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Staining your grout to change the color - While tile will last for many years with no signs of wear or fading, grout does not always hold up as well. Due to the location and the traffic conditions, grout can sometimes get discolored beyond the point of cleaning. When this happens, it makes the entire floor look dirty and worn.

Aside from removing all the grout and regrouting, which is terribly time consuming, you can give your grout a fresh appearance with grout stain. I was skeptical that the stain would actually give a nice look and that it would hold up to the test of time. The result was great and a couple years later, it sill looks like the day it was restained.

You should completely clean the grout before applying the stain. This means getting down on your hands and knees and scrubbing the grout. It's worth the time taken to prepare the grout. The stain is applied with a brush. Carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Some of your large home improvement centers carry grout stain in a limited color selection. You can mix the stains together if you want a shade that is different from the available stock. Carefully measure your mix and test the color in a spot not seen (closet). When you have the color you want, mix up one batch of sufficient quantity since you want the color to be consistent. Store it in a plastic container with a lid.

When applying the stain to the grout, be careful of the tiles. Tiles with a high gloss type of glaze are the easiest to stain. Be very careful if you're going to attempt this with a tile that has little or no glazing since the stain can soak in to the tile. For the homeowner, DIY'er, I would suggest sticking to a glazed porcelain tile.

Always use gloves when applying any type of stain. Stain can be quite difficult to completely remove from the skin. When removing grout, always wear safety glasses.