10 best grout cleaners for your home

Scrubbing grout is no one’s idea of fun. But however often we wipe down our tiles, stains, discolouration and mould build up with more determination than a toddler trying to stay awake at bedtime.

The worst-offending areas tend to be behind the hob in the kitchen – where food and grease stains take hold – or in the shower and bathroom, where mould and mildew turn our sparkling grout into an unsavoury shade of pink or black.

Luckily, there are all kinds of specialist grout cleaners on the market, designed to tackle specific grouting woes and save you a couple of hours’ scrubbing time. And, even better, we’ve done all the work for you when it comes to researching the best ones to use, scouring the Mumsnet forums and expert reviews for tried-and-tested recommendations.

Here are the best grout cleaners to buy in 2022.

1. Best overall grout cleaner: Pro-Kleen Grout Cleaner

Price: £21.95 | Buy now from Amazon

Forgotten what your grout looked like when it was fresh and new? This cleaner will jog your memory by blasting away all manner of unsightly stains.

You won’t need much of this strong concentrate to get the job done, so while it’s not the cheapest product in our list, it should last a long time. Plus, it comes with a spray bottle which makes application easier.

If stains are really stubborn, a light scrub might be needed, but in most cases you can just apply and leave for 10 to 20 minutes – it’ll set to work while you’re busy getting on with something else on your ever-growing to-do list.

As it’s so strong and has an intense bleach-like smell, wear gloves when you use it and open a window for some ventilation.

Pros

• Super-strong concentrate fights the toughest of stains

• No need to scrub

Cons

• Strong smell

• Might irritate skin

Related: The best floor mops, tried and tested

2. Best budget grout cleaner: Stardrops Pink Stuff Paste

Price: £1 | Buy now from Wilko

"It's the best thing I've found for cleaning the cream grout on the kitchen floor." frugalkitty

Stardrops Pink Stuff Paste is a stain-removing go-to for all kinds of jobs around the house. It tackles stains with force but is gentle enough that it won’t damage surfaces. As well as tiles and grout, it’s great for restoring sparkle to the likes of stovetops, glass, barbecues and uPVC too.

Just apply with a sponge or a cloth and rub it in before rinsing it away and buffing. It’s a little gritty, so be careful when rubbing it in if your tiles are prone to scratching.

You can buy this online or at loads of high street and DIY shops, so shop around for the best deals – we’ve seen it retail for as little as £1.

Pros

• Very low price

• Super versatile

• Made from mostly natural, non-toxic ingredients

• Not tested on animals

Cons

• Need to be careful to not apply with too much pressure on some surfaces because of gritty texture

3. Best grout cleaner for mould: Astonish Mould & Mildew Blaster

Price: £1 | Buy now from Amazon

“I had tried everything on the grout in my shower, which had turned a pink/orange, including strong smelling bleach products and was amazed after trying this. No need to re-grout as I had thought.” sm16

If the grout between your shower tiles has started to discolour, Astonish Mould & Mildew spray will tackle the pesky mould and mildew that’s behind the problem. Just spray and let it get to work – you’ll notice the stains have gone after a few minutes without even having to wipe. Rinse off once you’re happy with your refreshed grout.

This cleaner contains bleach – although you’ll likely find its stain-removing abilities are stronger than the straight-up stuff – so be careful not to get it on clothes or other surfaces.

Pros

• No need to scrub

• Really affordable

• Gets rid of stubborn mould

Cons

• Tricky to apply to vertical walls due to run-off

4. Best treatment for white grout: UniBond Grout Reviver

Price: £6.99 | Buy now from Amazon

While not technically a grout cleaner, if you’ve scrubbed that white grout to within an inch of its life (or don’t have the inclination to) and it’s still looking pretty tired, this reviver will be your new best friend. It’s white in colour and coats your grout to give a fresh finish.

It’s easy to apply too, as the tube is topped with a sponge. Just run it along the offending grout lines – ensuring the area is clean of grease and grime first – then leave it to dry before wiping off any excess from the tiles.

Not only will your grout be ice-white again, but it’ll be defended from further mould and stain build-up as well as added waterproof protection.

Pros

• Guaranteed to leave grout brilliant white

• No harsh chemicals

• Protects from further stain build-up

Cons

• Grout will need cleaning first

• Needs accurate application which takes longer

5. Best versatile grout cleaner: OxiClean Multi-Purpose Versatile Stain Remover

Price: £15.73 | Buy now from Amazon

“Best thing I have found for floor grout is OxiClean powder. It brought my pale grey grout back from darkest black.” ceres

This product might not be designed specifically for grout, but it’s come up several times in our forums as a great cleaner for tough stains that appear between tiles.

