Buying guide for Which grout cleaner is best for tile floors and showers?
For most of us, grout can be a particular problem area, gathering mold and mildew in bathrooms or stubborn dirt on tile floors. But the best grout cleaners make cleaning grout easy. Rather than spending hours scrubbing, only to be disappointed with the results, these cleaning products are specially designed to do a great job of making grout sparkle.
But not all products are suited to all tasks. Some are great shower grout cleaners but don't do such a good job cleaning floors. Others are great for ceramic tiles but not natural stone or work with white grout but not colored grout. So, it's important to pick the right grout cleaning product for you.
We've analyzed dozens of cleaners and ultimately chosen Zep Grout Cleaner and Brightener as our favorite. It's powerful and makes light work of cleaning even the most heavily stained grout with little to no scrubbing required.
Expert Tip
Be very careful when using grout cleaner. Don't allow it to sit or spill on unsafe surfaces.
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Our top picks
Best grout cleaner for shower
Product details: Scent: None | Safe for use on: Ceramic and porcelain tile | Volume: 1 qt | Colored-Grout Safe: Yes
If you're looking for the easiest grout cleaner, Zep might be what you've been searching for. Because of its powerful, professional-strength formula, it can tackle even the grimiest of grout. Mold, mildew and other stains stand no chance. It basically makes your grout look like new — and you don't even have to scrub.
It's a great grout cleaner for showers but also works well for tile flooring. It's safe for use on ceramic, porcelain and other glazed tiling but not for natural stone. You apply it to the grout, wait three minutes and wipe it away. It's that simple.
We love Zep for its powerful cleaning and reliable results. However, it's a strong, acid-based product, so you'll need to take some safety precautions during use.
Best grout cleaner spray
Product details: Scent: Fresh | Safe for use on: Ceramic and porcelain tile, enamel, glass and stainless steel | Volume: 26 fl oz | Colored-Grout Safe: Yes
We love the versatility of CLR Brilliant Bath Foaming Cleaner. It's some of the best shower grout cleaner because you can spray it all over the shower and clean your tiles and shower screen at the same time as cleaning your grout. It doesn't contain ammonia, bleach or phosphates, so it's great for someone looking for a gentler grout cleaner.
While it doesn't have the intense cleaning powers of our top pick, it's a great alternative for regular use. Sometimes you just need to give your tile grout a once-over to remove soap scum, limescale and other light debris — and this is the cleaner for the job.
This cleaner has its limitations, but it's good at what it does. It's an excellent choice for weekly cleans but won't do much for mold or heavy staining.
Best grout cleaner for floors
Product details: Scent: Citrus | Safe for use on: Ceramic and porcelain tile, vinyl, hardwood and laminate | Volume: 32 fl oz | Colored-Grout Safe: Yes
We think this is among the best grout cleaners for tile floors. It's ideal for anyone who doesn't want to clean their tile grout manually, as it's compatible with Hoover’s FloorMate Series machines. Beyond sparkling tiles, this product tackles other hard floors like vinyl, sealed hardwood and even area rugs.
It's suitable for the kinds of heavy staining that tile floors are prone to. However, it can take a couple of passes for it to come up completely clean. It doesn't give you the like-new look that the strongest grout cleaners do, but it isn't as harsh or capable of burning the skin.
Coming from a trusted brand, this solution is one you can rely on to leave your floors perfectly clean. If you have a Hoover FloorMate machine, this is an easy way to get your grout — and tiles — sparkling clean.
Best grout refresher pen
Product details: Scent: None | Safe for use on: Glazed tile | Volume: NA | Colored-Grout Safe: No
When it comes to restoring the look of white grout in your kitchen or bathroom, it doesn’t get more convenient than this easy-to-use pen. Nontoxic water-based color conceals stains to make your grout look like new. You can use it anywhere with floor, ceiling or wall tiles, including showers, sinks, counters and more.
The pen is easier to use than many other cleaners because it dries quickly, doesn’t produce much odor and doesn’t give off fumes. You can apply a second coat once it dries if you want a more opaque color. The pens come in two tip sizes, making it easy to color in both thin and thick grout lines. It may not, however, work well on recently sealed grout.
While this pen won't clean your grout for you, it will give stained or tired grout a new lease on life. It's suitable for white grout, but you can also find colored options.
Best grout cleaner for stone tiles
Product details: Scent: Citrus | Safe for use on: Natural stone, ceramic and porcelain tile, and glass | Volume: 24 fl oz | Colored-Grout Safe: Yes
While a lot of grout cleaners are only suitable for use on glazed or sealed tiles, this one is also suitable for natural stone. So, if you have marble, granite, slate or other natural stone tiles, this cleaner is a safe option. You can also use it on glass, ceramic and porcelain tiles.
