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# Five small fixes for a tired bathroom
- URL: https://haven.ghostcms.templates.codememory.com/five-small-fixes-for-a-tired-bathroom/
- Published: 2026-07-17T09:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-17T09:00:00.000Z
- Description: Clean grout, new sealant and one replaced tile. A bathroom that looks five years younger for under £60.
- Author: Ade Okafor
- Tags: Bathrooms, #Import 2026-10-02 16:14

A tired bathroom is often not a bathroom that needs replacing. Dirty grout, mouldy sealant and a few chipped tiles make a room look old, and all of them can be fixed in a weekend for very little money. Here are the small jobs that make the biggest difference.

![A spirit level on new tiles. Most repairs need only a few simple tools.](https://haven.ghostcms.templates.codememory.com/content/images/2026/10/grout-tools.jpg)

A spirit level on new tiles. Most repairs need only a few simple tools.

## Clean the grout first

Before replacing anything, clean it properly. A paste of baking soda and water, scrubbed in with an old toothbrush, removes most surface dirt. For darker stains, a mild bleach solution works on white grout; test it in a corner first, and keep the window open. Many readers are surprised at how much of their "old" grout is just dirty.

## Regrout what will not clean

If the grout is cracked, crumbling or permanently stained, it needs replacing. Remove the top few millimetres with a grout rake, vacuum the dust away and press new grout into the joints with a rubber float. Wipe the tiles with a damp sponge before it sets.

- Work on one small area at a time.
- Wipe diagonally across the joints, so the sponge does not pull the grout out.
- Leave it to cure for the full time on the packet before showering.

> A bathroom with clean white grout looks five years younger. It is the cheapest renovation there is.  
>  
> **Ade Okoro**

## Replace the sealant

The flexible seal where the bath or shower tray meets the wall is the first thing to go black. Cleaning it rarely works, because the mould grows inside. Cut it out with a sharp blade, clean the joint with alcohol, let it dry completely and run a new bead of bathroom silicone.

![Where the bath meets the wall: the seal that goes black first. Fill the bath before you reseal it.](https://haven.ghostcms.templates.codememory.com/content/images/2026/10/grout-seal.jpg)

Where the bath meets the wall: the seal that goes black first. Fill the bath before you reseal it.

## Fix a cracked tile

A single cracked tile can be replaced without touching the others. Remove the grout around it, break it carefully from the centre outwards, scrape off the old adhesive, and fix a new tile with a little fresh adhesive. Keep a few spare tiles when you renovate; matching them later is almost impossible.

## Stop it happening again

Most bathroom mould comes from moisture that stays too long. Run the extractor fan for twenty minutes after every shower, leave the door open when the room is not in use, and wipe the shower glass with a squeegee.

| Job                   | Time    | Cost |
| --------------------- | ------- | ---- |
| Deep clean grout      | 2 hours | £5   |
| Regrout a shower wall | 1 day   | £25  |
| Replace bath sealant  | 2 hours | £10  |
| Replace one tile      | 1 hour  | £15  |

🛁

Fill the bath with water before sealing it. A full bath sits slightly lower, and the seal will not crack when you get in.

#### Can I put new grout over old grout?

Only if you remove at least two or three millimetres first. A thin layer on top will crack and fall out.