skip to main content

how hard is it to keep a tile and grout tub/shower surround clean?

4 years ago

I live in a 100 year-old house with one main family bathroom. The tub/shower currently has an inexpensive 3 piece/2 seam surround that has mold growing behind and needs replacing. It was fairly easy to keep clean. I’m considering replacing it with subway tile. As I’ve never had grout lines I’m wondering how hard this will be to keep clean? We live in an area with hard water, but we do have a water softener. I’m also considering going with an Onyx type system which is similar to what I have now.

If I go with tile, should I get larger tiles to have fewer grout lines? Make the grout lines as narrow as possible? Does grout need to be replaced frequently? Or sealed? I appreciate all your feedback!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

NYCish
4 years ago
I think it is more prudent that when you rip out that insert, you rip out everything else around it and start with a intact waterproofing system, and then worry about tile. I’d be more concerned with what is behind that enclosure.

Tile isn’t hard to keep clean if it is installed properly.
enduring
4 years ago
This looks like a fun project...and like my old bathroom. I keep my tile clean by daily drying it down with a microfiber towel used for car detailing. Its 40" long. I hang it to dry. I also wipe my shower doors off with the same towel. I found it easier to use the towel than a squeegee. I only clean my shower 3 times a year with this technique. I am the only one using the shower. I do clean the shower pan more often, like every few months. Its a cast iron Kohler and is great. I have a good exhaust fan to keep the room free from fog. Gaps under the doors so make up air can get in to help exhaust the mist through the ceiling. No mold ever with how I do things.
Related Discussions
larger tiles for tub/shower surround
Q
Comments (4)
I think it will be fine. If the wall was 36" and you did the brick layout every other row will be three full tiles, but the other rows will be two full tiles and two half tiles on each end. In your case you really have 2 2/3 tiles, so I would stagger the joints so each row has two full tiles and one cut tile. The odd rows will line up with the cut tiles on the right side, and the even rows on the left, for example. You might try mocking it up on a piece of paper or asking your tiler or tile supplier for their input as well.
...See More
What's the Ultimate cost of DIY tile tub/shower surround?
Q
Comments (8)
Just curious...how'd you come up with 31 sqft for tiling to the ceiling? For a typical tub surround: -poly sheeting: $10 -Half-inch thick Tile backer board, 4 sheets: $60 -Roll of mesh alkali-resistant tape: $7.50 -Tile: Name your price. Say $5 a foot for grins, for 60sqft it's $300. -One bag highly modified thinset $30 -One bag Grout $15 -Caulk $15 So materials, rounding way up, about $150 not counting the tile. Tools? -Stapler to staple up the poly sheet to the studs. -Utility knife and blades: You can score and cut the tile backer board like Hardiebacker with a utility knife. You can even cut holes with a utility knife, score the perimeter with the knife and pop out the center with a hammer. -Stapler to staple up the poly sheet to the studs. Hammer/nails: to nail up the backer board. You could use screws, but you'd need a drill with driver bit. To cut the tile: The box stores will do it for you on a per cut basis. I have no idea what they charge. For for basic tile you can use a score and snap cutter. They can be had for $25-$50. Or you can buy a cheap wetsaw at the box stores for $50. Or buy one on craigslist then resell it when you are done. So...$50 let;s say. Always good to have tile nippers, $20. Have your plumbing fall on grout lines instead of in the middle of a tile and you can nip a hole instead of having to drill a hole. To mix and spread the thinset: -bucket -margin trowel: $7.50 Yup. To hand mix the thinset and grout. The thinset, mix maybe a third of a bag at a time. Pace yourself. Or you can buy a paddle if you have a low-speed drill that has the torque to spin it. -notched trowel: $5, 1/4" x 1/4" to spread the thinset. To Grout: -Grout float: $10 -Grout Sponges: 2- or 3-multi-pack for $5 Basic hand tools, about $50. Add $50 for a tile cutter, so total tools is about $100. Materials: $150 Tile: $300 @ $5 a ft Tools: $100 Total, about $550 Rough guess.
...See More
Molded tub/shower surrounds
Q
Comments (9)
My molded shower stall is hard to clean-- it has yellowish stains despite our water softener and iron filter! It is about 10 years old and is made of " viikrell" ( Strerling /Kohler's product). Maybe newer ones and other types are better. I hate cleaning old -fashioned grout , too, but there are newer types of grout that are easier to clean. Mapei has "Flex color CQ" which i used on my backsplash and it never needs sealing and it doesn't stain! I love it! It is not a cement - based grout - I think it is made of silicone and acrylic with coated quartz crystals instead of sand! Epoxy grouts are also supposed to be easier to keep clean, though harder to install. i was just reading a blog post yesterday where the designer spec'ed a high end, molded shower pan for her own bathroom and slso showed a photo of that company's molded shower surrounds that looked like marble! It was on Maria Killam's popular blog "Color Me Happy" from yesterday or the day before.Hope this helps!
...See More
Placement of contrast/accent tiles in tub/shower surround etc.
Q
Comments (29)
This is so helpful, everybody! I realize I should have specified that I have a 9' ceiling in the bathroom, so it's taller than either the length (almost 8') or width (almost 7') of the room. That's part of the reason I don't want to run tile all the way up to the ceiling. I think it would look overwhelmingly tall and out of proportion. House Vixen, I'm having trouble seeing what you're describing as running bond – unless you mean in the field tile itself. I do rather like that pattern used with square tiles. (I confess I'm getting a little tired of rectangular subway tile absolutely everywhere, which is not to say there aren't a lot of bathrooms that use it that are both period and gorgeous.) House Vixen, btw I love the baseboard+floor border further set off by red pencil liner in that yellow bath.
...See More
adawn5
4 years ago
Thanks to Enduring and some other posters I think, I went online and bought "Pluffles" for me and my mom. She uses hers to dry her shower glass (after squeegeeing) and to wipe down all of her chrome fixtures and grab bars so they stay nice and shiny. I use mine to wipe down our new hall tub/shower with 4x8 white subway tile and all the chrome fixtures. Very absorbent, large enough to do everything in our showers, doesn't leave lint behind and they dry fast. Silly name though--Pluffles.
PRO
StarCraft Custom Builders
4 years ago
The best way to reduce grout maintenance in a shower is to use the right grout in the installation. The old cement-based grouts were hard to keep clean. Many seemed to grow mildew like it was a cash crop.