We also like that it's a gentler cleaner than some. It's even suitable for use in food-prep areas. Naturally, this means it isn't as tough as the most powerful grout cleaners, but it still does a decent job. We wouldn't expect it to shift heavy stains or mold, but it's effective on average levels of dirt.
Although we'd prefer it if we didn't have to scrub, we like that Granite Gold comes with a stone-safe scrubbing brush and were fans of its refreshing, light citrus scent that wasn’t too overpowering.
Best color-safe grout cleaner
Product details: Scent: None | Safe for use on: Ceramic and porcelain tile | Volume: 1 qt | Colored-Grout Safe: Yes
This highly effective cleaner works in two ways to restore white and color grout to its natural color. It removes the top layer of grease and surface stains, and it penetrates deeper to remove even the most stubborn dirt and grime. Simply apply it, let it soak in for five to 10 minutes, scrub and rinse.
You don’t have to worry about getting down on your handles and knees to scrub, either. This professional-grade cleaning solution comes with a grout brush that can connect to any long broom or mop handle to make scrubbing a breeze. The brush head’s angled bristles fit nicely in grout lines to remove all dirt and grease.
No strong chemical odor emanates from this cleaner, and it’s safe to use on ceramic and porcelain tiles. Each bottle can clean up to 250 square feet, and the easy-pouring spout helps you dispense the right amount each time.
Best acid-free grout cleaner
Product details: Scent: None | Safe for use on: Ceramic and porcelain tile and natural stone | Volume: 1 gal | Colored-Grout Safe: Yes
If you have a large tiled area to clean, this acid-free grout cleaner comes in a gallon bottle — although you can also buy larger and smaller sizes, as needed. The formula works well on grease, oil, dirt and even food spills, bringing white and colored grout back to its original shade. The fast-acting formula only needs to sit on your grout for one to three minutes before scrubbing.
This cleaner is especially effective for removing soap residue from natural stone tiles, so you can even use it on marble floors and walls. And if you have pets, take note: This formula is designed to remove pet stains from tile and grout.
As it doesn't contain acid or bleaching agents, it isn't going to remove limescale buildups, grout staining or mold. However, it's tough on grease and grime and great if you don't want an overly harsh cleaner.
Best grout cleaner for mold
Product details: Scent: Citrus | Safe for use on: Ceramic and porcelain tile, natural stone and fiberglass | Volume: 28 fl oz | Colored-Grout Safe: Yes
This affordable grout cleaner is one of the most versatile of its kind. It’s safe to use on ceramic and porcelain tile, fiberglass and natural stone. It effectively removes dirt, mold, mildew, soap scum, hard water and other stains without leaving behind residue or damaging the tile.
We like that Goo Gone works quickly, only needing to sit on the grout for two minutes before you can scrub it away. The convenient spray bottle makes the application fast and easy — wonderful for those who don’t have much time to clean. And unlike many bathroom cleaners with a strong chemical odor, it boasts a fresh citrus scent that makes cleaning more pleasant.
This is a great choice overall. We appreciate that it doesn't contain ingredients that burn or corrode skin and that it's safe for most surfaces.
Expert tip
Buy the correct amount of solution for the job so you won't need to make repeat visits to the store to purchase more products.
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How we analyzed
We carefully considered dozens of grout cleaners and read hundreds of reviews to find the best ones on the market. During our comparisons, we looked at a range of factors, including ease of use, surface compatibility and color safety. We also consulted BestReviews cleaning expert Ketia Daniel to gain additional insights into what makes a grout cleaner effective and the best way to use one.
What to know before buying grout cleaner
Safety
Grout cleaners often contain potent ingredients like bleach. If you have kids or pets at home, it’s particularly important to choose a formula that’s as safe as possible — or keep them out of the way while you're cleaning.
Some products, such as Zep Grout Cleaner and Brightener, contain hydrochloric acid. These do a good job of cleaning grout effectively but can burn or irritate the skin. As such, you need to take precautions, such as wearing long sleeves and pants and using chemical-resistant gloves. With some grout cleaners, it's also recommended to wear eye protection or a face mask. Check what safety precautions you need to take and follow manufacturer instructions.
Grout color
Some grout cleaners aren’t suitable for use on all colors of grout. For example, oxygen bleach-based formulas can sometimes discolor colored grout. Most cleaners do work for white and light-colored grout, but if your grout is a dark shade like tan, brown, gray or black, check the label to make sure it’s compatible with your grout color.
Some grout refreshers are designed for specific grout colors. For example, you could use a white version for white grout or a chocolate version for brown grout. These formulas leave a tint of color behind to refresh the grout’s appearance. The Grout Pen White Tile Paint Marker is one of our favorites for refreshing white grout. If you opt for this type of formula, it’s extremely important to get the color right. However, if you accidentally get the color wrong, it's possible to scrub this type of grout refresher off — it just means extra cleaning work.
