How to clean tile grout
The grout between tiles can be notoriously difficult to keep clean, especially in bathrooms, where damp conditions leads to mold growth. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to get grout sparkling clean with the right products and a bit of hard work.
Below, you’ll find more information on how to clean grout, plus some recommendations for what you’ll need to clean it.
Best way to clean tile grout
You can choose to use either natural products or commercial products to clean grout. We’ll go over our top three options below.
Baking soda
The natural abrasive texture and whitening power of baking soda can help you get your grout clean. Simply mix up a paste of equal parts baking soda and water and use this paste to scrub your grout with the help of either a grout brush or an old toothbrush. Once you’re done scrubbing, rinse the paste off.
Vinegar
Fill a spray bottle with an equal amount of water and light vinegar — such as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Spray your grout with the solution and leave it sitting for 5 minutes. Now scrub the grout using a grout brush or an old toothbrush.
Commercial grout cleaners
You can find plenty of commercial grout cleaning products on the market. They aren’t as environmentally friendly as natural cleaners, but you may need them for seriously stained grout. How you use them varies between brands, so follow the instructions on the package.
Best products to clean grout
Baking soda for cleaning grout
Earthborn Elements Baking Soda: available at AmazonIf you go through a lot of baking soda for cleaning, baking or deodorizing, this one-gallon tub is convenient and will last you a while.
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda: available at Bed Bath and Beyond and AmazonYou can’t go wrong with this classic baking soda from a known and trusted brand. It comes in 16-ounce boxes, though Amazon only sells them as a three-pack.
It’s Just Baking Soda: available at AmazonThis pure baking soda is food grade, but affordable enough to use for cleaning purposes, too. The resealable package is helpful for keeping it fresh and keeping moisture out.
Vinegar for cleaning grout
La’s Totally Awesome Cleaning Vinegar: available at AmazonThis white vinegar is specifically designed for cleaning, so there’s no need to worry about contaminating your cooking vinegar while using it to clean. Not only is it great at cleaning grout, but it also makes tiles shiny, too.
Natural Armour 30% Vinegar: available at AmazonThis is another vinegar that’s meant for cleaning rather than consuming. It is six times the strength of food-grade vinegar, making it even more effective at cleaning grout. It’s extremely versatile, so you can use it for a wide range of cleaning tasks.
Woeber’s Pure Apple Cider Vinegar: available at AmazonIf you’d prefer to buy a vinegar that you can also use as a culinary vinegar, this is an excellent choice. Just be sure to pour the amount you want for cleaning into a separate container to keep the rest hygienic.
Commercial grout cleaners
Granite Gold Grout Cleaner: available at Home Depot, Amazon and Bed Bath and BeyondThis is a non-toxic grout cleaner that comes with a grout brush for scrubbing. It makes light work of dirty grout, and you can choose to leave it on for a few minutes to make it even more effective.
Rejuvenate Grout Deep Cleaner: available at AmazonThis deep-cleaning formula contains enzymes to remove stubborn dirt from grout, even if it’s been there for years. Despite its effectiveness, this cleaner is safe for pets and kids, and doesn’t damage grout.
Black Diamond Ultimate Grout Cleaner: available at AmazonIt’s an impressive grout cleaner that’s great for general dirt buildup on grout, though it won’t do much for mold or mildew. It’s great for all kinds of tiles and works equally well on white and colored grout, because it doesn’t use bleach.
Grout brushes
OXO Good Grips Grout Brush: available at Bed Bath and Beyond and AmazonThe strong nylon bristles are perfect for scrubbing dirt from grout, while the angled soft-grip handle makes it comfortable to hold, even during long cleaning sessions.
HDX Tile and Grout Brush: available at Home DepotThanks to its scratch-resistant fibers, this grout and tile brush cleans effectively without scratching tiles. The bristles are also treated with an antimicrobial substance to keep bacteria, mold and mildew under control, all of which can cause nasty odors.
Anvil 7-inch Grout Brush: available at Home DepotWe love the long, angled handle on this brush, which helps get better results and aids in preventing arm fatigue while you’re cleaning. It’s solvent-resistant, so you can use it with all kinds of cleaning products.
Lauren Corona is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
