Martha Stewart's Clever Trick Could Save You Major Time When Regrouting

If you have tile floors, you might notice over time that the grout ends up dirty and cracked, which is all part of typical wear and tear from daily traffic. Cracked, broken, and loose grout can cause problems if left unfixed, as you will lose a protective barrier between the upper layer of flooring and the subflooring. Grout helps to prevent moisture from getting under the tiles which can lead to potential mold growth and other damage. This is where regrouting becomes important.

Martha Stewart understands the importance of having to regrout your tiles, especially in a household with multiple dogs. In a blog post from the entrepreneur, she shared a clever tip for what she does when touching up grout in her home. She starts by checking all of the rooms with tile flooring. As she sees spots that need to be fixed, she places a sticky note next to those areas so that they do not get missed when going back to make the fixes.

Stewart points out that there are specific places in her own home where the tiles are especially vulnerable, which include in front of the sink, by the doors, near counters that were used more often, and even the space in front of the refrigerator. These are not only high traffic areas, but in some cases, they are also prone to leaks and water spills. Since grout is porous, that means water can seep through over time, leading to damage that needs repairing.

Regrouting is about more than just the look of your tiles, it's also about functionality. With how important grout is, it's important to know the signs of when you need to regrout. The first step in your own grout checking process should be to look for the highly visible signs of cracking and breakage. Next, you'll want to look for spots where there appear to be gaps between your tiles. As you find these areas, you'll want to use the sticky note trick from Martha Stewart for applying grout in places that need repair. This will make the spots easier to find when you are ready to start working.

One final area of concern to look out for with your current grout is discoloration. Discoloration of the grout could be a sign of moisture seeping in over time. Anywhere you see these problems, mark them so that you can come back and clean out whatever grout is left behind before regrouting. With every step of the process, from cleaning out the old grout to adding new, the sticky note acts as a beacon to guide you. It will also help if you choose to use a grout sealer between your tiles and want to make sure that the fresh grout gets a coat in the end. It's a simple but effective hack for anyone taking on a regrouting project themselves.