Tile surfaces
When cleaning grout, it’s inevitable that some of the cleaners will get on the surrounding surfaces. For this reason, it’s important to make sure the formula you choose is safe for the surfaces in your home. When choosing a white or colored grout refresher, it will wipe off glazed tiles, but if you have stone or other porous tiles, it could stain, so you need to be careful not to color outside the lines.
Most grout cleaners are safe for ceramic and porcelain tile, but some aren’t suitable for use on natural stone tiles such as marble, slate and granite. Always check the product specifications to make sure the grout cleaner you’re considering will work on your tile surfaces.
Container
Grout cleaners are available in several different types of containers, but the most common are spray bottles, squeeze bottles and pour bottles.
Spray bottles are convenient to use but spray product over a wider area, so they're best for products you don't mind getting on your tiles, too. Squeeze bottles are good for when you want to have better control over where your grout cleaner ends up — especially when the nozzle has a fine tip. Pour bottles are typically oversized containers, and the cleaner is meant to be transferred to a smaller spray or squeeze bottle.
Time required
A grout cleaner usually needs to sit on the grout for a certain amount of time in order to fully penetrate the grout, kill mold and mildew, and remove stains. Some cleaners only require a couple of minutes; others require up to 24 hours. You’ll need to stay off the floor while you wait for the cleaner to work. As such, fast-acting formulas are considerably more convenient. Fast-acting grout stain removers generally get the job done for moderately stained grout. However, for grout with heavy staining or mold growth, you might need a longer-acting formula.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the recommended time required for the grout cleaner to work to make sure it will fit your cleaning schedule.
Expert Tip
Read the back of each product. Sometimes the trick isn’t how much product you put down or what you scrub with, but how long you need to let the cleaning solution sit on the grout before scrubbing.
BestReviews Cleaning Expert
How to use grout cleaner
The best way to use a grout cleaner depends on the formula, so always consult the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning the grout.
- Even if you choose a fume-free grout cleaner, open a window or turn on a fan in the room where you’re cleaning to get proper ventilation.
- Start by washing the tiles with a mixture of warm water and mild dish soap. For a tile floor, sweep or vacuum, and then mop or use a grout steamer.
- Once the tile surface is clean, apply the grout cleaner to the dirty grout.
- Allow the formula to sit on the grout for the time specified on the bottle.
- After you’ve let the grout cleaner sit on the grout for the specified time, rinse it away with clean water. For a deeper clean, remove it with a scrub brush to get at stubborn stains.
- To remove any grout cleaner residue that might be left behind on a tile floor, mop the floor after you’ve rinsed away the product. Use a solution of warm water and a small amount of gentle dish detergent.
- Dry the grout thoroughly with a clean towel.
FAQ
Q. How much do grout cleaners cost?
A. Grout cleaners vary in price based on the type of formula, but you can typically expect to spend $7 to $42. A basic nontoxic, enzyme-based grout cleaner that can be used on most grout colors and tile surfaces usually costs between $7 and $15. Tinted grout cleaner and refresher products that leave color behind typically range from $15 to $20. Oxygen bleach-based grout cleaners that can be used on most grout colors and tile surfaces usually cost between $20 and $42.
Q. How often should I use grout cleaner?
A. It depends on how well you maintain the grout and the conditions it’s exposed to. In general, you should use a grout cleaner whenever you notice the grout starting to look dark and dingy. That usually means doing a deep cleaning of the grout once or twice a year.
Q. Does a grout cleaner remove grout sealant?
A. Some grout cleaners will strip away any sealant product that you’ve applied on top of the grout. If you want to preserve your sealant, opt for a gentle formula that’s acid-free and has a neutral pH.
Q. Can I use grout cleaner on tile walls?
A. You can use grout cleaner on tile walls, but you may want to adjust your cleaning technique slightly. Grout cleaners are usually fairly liquid, so they’ll run if you apply them on a vertical surface like a wall. Instead of applying the cleaner directly from the bottle, you may want to dampen a scrub brush with the product and run the brush along the grout on your walls to concentrate the cleaner in the right areas.
Q. Can you use grout cleaner with wet vacs?
A. Yes. In fact, it's a great way of getting rid of any residue that might otherwise be left behind by your grout cleaner. You can rinse the cleaner with water and then vacuum up the water left behind. Just make sure that your wet vac is safe to use with cleaning chemicals before adding it to your machine.
Q. Are grout cleaners any better than using baking soda?
A. While we can't discount the cleaning power of baking soda, it isn't anywhere near as potent as grout cleaner. You might be able to get some mild staining off tile grout with baking soda and a lot of scrubbing, but it won't cut it when it comes to heavy soiling. It's a good choice if you want to clean using natural products, but it's a lot harder work, and it's unlikely to shift tough stains.
