1. Get a disposable plastic container with a lid. I use cottage cheese containers or deli containers, and something to mix with. I confiscated a butter knife from the kitchen but you can get cheap utensils at the thrift store.

2. Put as much of the grout as you think you will need for your immediate use into the container. You might want to wear a painters mask so that you don’t breathe any in. Slowly add a small amount of water (or acrylic additive if your project will be outdoors*), stirring until it is the thickness of thick peanut butter. One of my 2 pound bags will cover about 3’ x 2’ depending on how far apart you placed your tiles and how thick they are. At this time, you can also add some nice glitter to the grout if you want to. Now, set the lid loosely over the grout and let the it sit undisturbed for about 10-15 minutes to “slake” which allows a chemical reaction to take place. After that, stir again. It will be VERY thick now but will thin down a little again when you stir it again. It is better to have your grout on the thick side rather than too thin.

3. With a rubber spatula, old credit card, gloved hand or whatever else you would like to spread with, apply the grout to the mosaic, mashing it into the spaces between the tiles. I personally like to use my hand because I can work the grout into the spaces better with my fingers. I use Playtex Living Gloves and they have a small size.

4. Now take a barely damp sponge or old washcloth (which is what I use) and gently wipe off the excess grout from the tiles, turning the sponge or cloth to a new area often. Avoid making your grout too wet. Keep a bucket of water handy to rinse it out often. Be careful to not scrape the grout out from between the tiles. If you notice that happened, just put more in. Make sure you put the lid on your grout. It will be usable for about 2 hours if you cover it. Let the grout dry for about 30 minutes. There will be a haze on your tile at this point.

5. Now, using another barely damp sponge or cloth, wipe off the tiles again to get all of the remaining grout off of the tiles. If you have textured tiles, you will want to use a toothpick or small toothbrush to get the grout out of the nooks and crannies. This is also a good time to go over your piece and do any touchups with your left over grout as needed.

6. Discard your grout by just throwing the entire container away. DO NOT EVER PUT GROUT DOWN YOUR DRAIN UNLESS YOU LOVE YOUR PLUMMER AND WANT TO BUY HIM A NEW MERCEDES!!!! Let your piece sit for 48 hours. If you are in a very dry, hot area I recommend that you put some water in a spray bottle and lightly mist the whole piece a couple of times so that the grout doesn’t dry too fast, which can cause it to crack. I actually loosely cover my whole piece in plastic wrap to slow down the drying process.

7. Sealing your grout is NOT an option. Allow your grout to dry and cure at LEAST 48 hours to a whole week before sealing. The longer the better. Sealing protects the grout from staining as well as maintains the beauty of the piece for years. A piece should be re-sealed every couple of years. I like Tile Lab Tile and Grout Sealer which you can get at Home Depot. I put it in a large spray bottle and mist it on, rubbing it around with a gloved hand to make sure it is completely covered. Let it dry for a couple of hours and repeat 2 more times or until the sealer runs off the piece and doesn’t get absorbed into the grout. I use a clean damp cloth to wipe the sealer off of my tiles. You can also use a mixture of half and half vinegar and water to make your tiles sparkle after sealing. Please avoid using glass cleaner on your mosaic.

*Acrylic additive can be used to mix grout instead of water. It “rubberizes” the grout, allowing to expand and contract with temperature changes thus preventing cracking.

I hope that you found this information helpful. Please don’t hesitate to email me with any other questions that you may have.