We have looked several solid surface options of cultured marble or engineered stone but they are pricy. Also consider large format tiles especially rectified Porcelain which can be set with nearly no space between tiles. Also there are special grouts that deter mold and mildew.

in the kids bath where the tub needed repair and refinishing we had Miracle Method refinish the tub surround tile. It makes a solid coating over the tile and grout that deters mold and mildew. I haven't seen any for 3 months since we had them done.

A well ventilated bath means no more "grout cleaning" than normal shower wall cleaning to remove the normal soap residue. VENTILATE. Use the fan. A very good fan.

I have bright white grout that has been bright white for twenty years.

there are some very skilled concrete artisans out there who can do a concrete overlay- but they MUST know what they are doing - I have also seen metallic epoxy panels that look very cool- or look into colored sheets of glass

Porcelanosa has a product called Xlight..it comes in large pieces that would easily cover the tub area

Jan, my bathroom is very well ventilated and the shower still has to have the floor grout cleaned.

Alllllllllllll floor grout needs cleaning. Your bare feet leave an oily residue, it holds dust and hair goo and sprays like a magnet. Just one reason I love a hardwood floor in a mater bath: ) Way easier . So too a darker grout on floors that are tiled.

I didn't think of the wood in the bathroom..For the a basement bathroom we went with one of the new stain resistant grout from Mapei. It's supposed to be easier to clean..only time will tell

Thank you. Those suggestions are helpful. I like the look of U Tile by Maax but the reviews are pretty bad. Has anyone had experience with it? Our tile wasn't installed right in the first place, so we need to replaced rather than cleaned or sealed. But I'm done with ceramic tile, for sure.

Actually, I think the current tile might be leaking. Is there anyway to check for that? How does one know what is going on behind the wall?