A few years back I remember being on a huge budget while renovating our small downstairs bathroom in our first home. We picked out some peel and stick tile and found an amazing product…vinyl tile grout! I didn’t even realize that was a thing! Well – the process was very easy and I remember all of our guests complimenting us on our new bathroom floor. They were astonished when I told them that It was peel and stick tile. We even had a few friends argue us and place their bare feet on the tile to see if it was cold like a ceramic or stone tile generally is. But low and behold – It was just a jazzy way to spice up cheap flooring. Fooled them

Fast forward 5 years when it was time to fix up the kid’s bath in our “new” old home (new to us but 300 years old) – I remembered that project we did years ago and wanted to do it again. But of course, I had to one-up myself by doing it in a herringbone pattern! Click here to check out that tutorial. Well – It was a challenge – but oh my did it turn out amazing! And I knew I wanted to grout it because it’s basically like the icing on the cake. It looks so finished!

Check out our project from start to finish below!

Step one

To start, put grout mix into a large container or just directly apply the grout onto your grout float (I guess that’s what the fancy name for the tool we’re using is called.)

Next, at a 45-degree angle – apply the grout to the floor creases and use a zig-zag motion to smear the grout deep into the cracks.

Step 2

Only do a section at a time that you can manage to wash off the haze and then regrout in a 30-minute time frame. So I broke my bathroom into two areas. I applied the grout – Washed it off and then regrouted and then washed again before moving on to the other side.

Step 3

When It’s time to wash off the haze (what’s sitting on the actual tile) use a bucket of cool water and a sponge. Wring all the water out of the sponge before wiping it off of the tile. Try not to get too much water on the tile. Keep redipping in the water and wring out the sponge – wiping until its completely off the tile.

TIP – press your finger behind the sponge and run it along each grout line to create a nice smooth line.

Step 4

After at least 2 days – use a sealer along the grout lines to protect it from any water penetration. Just run the sealer up the grout lines and wipe any of the residue off of the tile itself before 15 minutes. This is so the sealer doesn’t leave anything behind.

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Click here for the tile grout

That’s it guys – Any questions drop them below!

As Always,

Much Love,

Korilyn ~ at the Farmhouse Life

In one of my most recent chats with a countertops guy – Yes, this was before the coronavirus outbreak when we could see people and have such conversations as countertops. We just so happened to be discussing stone upkeep. He mentioned having to reseal stone countertops at least once a year. That one had me stumped because within the four years we have lived in our house we have yet to reseal our countertops. I’ll be totally honest, our countertops have lost all it’s sheen and are looking very dull. He said this was very dangerous because it leaves your stone open for stains! I then asked him what he thought was the best product on the market for countertop care – and he said hands down – It’s Granite Gold. He said it’s the only stuff that truly works and is the only product on the market he recommends. This stuff is available on Amazon – so I went ahead and ordered the set. There’s the daily cleaner, a sealer, and a polish. I thought this was as good a time as any to get those countertops looking shiny and new. You know… just in time for the big Easter Din… on never mind. Just in time for staying at home.

To start, I gave the countertops a good washing with the daily cleaner.

The back of all three of the bottles says it’s safe for food prep surfaces, is non-toxic, non-acidic, pH balanced, biodigratable, and has no phosphates and ammonia. Well – sounds pretty good to me! The directions say to spray on cleaner and wipe dry with a paper towel or lint-free cloth. So that’s what I did.

Next, I started the process of sealing the countertops. The directions say to start with a clean countertop using the daily cleaner – done! Then to spray a 3-foot section and immediately wipe the stone clean with a lint-free cloth. It specifically says do not let the sealer dry on the countertop… it will cause hazing. I don’t know what that means – but it doesn’t sound good. lastly, it says to buff dry with a lint-free cloth… wait 20 minuted and do the whole thing again -2 – 3 times.

The last step says to polish  – but not until 24 hours after you have sealed the countertops. This is because the sealer needs that amount of time to cure. After the 24 hours are up the directions say to spray the countertops with the daily cleaner and wipe clean with a paper towel or a lint-free cloth. Then lastly, simply spray the polish on the countertop and buff with a dry paper towel or lint-free cloth. Then to wipe dry with a paper towel or lint-free cloth to finish. I’m getting the feeling that maybe I should be using a lint-free cloth🤷🏻‍♀️. Probably a good investment I’d say. Just a guess.

Here’s a video of how it all went down for me and the finished product!

Want to shop this post? Click on an image below!!

Thanks so much for watching guys!

Much Love,

Kori ~ from the farmhouse life

Castle soap has saved me quite a bit of money over the years. I use it for just about everything in my home. I started using it because I wanted to find easy and simple ways to start using more natural products in my home. It’s very affordable running under $5 a bottle – and get this… It’s concentrated too! A couple of teaspoons will get you far! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a pinch and needed to do laundry but had run out of detergent. castle soap to the rescue!

