Do you know which products they are using? If it's $10 a can at Home Depot and has great reviews, I'd probably do it myself. If the product is expensive or has mixed reviews and they offer a guarantee, I'd probably let them do it.

I'd want to know what kind of grout I have and if it is supposed to be sealed.

But certainly don't do "color seal" which sounds like it has a good chance of looking like DIY grout color. Grout isn't supposed to be waterproof!

I would gladly pay to have the grout sealed, but would only do the clear. The color is more if you want to change the color IMO.

It isn't hard to seal your own grout, but again you have to do every single grout line so just tedious and with a lot of grout lines it takes time.

Shouldn't grout be sealed only when completely dry? Just wondering how that will happen if they clean and then seal it in the same visit.

I sealed my own grout when my bathroom was redone 6 years ago, but it's subway and only on the walls. It's tedious, but doable. I use the shower everyday, squeegee, microfiber cloth finish. It's pristine.

I would not seal that small hex tile myself. Alternatives would include changing the lighting so the difference in grout color is not noticeable, providing guests with bathroom sunglasses to make all grout appear uniform, or moving.

Would not apply color on top of grout for reasons already stated, might look like an aftermarket change of color.

Very interested because not happy with my kitchen grout. Here's what SS says on their website:

Learn More

HOW TO CLEAN GROUT?

When cleaning grout, avoid using bleach and other harsh chemical cleaners that might break down sealants. The best way to clean grout is using a natural grout cleaner.

We recommend mixing 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, 1 tsp dish soap. Mix together the baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. Spoon mixture onto grout, wait 10 minutes, scrub and rinse.

Still looking for the best grout cleaner? Try Stanley Steemer's Tile & Cleaner.

HOW DO YOU CLEAN MY TILE AND GROUT?

We scrub each individual grout line as well as tiles with tile and grout specific cleaners. We clean using high pressure that hooks up to our truck-mounted unit that will extract the dirt and grime embedded in the grout lines. Learn more here.

I had Stanley Steemer clean my shower tile. There was a small spot where the grout is white, due to, I think, calcium deposits, that didn't get back to the original color with my cleaning. Neither could Stanley Steemer restore the grout to the original color. YMMV.

Following. btw, is there a way to follow without commenting?

I had 1" tiles in my shower half of the grout was discolored yellowish from years of the shower spray hitting it. I could never clean it to whiten, not even when I used the strongest bleach. the "grout renew" stuff to make it look white again was basically like opaque paint. you would have to carefully do every grout line on the entire floor to make it all match, and it does wind up looking a little like paint. worse, it can sometimes flake off after a couple years of cleaning.

I have no idea, but could you have the grout thoroughly cleaned and then stain it a darker color instead?

So I said I would post before and after; here is one, from DDs bathroom. Unfortunately they are not taken at the same time of day so lighting is an issue.

gives you some idea tho

DH's bathroom floor, before and after.

In our previous house I desperately wanted white hex tile with white grout in my master bathroom and shower and was desperately worried about it getting dirty/stained and never looking good again.

I used this product on the grout lines immediately after installation. It worked like magic and the grout stayed bright white for the 10 remaining years we lived there.

It was laborious, I think I used a very fine paintbrush to apply it carefully along the grout lines. But I really never had to worry again about dingy or discolored grout

Mtn, in pictures your floors look better. How are they IRL? Are you pleased? Did SS get the grout as clean as you hoped they would?

Your floors, especially the grout, look whiter. Are you happy with the outcome?

I guess I expected something more dramatic, whereas my family says it looks the same to them. The before photos were at night so that muddies the comparison.

The more I look at them (and I know these floors all too well now), the more it drives me crazy. The grout was never a true white. I have to look up what it was. And the tiles themselves vary in color. I also noticed my DH's floor has a crack along the grout lines. IDK maybe 10yrs is all I should expect from a floor...

ETA - for those thinking of using the service, I would not dissuade. I'd just say that, if you have very small tiles and a lot of grout, temper your expectations?

I painted my grout. I went from white to black and it turned out great. Your hex tile is a ton nicer than what I was dealing with. It was an easy solution and I would do it again without hesitation.

Well, rats. I was so hoping that you were going to say that IRL it looked brand new. And then I was going to book Stanley Steemer to come clean mine (later in the summer and only if they would wear a mask!).

I let a friend talk me into a tile that looks similar to travertine. Those holes do nothing but collect dirt. I was looking forward to your guy Stan taking care of all of my woes.

TBH, until I started cleaning my own floors in Q, I thought my tile floors were fine. I still think they are "fine." Then I became obsessed with making them "like new." I don't think that's realistic.

It's so funny, as I clean my house now, I think about all the little details that make it hard to clean (raised furniture feet on cabs, shaker panelled doors, shiny nickel that gets water spots, my big dog, etc etc etc). I can even recall over the years people mentioning how such choices make it hard to clean. I cared not a fig. and now .... LOL

It does look better for sure, but I was hoping you were going to be bowled over.

mtn- I can't find the pictures now, but when I moved into my current apartment the grout in the 2 bathrooms were dark gray. I thought that was the color of the grout, nope. When I replaced a vanity I found the grout was originally white. YUCK! I found this product Finazzle. It was amazing. Yes, I scrubbed on my hands and knees, but the grout was white. I found this picture on line. I believe it is sold at Ace Hardware. I am going to buy some soon.

It is very hard to get them looking like new, but I’ve had good success with Stanley Steemer. And maybe it is local. We often get the same crew to the house. I may end up scheduling them after kitty passes away. I don’t want to put him through the trauma of their visit in his final days. They do a great job on the area rugs, too. So, I have the kitchen and bath and all the area rugs done.

hcbm, is Finazzle still available? Their facebook page seems to be outdated...

I cleaned one grout line yesterday. DH thought it was wet; I thought it was dirty. I was right. I sprayed it with OxyClean Max Force, let it set for 30 minutes, then scrubbed with an old electric toothbrush. Even with an electric toothbrush, it was hands and knees work and took forever. I suppose I ought to buy grout sealer, then clean and seal a line or two a day.

I bought that finazzle product years ago. Didn't work well for me. The crud cutter is the winner around here. In our previous home I had white grout in entry from garage, mudroom and kitchen...the previous owner's foolish decision. When we moved in we had the grout steam cleaned and then professionally colored. The color held up well for the 8 years we lived there. It was a product sort of painted on, but did not look painted...it still had that grout texture...these were WIDE grout lines too. I hated that floor!

I don't know if Finazzle is still available. I am going to check Ace Hardware, because I saw on line something that said it was sold there.

One day when I redo my kitchen and bathrooms, no white grout, a cast iron shower pan and I might even go for flat front cabinets.

Def flat-front cabinets!