Re-caulking Kitchen Sink and Counters

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Look at that beautiful caulked line!  Fixing moldy or peeling caulk and grout is not that hard, but it is putzy!  I’m going to share few tricks to make it easier and to make it look really professional. For this project, I decided to do 3 big kitchen jobs at once since it involved still managing feeding the children in this kitchen, so I wanted to get it all done.  They basically ate leftovers and cereal for a few days 🙂 

Here is the end result.  I was tired of looking at dirty, peeling, moldy grout behind the sink as well as in the caulk that joined the sink to the counter (the undermount).  It was pretty nasty.  

Step 1: Dig out that old caulk and grout.  This takes a while, and Hubs and I both worked on it for a couple hours. In the photo below you can see the space between the sink and the counter.  This picture shows the result of digging out the caulk.  It is important to get it all out (or as much as humanly possible) so that the new stuff will adhere and look nice.  

This was the primary tool we used, a great 6-in-1 tool.  We used all different edges of this thing.  The other thing you need is persistence. Dude. 

Here is the joint between the backsplash and the counter top, with the grout all out.  Nice! 

2) The next important step is to clean out those joints really well.  You don’t want to seal in any bacteria!  That stuff will just grow and make your new grout moldy faster. So I used this tea tree oil.  It has great anti-bacterial properties.  I mixed a small bowl of warm water and about 10 drops of the oil. Then I just used a sponge and an old toothbrush to scrub down the joints and the surrounding areas. 

After that, for good measure, I scrubbed again with my Basic H cleaner from Shaklee.  I just sprayed this stuff on (I dilute it with water in this spray bottle, just a small squirt of the concentrate goes in each batch, and that concentrate will last forever! Girl, I’ve had my bottle of concentrate for 3 years. And I use it to clean everything.) I scrubbed again with the toothbrush, and then let it all dry until it was bone. You don’t want to seal in any moisture either. Boy did my kitchen look clean during all this 🙂 

Then you are ready to caulk.  Step 3: Gather your supplies. You’ll need caulk and grout that matches your counters and backsplash. For the sink joint, I wanted a clear, water-proof, flexible caulk.  I picked this up from Menards, and it worked great, but here is one similar. It is important to remember that this stuff won’t last forever.  At least mine never does.  I usually have to do it again every 4 years or so…maybe someday the technology will improve. I got an “almond” colored caulk for the joint between the backsplash and the counter (see similar here, or you can get it at Menards).  I have done regular grout here before (sanded so it would be flexible), but with all the water splashing around here, it just doesn’t hold up, so I decided to go with caulk. 

Ok, then comes the important part for the professional finish.  And this makes it so easy!!! Step 4: I used blue painters tape to tape off the back splash and the counter, leaving only the place where the caulk will go exposed.  This step really prevents the caulk from going where you don’t want it to go, and when you peel the tape off, it is perfect!!!! Love!!!

Here you can see the tape for the backsplash as well as the sink. 

This is the area I left exposed.  I carefully tried to make it a small line for the caulk to go. 

Step 5: Then, you just put the caulk in.  I don’t have any pictures of it, because I was trying to get it done before it all dried.  I just put on rubber gloves and then filled the space with a nice bead of the caulk, being sure to fill in the crack well.  I used a caulk gun for the sink (but only because I had that giant tube, you wouldn’t need to with a squeeze tube). Step 6: Leaving the tape on, use your finger to smooth out the grout line, and get off the extra grout. I kept a paper towel handy to clean my fingers, and I just started at one end, and kept going. I worked quickly so that the grout wouldn’t dry.  I just smoothed it out right over the tape.  This is the nice part! You don’t have to worry about getting grout on the tape, just smooth it right on out.  Step 7: Peel off the tape, and do a final LITTLE smoothing out if you want. Sometimes when you peel off the tape, there is a little, teeny ledge of grout.  I just VERY LIGHTLY went over the grout again with my finger to get it all supremely smooth.  Below you can see the results. 

Then, well, as long as I had all the counters scrubbed and clean, I did a sealant on the travertine backsplash and the granite countertops.  This particular sealant lasts about 3 years or so, sometimes longer.  I suggest going to your local hardware store and checking out the options.  Some last longer than others.  I just smoothed this on with a sponge, wiped any extra off in about 15 minutes, and let it sit overnight.  Boom. Done. 

Looks brand new again! And ready for the messes to recommence.