So If you’re looking for a way to introduce more natural products in your home without spending much money, this product is for you! I’ve written down my top 10 favorite ways to use castle soap in your home!

1. All-purpose cleaning spray

Mix 2 teaspoons of castile soap with water and some drops of your favorite essential oil mixed in a spray bottle makes for a fantastic all-purpose cleaner.  You can use it on your counters in your bathroom and kitchen, your sinks, stovetops, even your toilets. It’s the wonder spray!

2. Shower scrubber

Mix 2-3 tablespoons of castile soap with 1/4 cup baking soda for a non-toxic shower scrub. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then scrub away. It works wonders!

3. Handwashing your dishes

A few drops of castle soap in your dishwater will do wonders on your sink of dishes!  A little dab goes a long way!

4. Toothpaste

 I wouldn’t go around eating it – but a few drops on your wet toothbrush will clean your teeth without all the chemical ingredients.

5. Body wash and shampoo

If you’re a low-maintenance person, you’ll be happy to know that you can use castile soap as an all-in-one in the shower, both for your hair and your body.

6. Veggie wash

Vegetable washes can be quite expensive! Did you know you can use Castle Soap to help rinse fruit and vegetables from their dirt and pesticide residue? Just add 1 tablespoon of castile soap to 2 cups of water, and store the mixture in a squirt bottle right beside your kitchen sink.

7. Pup shampoo

Make a mixture with one part castile soap and three parts water to shampoo your dog. This mix comes in handy with our farm pup – boy does she get stinky!

8. Hand soap refill

I love the smell of my Castle Soap, I put in 3 Tablespoons castile soap mixed with water into my hand soap bottle as a replacement.

9. Laundry detergent

Run out of Laundry Detergent? No problem! Just squirt about 1 tablespoon of Castle Soap and a splash of vinegar as a rinse to give your clothes a gentler clean!

10. Floor wash

Mix 1/4 cup castile soap in a bucket with warm water and get to mopping!

Well – I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! My favorite place to get Castle Soap is at Grove! Check it out here to receive your free caddy and three-piece Mrs. Meyers set!

Or you can pick it up at Amazon here!

With Love,

Korilyn

As you know – I’m currently in a blog series called bathroom refresh where I’m trying to update my bathroom on a $100 budget. This is actually quite hard to do – so I’m trying to pull as many things from my house as possible to save the budget for statement items like new light fixtures and pulls. Now – You might be confused because the title of my blog is called “How to update your bathroom fixtures with spray paint” but in my case, my light fixture and pulls are so outdated – spray paint wasn’t going to fix it. I decided to use my budget to try and buy a light clearanced out, new pulls, and textiles. So, this meant I had to be willing to repaint a new light fixture to get it exactly the shade I was looking for. I found a light on clearance for $40 and it was exactly what I was looking for! Except that it was brown and not black. I also pulled a mirror that was the perfect size from my guest room – and it’s also brown and not black. That’s where my handy dandy can of spray paint comes in.

Use the right spray paint

It’s important to always use the right spray paint for your projects. In this case, I’m spray painting metal so enamel paint is best. It will last longer on surfaces compared to lacquer. It also adheres better. Some times I will use a top coat to help seal in the color, but not always. I usually only do that on “high traffic” items that get used a lot or touched a lot like chairs, furniture, etc. Because this mirror and light fixture is a “hung and done” kind of deal, I’m not worried about the paint coming off.

Light coats

2-3 light coats are always a good idea when spray painting to ensure you’re getting full coverage. Also, I’ll emphasize LIGHT coats! If you spray it on too thick it’ll probably drip and then it’ll be obvious that it was spray painted. Try and stand a good 12 inches away from your fixtures so that it doesn’t bubble up and look sloppy.

Wedge your tape

It’s important to wedge your tape right up underneath the frame of your mirror so you don’t “accidentally” leave a thick stripe of spray paint. The more of the tape you get under the frame the better.

The great thing about spray paint is that it only takes seconds to get an even coat… it’s the dry time between coats that can be time-consuming. A half-hour is a good amount of time to wait in between coats if the coats are light.

If you don’t have fixtures – or yours were so outdated like mine then you should check out my latest post on choosing the right fixtures for your bath!

Stay Tuned for the next post in the series to see these bad boys hung up!

Until next time –

Korilyn – at the farmhouse life

After the first coat of white paint, I realized that the paint stuck out like a sore thumb. You see, all of the other elements in my bathroom are a light tan. I didn’t notice this until the first coat of white paint was up and the contrast was very obvious. Sometimes you can follow all the steps on your design plan and it doesn’t work out. There just isn’t money in the budget to change the light beige toilet, shower surround, and tub to new whites ones so… instead I’m going to repaint the walls. The walls were a dark beige color before I painted them a bright white. My plan now is to mix white paint with a light tan paint I have and mix it until it’s a creamy neutral with a hint of tan to it. That way it doesn’t clash with the other tan elements in the bathroom.  Now that brings me to another problem I have in this bathroom. I don’t have an exhaust fan and mold can grow easily on the ceiling. I need to deep clean this bathroom before I paint over my ceiling – but I’m not a fan of using bleach. It can be tough to fight mold and other bathroom germs without it. But I’ve rounded up some cleaning hacks that don’t require bleach that will leave your bathroom sparkling!

