The Best Grout Cleaners of 2023

The best grout cleaner is Grout-Eez Super Heavy-Duty Grout Cleaner

Keeping your grout clean is a fantastic way to have a sparkling kitchen and bathroom, whether your grout is colored or neutral to match the rest of your home’s decor. But to have sparkling spaces, you need to have the right and most effective cleaning tools and products in your cabinets. After researching and testing, we determined the best grout cleaners are easy to apply and work on a variety of stains and messes.

Having the right tools is also an important aspect of cleaning. Krissia Garcia, CEO, and founder of KrissKlean says her team uses “sponges, scrub brushes, pot and pan brushes, or grout brushes” to achieve the right clean.

Best Overall: Grout-Eez Professional Strength Tile & Grout Cleaner

This heavy-duty grout cleaner can return your grout to a sparkling clean even if it has been stained for years, which is why it’s our top pick. It picks up grease and grime, two things that can be common culprits in the kitchen and on tile floors. The formula works on tile and grout, including porcelain and ceramic too. All you need to do is spray it on, let it sit for around five minutes, and scrub.

Depending on the amount of dirt and grime, the cleaning task may take some scrubbing or be as simple as wiping the cleaner away. Our tester noted that the nozzle design is not the most helpful for cleaning grout on walls, as well, but loved the results. “Because there is a substantial amount of surface area in our shower, we can’t say that our arms didn’t fatigue with scrubbing,” she said. “But after just one pass, all of the rust-colored stains were easily lifted, and the tiles looked almost like they did when we first moved in.”

Notably, the formula works on both white grout and colorized grout. While it works on most surfaces, it isn’t safe for natural stone. Because it comes in a spray bottle, you can use it on the grout lines of natural stone tile and aim for those specific areas. It has a slightly strong scent as well, which you will likely pick up on quickly—our tester noted that it was pretty powerful. While not totally unpleasant, anyone sensitive to chemical-based scents may find the cleaner’s scent is too powerful.

Ultimately, whether you are cleaning in a small, enclosed area, such as a bathroom or shower, or a large one, it’s best to ventilate while using this cleaner and follow the safety guidelines that are noted on the packaging. Crack open a window and wear protective eye gear and gloves, so the cleaner doesn’t come in contact with your eyes or skin.

The Grout-Eez grout cleaner does use some harsher chemicals than the eco-friendly alternatives. For that reason, it may not be the best choice for food prep areas, such as kitchen countertops. It is ideal for backsplashes behind the stove or entryway floors that see a lot of mud and dirt. The included scrub brush can attach to any standard-sized mop or broom for use on the floor and larger areas, as well, and is angled to get into corners and grout lines.

All in all, this is a super effective and versatile product that includes the tools you need to get your cleaning task done.

Best Budget: Goo Gone Grout & Tile Cleaner

This affordable grout cleaner works on so many surfaces that it’s a no-brainer to include it in your cleaning arsenal. While it isn’t as effective in every situation as a professional-strength option, the chemicals are less harsh. You can use it on grout, ceramic, porcelain, fiberglass, and natural stone. It is also safe for white and colorized grout. The only surfaces you should not use Goo Gone cleaner on are limestone, travertine, and marble.

The grout cleaner cleans up mold and mildew stains, as well as common dirt and grime from things like soap scum, hard water, and shampoo. The formula is also certified as a safer choice for your health and the environment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Benzenesulfonic acid sodium salts and alcohol are the two main cleaning agents. It also includes chemical fragrance, which you should absolutely keep in mind if you are sensitive to fragrances.

Best Eco-Friendly: Better Life Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner

Finding an effective, eco-friendly cleaner for bathroom tile and grout can be tricky. But, this Better Life option uses safe ingredients, including coconut, corn, and citrus-based cleaners, as well as essential oils for fragrance. The formula does not include alcohol, petroleum-based solvents, synthetic fragrances, dyes, chlorine, or bleach. If you have kids and pets in your home, this is an ideal choice.

The only downside? Expect to do a bit more scrubbing with this formula. Fortunately, it is safe to use on porcelain, ceramic, grout, stainless steel, fiberglass, acrylic, and chrome. That means you can use the same cleaner on most of your bathroom and kitchen fixtures, as well as the tile and grout. Just steer clear of brass, granite, marble, and wood.

