This is for a house built in 2001 if that matters. It's the kitchen floor which also runs down a hallway. It's the grout seams in the kitchen that get particularly dirty. Hoping to seal them well after thorough scrubbing to keep them from getting stained. I don't know what the tile material. Can I just seal the grout and not apply to tiles? What is the best applicator? Thanks for any suggestions.

In another house I have used a small bottle of sealer with a built in brush applicator. I wouldn't mind doing that again, but I don't know if it was a good quality sealer.

NOTE: Complete amateur at this, this was my first time at this on this scale, so....

3 years ago I laid new tile in our new Kitchen and Breakfast nook as part of a remodel. After some research I went with the recommendation of a high end granite and tile store for the sealer. Miracle brand 511 is what they use.

I used two types...

First I applied the 511 Impregnator. (Designed for medium to dense surfaces)

Then I applied a second coat of the 511 Porous Plus. (Designed for more porous surfaces)

I think either one alone would have done just fine with two coats, but IIRC, it was explained to me that the Impregnator is thinner, made with smaller molecules and is supposed to penetrate deeper and bond with the grout, but it won't necessarily fill and seal off the larger pores. The Porous Plus is supposed to be slightly thicker and tends to fill and seal over any remaining pores better.

Both are rated indoor or outdoor and I hope they hold up.
I applied with a roller tipped applicator that was roughly the width of the grout lines, very similar to your brush applicator. It went pretty slow, my wife went behind me cleaning / soaking up any excess, per the instructions. I did have some trouble with the sealer drying too fast and gumming up the small exit hole in the applicator. My tile doesn't require sealing, just the Grout.

We used a very dark gray grout just for avoiding seeing stains etc so it's very hard to tell if the grout is staying clean and effective or not. Basically we did it and forgot about it, except for making it a point not to use any harsh cleaners that might damage the sealer, like ammonia or bleach.

Thanks for the info, cparktd! Sounds like a thorough treatment!

I've always use the 511 Impregnator in all my rentals. It's supposed to last 20 years, but I typically do it more often than that. You need to use a cleaner first to remove any dirt and grease. Miracle Sealants makes a cleaner to use before the 511. They also make a one-step clean and reseal, but I've always done it in two steps.

Thanks, sigcrazy. I have heard of the 511 product actually.

I use the 511 Impregnator on my kitchen Granite countertop about once a year! It works quite well and LOVE the smell. I know I’m weird.