The Best Grout Cleaners for Pristine Tiles in Every Room

Grout can get pretty gross. Most of the time, the filling between tiles in your kitchens and bathrooms are a mixture of sand, cement, and water. That means it’s porous, so dirt and grime get ground in and stay there. Even if you regularly clean your floors, soap scum and the remnants of cleaning products can build up in the grout, and that eventually starts to look grimy, too.

Dirty grout might not seem like a big deal, but it’s a problem for a multitude of reasons. Left unchecked, it can quickly become a breeding ground for mold and harmful bacteria. It’s also aesthetically frustrating. Stained grout can make the whole floor look older and less maintained, and grout so dirty it’s changed color can change the whole look of your tile. So it’s important to keep your grout clean.

It’s also important to use the right cleaner. Choose an overly harsh product, and you could wear away the protective seal and risk cracking and crumbling. Luckily, there are plenty of products on the market specifically designed to clean even the grossest grout. Full disclosure, though; there may still be some elbow grease involved.

Cleaning Up? Check out our other guides: ● Best Drain Cleaners ● Best Toilet Plungers ● Best Vacuum Cleaners.

The Best Grout Cleaners

The Expert: I’m a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in tons of national and international publications, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. I’m also a constant DIYer on my mini-homestead in rural Pennsylvania, a mom, and, most importantly (as it pertains to grout cleaning, anyway), a master of stain removal. Grout is one of the most challenging things to remove a stain from, but it’s also among the most satisfying things to get sparkling clean.

My most recent bout with grout happened when my mom moved into a 1950s-era home with lots of incredible original tile… and its original grout, complete with 70 years of filth. It wasn’t easy, but I got the job done, thanks to some of the products on this list.

What to Consider When Buying Grout Cleaner

There are many different types of grout, and each individual cleaning scenario will call for a different kind of cleaner, explained Mitch Hawkins, senior manager of technical services at major grout manufacturer Laticrete. Pre-mixed grout is becoming more popular among professional installers and do-it-yourselfers, he said. There are also non-pre-mixed grouts, including sanded and unsanded cement-based formulations.

“When it comes to grout cleaning, there are some types of grout that can be more difficult to clean than others,” Hawkins said. “Generally speaking, the tougher the grout, the stronger the cleaner you should look for.”

Tile type

“When considering which grout cleaner to use, it's important to consider the type of tile you're cleaning,” Hawkins added. Many grout cleaners use either acidic or alkaline formulas, and many also contain abrasives. For the most part, anything labeled for cleaning grout is safe for ceramic and porcelain tile.

“On the other hand, for natural stone tile, there are specific types of cleaners specifically designed for these surfaces,” Hawkins said. Stone surfaces like marble, granite, limestone and quartz can be stained or etched by the wrong product, so it’s vital to bring the right tool for the job. Grout can almost always be cleaned, Hawkins said; just “be sure to use the right product for the job.”

How We Chose These Products

I tested a number of these products myself on floor tile with off-white, sanded grout, and on bathroom wall tile with white, unsanded grout. Both are similar to what you’ll find in many homes. I also solicited input from Hawkins as a tile installation expert, and spoke to professional cleaners about what they look for in a grout cleaning product, as well as what they always keep in their kit.