The newer urethane grouts are essentially a durable plastic, non-porous, and do not provide hiding places for mildew. We use nothing but in our bathrooms on floors, walls and shower surrounds.

It's more expensive than cement grout, but considering the overall cost of a tile job, the different is minimal.

Quartzlock was the original urethane product. It has now been bought out by Bostik. It is definitely a pro product, not recommended for any but the most experienced DIYers.
Audrey
4 years ago
following

Related Stories

BATHROOM DESIGN Green and Clean: Ecofriendly Tub and Shower Surrounds

By Ivon Street Studio

Keep your bathroom beautiful and your footprint green with long-lasting, ecofriendly surface materials

BATHROOM DESIGN Convert Your Tub Space Into a Shower — the Tiling and Grouting Phase

By By Any Design Ltd.

Step 3 in swapping your tub for a sleek new shower: Pick the right tile and test it out, then choose your grout color and type

GREAT HOME PROJECTS Say Goodbye to the Shower Curtain With a Glass Tub Enclosure

A glass screen or door can make a bathroom look modern and airy, and can be easy to clean if you don’t have hard water

HOUSEKEEPING How to Clean a Glass Shower Door

By Bonnie McCarthy

See which tools and methods will keep those glass shower walls and doors sparkling clean

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Bathroom of the Week: Bright and Stylish With a Roomy Shower-Tub

By Jeannie Matteucci

A designer helps a Chicago condo owner lighten her dark master bath with an updated layout and a fresh, clean look

BATHROOM DESIGN New This Week: 6 Bathrooms That Rock a Shower-Tub Combo

By Mitchell Parker

Designers showcase beautiful ways to make this classic bathroom feature worth keeping

BATHROOM DESIGN New This Week: 4 Small Bathrooms With a Shower-Tub Combo

By Mitchell Parker

See how designers enhance the classic space-saving feature with tile color, vanity style and other design details

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Before and After: Tub-Shower Combo Gets a Major Update

A mother-daughter bathroom in Toronto now has function and style, thanks to clean design and custom storage

BATHROOM DESIGN 8 Narrow Bathrooms That Rock Tubs in the Shower

By Bryan Anthony

Not a fan of shower-tub combos or of ditching the tub altogether? Check out these 8 spaces with tubs in the shower

HOUSEKEEPING How to Clean Marble Countertops and Tile

By Bonnie McCarthy

Acidic solutions can damage your marble surfaces. Here’s how to keep marble looking clean and amazing

Sponsored

More Discussions

why does my perimeter grout in new shower look darker?

5

Recommendations for soaking/freestanding tub

2

wood look Ribbon tile trim

0

Bath remodel with walk in shower

1

Winifred or Hibiscus

1