Hack 1  – Baking soda

Baking soda is an excellent cleaning agent. It can create an awesome paste that will cut through mold, mildew, and tub grime. If you mix it with equal parts peroxide and let the paste sit in your tube it will wipe away shiny and clean after just a few minutes.

Hack 2 – Vinegar

Vinegar is great for disinfecting as well.  I like to Mix 1 cup white vinegar and ½ cup lemon juice in a spray bottle and spray it all over my tub. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then sprinkle baking soda on top. Let it sit for another 10 minutes and wipe it clean. Seriously, your tub will sparkle! You can also pour a half cup of vinegar into your toilet and let it sit for about 20 minutes. It seriously cleans the bowl without needing a toilet brush. Just flush it down and your toilet will be sparkly and clean! Vinegar also works great to mop those bathroom floors! Just add a  ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water.

Hack 3 – Castile soap

Ok- This is probably my favorite hack because it doesn’t necessarily pertain to just bathroom cleaning. I literally use Castile soap for everything! Castile Soap comes concentrated so you have to dilute it. Just a couple tablespoons of Castile soap in a spray bottle of water makes a perfect disinfecting spay! Want even more cleaning power? Use this spray to get rid of tub mildew and then sprinkle on baking soda and let sit. Seriously, the mildew wipes away!

Did you miss my inspo board for my bathroom refresh? Check it out here , the first post in this series!

Thanks so much for reading along – Leave some love below if you also like to clean with safer cleaning supplies and drop a comment with your favorite cleaning hacks!

Much love,

Korilyn at the farmhouse life

To start my bathroom refresh I started with a vision board. I went with farmhouse meets boho…If you know me – surprise surprise! Those are my two favorite styles. My bathroom currently is very brown. So to start things off I needed a paint job.

Time-saving painting hack

I’ll be perfectly honest – I do not enjoy painting. I’m not a prep work person and painting is all about that prep work – am I right?! It takes too much time! I just like to get in – do my project – and get out. Ever wonder how to paint a room quickly without all the painstakingly annoying steps? Well – I’ve discovered a time-saving painting hack where you can paint a room so much faster! Are you ready for it? Glad Press and Seal wrap!! Seriously, just a quick pull, rip, press down and your good to go. Instead of using painter’s tape, just press the wrap to the surfaces you don’t want paint on. Since using this hack – I’ve not only been able to cut down on the prep work… but I make less of a mess! Seriously – at one point my husband had made a no painting rule for me because I always made a mess – trick’s on him because I hate painting lol! You know, all the prep work right? (Like lying down a drop cloth and taping) Seriously, I hate taping!! But using Press and Seal wrap It’s quick and easy to paint without the mess.

Just Press and go

Did you also know that you can wrap it around your brush when your done painting (without soaking) to use the next day? That is if you’re working on the same project with the same colors. It keeps the brush moist overnight. I know I used the word moist… anybody hate that word? My sister does – literally cringes when I use it. That one for you sis!  Anyway –  I finished up the first coat today and I’ll back at it tomorrow with another coat.

Be sure to check out number 2 in this bathroom refresh series here. Each post will show the progress of my refresh and have a DIY or two along the way!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love, Korilyn at the farmhouse life

I made the switch! Ok… I’m sure you’ve all seen the advertisements for Grove Collaborative. They’re everywhere on social media! Nobody likes to be sold to… So for so long I, like lots of other people, have turned their eyes away. I really didn’t want to like them.. but honestly, I FINALLY gave them a shot and I’m so glad I did!

They deliver safe products right to your door…which for me saves me from my overspending, particularly at Target. I’ll go in for toilet paper and bananas and I come out $200 later. Using Grove, I set up my monthly orders (or bi-monthly for the things I don’t use as often) and then don’t give it another thought! They’re delivered right to my door.. saving me money because the products seem to be a few dollars less than in the store.

free HAND SOAP and $10 credit

Right now Grove is offering a $10 credit and a free Mrs. Meyers hand soap! They’re always running freebies and giveaways… Which I LOVE!! …and today ONLY –  All Seventh Generation products are 20% off. Use this Link to get your deal!!

easy to find non- toxic products

I’m always looking to replace my hygiene products with healthier non-toxic versions… but they can be hard to find!!! Grove not only sells kitchen essentials but personal hygiene products too. I even started buying mine and my children’s vitamin from GRove.. which saves me time from the 10 different sites i was biuying thm all from.

Use the link here to take advantage of all of Grove Collabrotive awesome deals!!