Selleys White for Life Grout Sealer

What is Selleys White For Life Grout Sealer, and where should you use it?

Selleys White For Life Grout Sealer is a penetrating sealer that soaks into grout to lock out water and oil-based stains, soil and mould. It comes in a 125mL trigger spray and can be applied with a sponge, cloth or brush as well as sprayed, and it is easily cleaned off tiles before it cures.

Its purpose within the range is specific: it enhances White For Life Grout's resistance to yellowing, staining or blackening, when used as a system and as per pack directions. Grout is porous, so anything spilled on it wicks in rather than sitting on top. Sealing closes that path, which is what makes ongoing cleaning easier — the stain stays on the surface long enough for you to wipe it away.

What the timings mean in practice

Three numbers govern the job, and getting them wrong is what produces a hazy or discoloured result:

• 1 hour to penetrate. Leave the sealer to soak into the grout for an hour after each coat.
• 2 hours to wipe off overspray. Overspray must be removed from the face of the tiles within two hours of application, or the sealer dries on the tile surface.
• 24 hours before the grout sees normal use. Try to prevent spills, dirt or contaminants reaching the grout lines for a full 24 hours after sealing.

There is one further figure worth knowing for daily use: once sealed, the grout will resist penetration by common stains for up to 10 minutes. That is the window a sealer buys you. It is not a permanent barrier — it is time to notice a spill and wipe it up.

Preparing the grout

The preparation determines the result more than the application does. A sealer locks in whatever is already there, so anything left in the grout line becomes permanent:

• The grout surface must be dry, clean and free of contaminants such as waxes, sealers or finishes. Sealing over dirt and contaminants makes removal more difficult later.
• Check that grout lines are not cracked, chipped or otherwise compromised before treating them.
• On new grout, allow at least 3 days drying time before applying sealer. Different grouts have different drying times — read the directions on your grout product first.
• On existing grout, clean the surfaces with Selleys White For Life Tile & Grout Cleaner, and make sure the grout is mould free and dry before resealing.
• Where mould is present, clean the affected surfaces thoroughly with Selleys Rapid Mould Killer and allow them to dry before applying sealer.
• Test first. Check ease of removal and compatibility with your tiles on a small inconspicuous area before doing the whole room.

How to apply it

1. Check the temperature. Do not apply sealer below 10°C. Where the temperature is above 30°C, seal in the morning or evening instead. Avoid sealing in freezing cold temperatures.
2. Push the clear plastic lock on the trigger clockwise to the open position.
3. Spray liberally onto the grout, saturating the surface. Work in small sections at a time, starting at the top of the wall and finishing with the base and the floor.
4. Close the trigger lock by pushing it anticlockwise when you pause.
5. Allow the sealer to penetrate the grout for 1 hour.
6. Wipe overspray off the face of the tiles with a clean white cloth or paper towel, within 2 hours of application, so the sealer does not dry on the tile surface.
7. Apply a second coat for maximum protection, again allowing 1 hour to dry and wiping off overspray within 2 hours.
8. Check your coverage. Test water repellency in various areas by applying drops of water and watching whether they bead. Re-apply sealer to any areas you missed.
9. Look at the tiles from different angles to confirm there is no sealer residue or haze left on the tile surfaces.

Throughout, make sure there are no puddles of sealer left sitting in the grout lines. Too much sealer may cause discolouration of some grout types — this is the most likely way to spoil an otherwise good job.

Limitations to observe

• The sealer will not prevent surface wear or etching from acids or caustic chemicals. Avoid using strong chemicals on sealed grout. If the surface is in repeated contact with them, re-seal more often.
• Do not apply below 10°C, and avoid sealing in freezing conditions.
• Do not leave puddles of sealer in the grout lines — excess may discolour some grout types.
• Do not use harsh acidic cleaners on sealed grout.
• Test compatibility with your tiles first on an inconspicuous area.

Note that no technical data sheet is published for this product, so figures such as coverage per bottle, VOC content and full cure time are not available.

Keeping the protection working

To maintain whiteness and long-term stain and mould resistance, Selleys specifies:

• Re-apply the sealer every 12 months, or whenever the grout has been scrubbed hard. Hard scrubbing removes sealer along with the dirt.
• Clean grout and tiles regularly with Selleys White For Life Tile & Grout Cleaner to avoid a build-up of soil or soap scum.
• Do not use harsh acidic cleaners.
• Clean up spills immediately — the grout will resist common stains for up to 10 minutes.
• Areas subject to high foot traffic will require frequent cleaning.

Clean up

Clean up tools with water, and wash your hands after use.

Hazard classification

Classified as hazardous under Safe Work Australia GHS 7, with the signal word Warning.

• Skin sensitisation — Category 1. H317: may cause an allergic skin reaction.

That is the whole classification. It is not classified as Dangerous Goods under the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail, or under New Zealand NZS5433.

