Before sealing your grout, wait at least 24 hours since you have acid washed the floor. If not, the sealer will not adhere to the grout correctly. Also, make sure you are satisfied with how the grout looks, once the seal is applied it will be too late to change your mind. Of course, you should not be sealing your grout unless you have acid washed the floor first. Not many supplies are needed for this job and there is a good chance you have everything on this list except for the sealer. Buy a good quality sealer, somewhere between $50 to $100 per gallon. It will hold up much longer than the cheap stuff. Measure you floor and buy more sealer than you need, you can always get a refund on extra bottles. Before you start, tape up any surface you do not want the sealer to contact. Also, make sure your mustard bottle is completely clean! I would wash it a few times so there is absolutely no mustard in the bottle or the spout. The mustard will mix with the grout and create some staining on your tile.
Grout Sealer Masking Tape White Terry Cloths Empty Mustard Bottle
Fill your mustard bottle about 3/4 full with the grout sealer. If it is full, it may come out too fast. You can also adjust the spout to get the desired flow needed to perform the job comfortably. It will take you a few grout lines to get the feel for sealing, just be patient and try not to waste too much of the product. Work an area about 30 to 50 sq. ft. any larger than this and you run the risk of having the sealer dry on the tile to a point where you can't wipe it off with your wet towel. Paint both the vertical and horizontal lines working backwards, so you don't come in contact with the sealer you have already put down. Use a smooth, even stroke when applying the grout sealer and try to stay inside the grout lines as best you can. After finishing the first 30 to 50 sq. ft. begin wiping off the excess sealer from the tile.
Using a damp terry cloth, begin wiping up any excess sealer from the tile. Work in a circular motion, going over the area two or three times to make sure there is no sealer left on the tile. Wet and wring out your rag often, so it stays clean throughout the entire sealing process. You can even use new rags every 100 sq. ft. if you wish. Repeat process on the next 30 to 50 sq. ft. until you are completely finished. The sealer will need 3 to 5 days to completely cure, so wet mopping is not recommended.
Bobby Walker is a 14 year cleaning industry veteran who owns and operates Carpet Cleaning of Dallas, a carpet, tile and upholstery restoration company. He is also a webmaster for 4 websites, including 2 do it yourself sites. http://www.groutcleaningtips.com http://www.spotcleaningtips.com
