium remove works well. Test it out before applying to the entire shower area. Let it soak for 5 minutes or so and then use a bristle brush to scrub it, but make sure you don’t scratch your tile.
Hi Donato…. We chose a light colored grout on beautiful mosaic travertine stone
in my new shower. I wasn’t expecting my contractor to fill the holes. The stone in the entire shower now looks like it is covered in white chalk and is also stuck in all the beautiful fissures and imperfections of the stone. My whole purpose in choosing the Travertine Stone was to enjoy the naturalness of the stone.
I have washed it multiple times but it returns to this white chalk look. When wet from sponging, the grout of course darkens and reveals the original natural fissures and especially the beautiful shadows and imperfections of the stone. I would like to see how I might get this affect and restore the natural stone texture, color and look.
I’ve seen recommended online…. sealant, colorant, oil and stain to darken the grout. I don’t think colorant will work since I want the holes to be gone over to remove the white chalky filled-in look and we are talking small mosaic tiles so prohibitive to tape and use in between.
#1 – Will oil create this desired look? and can the oil be used to darken the grout not only in between the stones, but also in the holes?
#2 Since this is in a shower, we of course want to seal the tile. While I am drawn to use oil to darken….I read an article where a sealant/sealer won’t actually seal if there is any dirt or oil on the stone or grout. Would you kindly share your thoughts? And of the three…what you would recommend….oil? stain? sealant? And if sealant…what kind?
P.S. Also we have installed pebble stone on the floor and on some detail throughout the shower, so whatever we choose to darken, would need to work on the “too light” color of grout surrounding the pebbles as well.
Thank you so much for your expertise and time.
Normally you would not want unfilled travertine in a shower as the voids will collect water and organic debris that will likely result in microbial growths (mold).
If you want to highlight the stone’s characteristics you should apply an Enhancer Sealer to the stone which will give it a wet look. It will only last so long depending on how frequent you use the shower, but it can be applied as needed.
Hi there –
We recently had our bathroom model. Our installer used Custom Polyblend Plus Dolorian grey. A few days after it was done, it started to get splotchy. The grout is half dark grey with half light grey. Not sure what is going on. I called Custom and they recommended an Sulfamic Acic Wash Crystals. Can you please advise if you think this is the best course of action? Is this a grout issue or was this an issue with our installer? Thank you!
Not sure why they recommend the sulfamic acid. It is a safe acid to use. Maybe they think that you have a haze over the light color grout. You can test it out on a small spot and see what happens.
If could be an installer problem if they used too much water in the mixing it or if they use too much water in the clean-up.
It is possible it could be a manufacturer problem, but less likely. Although the manufacturer does promote the grout as being color consistent. If the tile installer bought the grout then he should work with the manufacturer to resolve the problem.