Crying - please help with floor grouting

[Loussa]

Hi. I have just bought a new house (first time buyer). Spent more than I can afford (well close to) on a brand new kitchen. We went for limestone effect porcelain tiles (matte).

Ive had to be without my karcher for two months - got lost in the move. Full disclosure we have 2 golden retrievers. I’ve done my best with the flash speed mop but the floors have been trashed.

Gave it a good clean but the grout looks
disgusting still. I’ve told DH not to walk the dogs in the woods but he has ignored me. Dh has called me not to get fixated.

How can I get them back? Do I need to regrout?

Mountains…. Molehills.

trashed? Really? Can you see how much of an overreaction that is?

I gave up having a perfect home once we got the dogs. Tbh your floor looks fine to me. I’d just mop it regularly. Can you get a rug maybe? For the areas with most dog traffic?

You can get grouting pens - see Amazon diy - 6 pens to about £7.

You are going to be fighting a losing battle for the rest of those dogs lives with that colour grout. You really needed to go for the mid grey, it's so forgiving. No advice but I think you're insane to think changing the dogs walking route would be the solution to this.

YABVVVU

It looks just fine

@MeinKraft I was just about to post the same as we have black tiles and white grout in our house (rented, not ours) and I have to keep on top of it.

I would also add a good squirt of toothpaste into you bicarbonate/vinegar paste.

@Janieforever

Simple solution- the floors are now his Job. And if he does a shit Job then start doing badly at the dishes til he starts commenting on the dirty dishes, then say well the floor is really dirty and you won't walk the dogs elsewhere/clean it properly so I'm just matching your vibe.

You are totally overreacting. I can barely tell the difference. And if anyone told me to walk my dogs somewhere less enjoyable just to keep the grout on the kitchen floor pristine I'd laugh at them.

If you're that bothered wash and dry them before bringing them in.

Meant very kindly, but do you have anxiety issues or obsessive tendencies? Because crying over this does not seem proportionate and I wonder whether a trip to the GP might be beneficial?

Yes I can be “fixated” and a nag. I do my best to keep myself in check as he probably does his fair share or there about a. Certainly does the jobs I don’t like

You need to get a grip and have some perspective. Your grout looks fine and you sound unhinged asking husband to not walk dogs somewhere because of grout in your kitchen.

With kindness - get a bloody grip - there is nothing wrong with the floor. It is certainly not trashed.

You have three options:

Learn to accept slightly discolured grout.

Buy a big bottle of grout cleaner and a brush and give it a good scrub every week or so.

Dig out the white grout and replace it with a beige/sand coloured grout that will show the dirt less.

Before having our kitchen redone we used to have Indian slate tiles.

I used to use a grout restorer and colourer which proved excellent. (Can’t recall the name but you should be able to Google it.)

Thankfully have Karndean flooring now which is so much easier but the restore and colour would do the job so long as all your grout is in good condition.
You would have to do the whole floor though but doesn’t take long once you get the hang of it.

Op, the floor looks wet but that’s just normal discolouration. You can bleach it daily with a toothbrush and thick bleach, but honestly., I’d consider this obsessive.

The woods turn into a mud bath. Still takes them. Only got worse since we’ve replaced carpet downstairs with wood/tile as he now says “that’s why we invested in hard floors”. No effort to minimise muddy paw prints at all now.

Long haired dogs, 35 kg. Not an easy clean up job.

Floors in pic are wet - post steam mop.

I think you just need to accept that light grout does not stay pristine if you actually use and live in your house.

You are being a bit PFH (precious first house). I get it, I was like that too for a bit.

We have to have our hall carpeted (third floor flat) - we live near woods and Mr Monkey is a daily runner. I deliberately got a hardwearing greyish/beige carpet so it wouldn't show the dirt. Not my ideal hallway carpet but you know.

Op life is too short to get upset over floor grout. Homes are to be lived in. I would go over them with a grouting pen but not a white one- maybe light grey. Also maybe one of those absorbent mats by the door for the dogs. We always wipe our labradors paws while she’s on the mat so her paws are dry on the tiles. If you ever re grout go for a darker one. But try not to worry- no one else except you will be looking at your tile grout.

I’ve told DH not to walk the dogs in the woods but he has ignored me. Dh has called me not to get fixated

This is absolutely bonkers and I feel sorry for your husband and dogs. The Goldies come first in this scenario and they are a big working breed who love woodland, fields and MUD! Wonderful dogs whose love and companionship is priceless and certainly worth more than bloody grout.

Also your floor looks perfectly fine to me.

Your DH and DDog shouldn't have to compromise exercise and fun for the sake of grouting; that is crackers. Clean Ddog's feet under the hose before coming in but quite honestly kitchens are for living in and dog or not the grouting will get discoloured. When we had crawling DC and dogs the kitchen floor was mopped daily which I didn't find all that onerous. Now we do it weekly quite thoroughly and use a protective coat about once a year after a really thorough clean. The grouting isn't immaculate but that doesn't matter does it? The phots you have shown just look like normal floors in a house in which people live. Try to divert your frustrations.

I have avoided installing any kind of flooring that requires grout, for exactly this reason. Not even in the bathroom. It's not the dogs' fault, it's just completely impractical.

Get a couple of those washable rugs to put near the door in winter and in wet weather? I've not bothered because it's as much work as washing the floor, but we have smooth tiles and grey grout.

We have white grout in the bathroom, and it looks wonderful when pristine - but even that discolours. I have to go at it with a toothbrush several times a year.

The first pic I can barely tell but I can see the difference in the second picture.
That's just light grout for you ! Do you have ocd op? I ask because I do and can get myself really worked up too over small things like this.
Dogs are dirty. So unless you get rid of them you've just got to suck this one up

Me too! Looks fine to me.

We opted for white grout in our bathroom in our old house though and immediately regretted it. If you can I’d get it regrouped in a darker colour just makes everything easier.