What is in it

Chemical entity	CAS number	Proportion (w/w)
2-Octyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (OIT)	26530-20-1	<0.05%
1,2-Benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one (BIT)	2634-33-5	<0.05%
2-Methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (MIT)	2682-20-4	<0.05%
Ingredients determined to be non-hazardous or below reporting limits	—	Balance

Read what is absent here, because it is the more useful half. A product whose job is to soak into grout and lock out water, oil, soil and mould might reasonably be expected to carry a solvent or a biocide load worth worrying about. It carries neither: no flammability, no eye classification, no skin irritation, no respiratory hazard, no dangerous goods classification, and three declared components that together amount to less than two tenths of one per cent. The one thing on the list is skin sensitisation, and it is worth understanding properly rather than skimming.

All three declared components are isothiazolinones — the preservative class used to stop water-based products spoiling in the container, and the class that most often accounts for an H317 on a water-borne formulation. Selleys Paint Over Sealant, a completely different product, carries exactly the same three at exactly the same levels and exactly the same single classification. That pattern is a reasonable basis for saying the preservative system rather than the sealing chemistry is what drives the classification, though the data sheet does not state the causal link.

Sensitisation is not irritation. An irritant stings while it is on you and stops when you wash it off. A sensitiser teaches the immune system to react to it: once that has happened it is generally permanent, it is triggered afterwards by far smaller exposures than the one that caused it, and each subsequent contact tends to be worse rather than milder. It builds from repeated ordinary contact, not from one bad accident — and the data sheet's own note that effects may be delayed is the signature, because a reaction that appears the next morning is an allergic one.

Which matters here because of the application method. This is a 125mL trigger spray that can also be applied with a sponge, cloth or brush — all four of which put liquid on skin, and the trigger spray also puts a fine mist in the air at floor level while you are crouched over the work. The page above already tells you to clean tools with water and wash your hands after use. This classification is the reason for that instruction, and gloves are a sensible addition to it. Because the product is designed to soak in and be wiped off tiles before it cures, the wiping cloth is in your hand for as long as the job takes.

Protection

• Gloves — the important one for this product. Nitrile rubber is indicated as suitable for intermittent contact; glove construction and site conditions vary, so make the final assessment yourself.
• Eye protection — safety glasses, particularly when spraying at floor level.
• Clothing — overalls and safety shoes in a workplace setting.
• Ventilation — natural ventilation is adequate in normal use; no special extraction is called for.
• Wash hands before smoking, eating, drinking or using the toilet, and wash contaminated clothing and equipment before storing or re-using it.
• Storage — cool, dry, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight, away from foodstuffs, oxidising agents and sources of heat or ignition. Keep the container upright and closed when not in use.

First aid

Exposure	What to do
Skin	Effects may be delayed, so act promptly. Remove contaminated clothing and flush the skin and hair with running water. If swelling, redness, blistering or irritation develops — including hours later — seek medical assistance, because a delayed reaction suggests an allergic response rather than simple irritation.
Eyes	Wash out immediately with water. As a sensible precaution, seek medical advice in all cases of eye contamination.
Inhalation	Move the person to fresh air without becoming a casualty yourself. Remove contaminated clothing and loosen the rest, let them settle into the most comfortable position and keep them warm and at rest until fully recovered. Seek medical advice if effects persist.
Swallowed	Rinse the mouth with water. Do not induce vomiting. Give a glass of water to drink. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. If vomiting occurs, give further water and seek medical advice.

If poisoning occurs, contact a doctor or the Poisons Information Centre — 131 126 in Australia, 0800 764 766 in New Zealand — with the container to hand. Selleys emergency line: 1800 220 770 in Australia, 0800 220 770 in New Zealand.

Common questions about Selleys White For Life Grout Sealer

How long after grouting can I seal?

On new grout, allow at least 3 days of drying before applying the sealer, and check the directions supplied with your grout as drying times vary.

How do I know if I have missed a spot?

Apply drops of water in various areas and watch whether they bead. Re-apply sealer to any area that does not repel water.

Can I use it on the tiles as well as the grout?

It can be applied to tiles and grout, and is easily cleaned off tiles before curing. Wipe overspray off within 2 hours so it does not dry on the tile face.

I have left it too long and there is haze on the tiles. What now?

Overspray must be removed within 2 hours to prevent the sealer drying on the surface, which is why checking the tiles from several angles before you finish matters. Test removal and tile compatibility on an inconspicuous area before sealing a whole room.

Can I use bleach or an acidic cleaner on sealed grout?

No. Do not use harsh acidic cleaners, and avoid acids and caustic chemicals — the sealer will not prevent etching from them.

There is mould in the grout already. Can I just seal over it?

No. Clean mould affected surfaces thoroughly with Selleys Rapid Mould Killer and allow them to dry before applying the sealer. Sealing over mould traps it.

How soon can the shower or floor be used again?

Try to keep liquids, dirt and contaminants off the grout lines for a full 24 hours after sealing.

What size does it come in?

A 125mL trigger spray.

What grout should I use it with?

It is designed to work with White For Life Grout as part of the system — see White For Life Ready To Use Grout, or the full grout range. There is also a step-by-step guide on how to seal grout.