How do you maintain tile and grout?
Updated August 2026
Maintaining tile is really maintaining grout: seal cement-based grout every 1 to 2 years, clean it with a pH-neutral cleaner instead of acid or bleach, and regrout any cracked or missing joints before water works under the tile. The tile shrugs off water; the grout drinks it, and in a wet area that unglamorous line of grout and caulk is the only thing between the shower and the subfloor.
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Squeegee or wipe wet-area tile to cut soap scum and mildew | Weekly | 3 min · DIY |
| Clean with a pH-neutral cleaner, not vinegar or bleach | Weekly | 10 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Scrub grout lines and re-check for cracks or gaps | Quarterly | 20 min · DIY |
| Dry corners and seams that stay damp after showers | Ongoing | Habit |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Reseal cement grout with a penetrating sealer | 1–2 years | $15–30 · DIY |
| Test the seal: water should bead, not soak in | 1–2 years | 2 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Regrout cracked, crumbling, or missing joints | As needed | $1–5/sq ft |
| Replace failed caulk where tile meets tub, floor, or counter | Yearly | $5–10 tube |
What neglect costs
Unsealed grout wicks every shower and spill straight into the substrate. Once water is behind the tile it feeds mold in the wall and rot in the subfloor, and by the time a tile sounds hollow or a floor tile lifts, the fix is no longer a tube of caulk. Tearing out and rebuilding a rotted shower pan or a soft bathroom subfloor runs $1,000–3,000, and a full tile shower rebuild can reach $5,000 or more. A $20 bottle of sealer and an hour every year or two is the entire defense.
Leave these to a pro
Sealing and small caulk repairs are easy DIY. Regrouting a whole shower or floor is harder: it means grinding out the old grout without chipping the tile, and a tile pro charges roughly $1–5 per square foot, more for glass or detailed work. Any sign of movement, tiles that flex, a spongy floor, or dark staining spreading from the joints, means water is already underneath, and that is worth a pro opening it up to find the source before new tile goes down. Epoxy grout costs more up front but never needs sealing, a fair trade in a heavy shower.
This whole checklist ships as reminders in OnOtto: every task above, on the right schedule for your home, snooze-proof.
Load this checklist as remindersFrequently asked questions
How do I know if my grout needs resealing?
Run the water-drop test: put a few drops on a grout line and wait a couple of minutes. If the water beads on top, the seal is fine; if it soaks in and the grout darkens, it is time to reseal. Most cement grout needs it every 1 to 2 years, sooner in a heavily used shower or on a kitchen floor. Clean and dry the grout fully first, then wipe on a penetrating sealer, let it sit, and buff off the excess before it hazes.
Should I use bleach or vinegar on grout?
Neither as a regular cleaner. Vinegar and other acids etch cement grout and strip the sealer, and bleach can discolor it and break down the sealer over time, so both make the grout more porous the more you use them. Reach for a pH-neutral tile cleaner for routine work, and an oxygen bleach or a dedicated grout cleaner for a periodic deep scrub. After any deep clean that strips the surface, plan to reseal.
What is the difference between grout and caulk?
Grout is the rigid cement filler between tiles on the same flat plane; caulk is the flexible sealant used wherever two surfaces meet and move, like the joint where the tile wall meets the tub, the floor, or a countertop. Those corners flex, so grout there will always crack, which is why they get caulk instead. Grout gets sealed every year or two; caulk gets cut out and replaced when it splits or molds, usually yearly, the same bead the bathroom checklist covers.
Does epoxy grout need sealing?
No. Epoxy grout is nonporous and effectively waterproof once cured, so it never needs a topcoat sealer the way cement grout does, and it resists stains and mildew far better in showers and on kitchen floors. The trade-offs are a higher material cost and a fussier, faster-setting installation, which is why many installers still use cement grout. If your grout is epoxy, skip the resealing step entirely and just keep it clean with a pH-neutral cleaner.