Best for Shower: Soft Scrub Gel Cleanser with Bleach

The Soft Scrub gel cleaner works on tile, grout, glass, and countertops, making it an ideal choice to use on every surface of your shower and bathroom. Rather than switching back and forth between different products, you can take care of all of your cleaning with just one easy-to-apply gel. It disinfects while it cleans, making it ideal for bathrooms and areas that get a lot of use.

To use it, apply the gel directly onto the surface and let it sit for up to one minute. Keep in mind that this formula includes bleach, so you don’t want to let it sit for very long, or it may damage the finish. In addition, as with any cleaners that contain bleach, you’ll want to take the necessary precautions to ventilate the area. You’ll want to wear protective gloves, keep the bleach away from your eyes and skin, and make sure to never mix the cleaner with another, as the result can be extremely hazardous.

In addition, always test the cleaner on a small area first to make sure it won’t scratch or discolor the tile or countertop. Once it has lifted the stain, you can rinse it away with the shower head or a spray bottle of water.

Best for Floors: Black Diamond Ultimate Grout Cleaner

This cleaner works for a variety of surfaces and grout applications, but it gets a special shoutout for its effectiveness on floors. Our tester noted that the acid-free formula was gentle yet powerful in her cleaning endeavors and had a mild smell. You’ll want to put on protective gloves and eye protection, as noted by the directions. In addition, it’s key to consider how much of the grout cleaner you expect to need to tidy up your high-traffic areas or shower tiles.

The cleaner comes in one-quart, one-gallon, and four-gallon sizes. If you have to tackle a large area, this is a big perk when it comes to saving time and money. (You will need to have a separate spray bottle if you purchase the larger refill, however.) Once you’re into cleaning, you’ll notice that the cleaner typically doesn’t require much scrubbing, but you may want to have a brush on hand to work it into the grout to lift up stubborn stains. In the case of our tester, they also reached for a soft sponge to finish a cleaning task in their shower.

“The dirt and mildew scrubbed away relatively quickly, and when we gave it a final once-over with a soft sponge and a few sprays from the shower head, the difference was astounding,” she said. “The whole cleaning process took about 30 minutes. Black Diamond worked better than anticipated, and we might even agree with its self-proclaimed classification as the ‘ultimate’ cleaner.”

The formula is notably safe for many types of surfaces, including grout and tile. It can even work on natural stone, including marble. It can also effectively remove dirt, grime, soap scum, and pet accidents, which is particularly great for pet owners who are looking to spruce up their floors. However, it is not effective on calcium deposits from hard water or water spots. It is best for dirt and grease, common on tile floors and in high-traffic areas.

What to Look for in a Grout Cleaner

Amount

If you are cleaning large areas, such as tile floors or showers, you will need plenty of grout cleaner to get the job done. Smaller jobs, such as touching up the grout only, only require a few ounces and can be done quickly. Once you find a grout cleaner that works for you, buying in bulk or larger quantities can save you money—and even time running out to the store for a refill!

Formula and Ingredients

Professional-strength grout cleaners often contain harsher chemicals, such as bleach or other disinfectants. With these strong formulas, you need to wear thick gloves, vent the space, and even wear goggles to protect your eyes. You also need to be cautious of pets and kids in your household, who these products may not be safe for, and where you’re hoping to clean. Some cleaners are not suitable for food prep areas. It’s best to read all the directions on the label of your cleaner beforehand, so you can get the most out of it and use the product safely and correctly.

If you want something less abrasive, look for a grout cleaner certified by the EPA to contain safe ingredients, such as salt and alcohol, for cleaning. (Our best budget pick, the Goo Gone Grout & Tile Cleaner, is one of these products.) Eco-friendly ingredients, such as vinegar, are the least bothersome to the natural environment and your body but may require more scrubbing to get the same level of clean.

Application Method

Grout cleaners come in spray, liquid, and gel form. Sprays are the most common and easy to use, but it is easy to over-spray and cover nearby surfaces. Depending on the material you’re working on and the cleaner, this may cause damage or discoloration. Liquid can be used on its own or to refill spray bottles. Gel is the easiest to control but is often more expensive and not efficient for use on large spaces, like high-traffic floors.