It’s an oxygen-based solution that's colour-safe (so good for grout of all shades) and reacts when introduced to water to bubble and lift off even really tough stains.

For grout, mix with a little water to make a paste, then rub onto the surface (the thicker consistency of the solution makes it good for using on walls as there won’t be too much run-off). Leave for up to half an hour, then wipe off.

You can also use OxiClean for laundry, upholstery and pretty much any surface around the house, once your grouting is done and dusted.

Pros

• Really versatile

• Can tailor strength and consistency when diluting

• Using as a paste makes it great for walls

Cons

• Not as strong as some heavy-duty grout cleaners

6. Best concentrated grout cleaner: HG Grout Cleaner

Price: £4.46 | Buy now from Amazon

“Nothing is better than this grout cleaner. I've used it a couple of times and it never fails me.” user1464934899

Good for walls as well as floors, this grout cleaner won’t require much in the way of elbow grease, so there’s no need to wield the old toothbrush you’ve been saving for tackling those stains. It works relatively quickly too, so you won’t be hanging around long before you can wipe it off.

This 500ml bottle may look small, but it’s actually a concentrate that you dilute, meaning it’ll cover up to seven square metres of grout. It does also come pre-diluted in a spray bottle for a ready-to-use option, but as the volume and price are both pretty similar, this concentrate offers better value for money.

Pros

• Quick to work

• Doesn’t require much scrubbing

Cons

• Needs diluting before use

7. Best grout cleaner for natural stone: Xtreme Clean for Stone, Tile & Grout

Price: £17.49 | Buy now from Amazon

This concentrated cleaner is designed to shift all kinds of ingrained dirt, grease and grime, and can be used on tiles made from loads of different materials – think natural stone, ceramic, porcelain, terracotta and concrete – without danger of discolouring or damaging them.

In fact, it’s a good multi-purpose cleaner that also gets rid of waxes and similar finishes if you want to strip a surface down for a really deep clean. This makes it great for areas that need some proper TLC or surfaces you want to refinish after moving into a new house.

That said, it is a heavy-duty cleaner, so isn’t suitable for using regularly on everyday dirt and general limescale.

Pros

• Good all-round cleaner

• Will also improve look of tiles as well as grout

Cons

• More of an investment

• Not for everyday use

8. Best grout reviver: Everbuild Forever White Grout Reviver

Price: From £3.53 | Buy now from Amazon

"We used Everbuild Forever White Grout Reviver. You can get it on Amazon - it's not expensive. It was absolutely fab and it looks like [we have] new tiles. The reviews are really good!" ThisIslandGirl 

Another reviver for white grout, this handy product will breathe new life into your tiles and make any grout look sparkling new again.

The solution comes with a sponge applicator, which you can either use attached to the tube or separately (it’s prone to falling off when on the tube, but you can always glue it back on if that’s your preferred method). Alternatively, squeeze the reviver along the gout lines and spread with a gloved finger.

This two-pack should be enough to cover the tiles in a small to medium-sized bathroom, making it decent value for money. To save time and avoid having to really scrub the excess white reviver off your tiles after it’s dried on, try wiping as you go.

Pros

• Protects against further discolouration

• Will leave grout brilliant white

Cons

• Excess can be tricky to wipe off tiles when dry

• Takes time to apply accurately

9. Best grout cleaner for outdoor and indoor use: LTP Grout Stain Remover

Price: £14.94 | Buy now from Amazon

This super-tough cleaner is robust enough to use on outdoor surfaces like patios and paving as well as on tiles and grout, and can take as little as five minutes to work.

As it’s a concentrate, it’ll need diluting – but this means you can tailor the strength to match the problem you’re tackling. So, if you’re finding that normal domestic cleaners just aren’t cutting the mustard with your grout, this stain remover might be the way to go.

Just remember to thoroughly rinse off when you’ve got the results you’re after – you don’t want to leave this enthusiastic solution on for too long in case it starts to discolour or damage your tiles.

Pros

• Heavy-duty

• Can be used outdoors or indoors

• Works quickly

Cons

• Needs thorough rinsing

• Not for everyday use

10. Best disinfecting grout cleaner: Dettol Mould and Mildew Remover Spray

Price: £3.50 | Buy now from Tesco

"I've used it for years." TunstallTansy

If your grout is discolouring in a wet or humid environment, it’s likely to be mould and mildew that are causing the issue. In that case, this spray should do the trick.

Containing bleach, it’s able to get rid of even ingrained and long-standing mildew stains without you having to scrub. Spray and walk away – it’ll set about fighting that discolouration while you get on with something else for five minutes. Then just give it a quick rinse when its job is done.

Use this all over showers and wetrooms to remove mould and perk up your grout. It’s a disinfectant too, doing two jobs in one go in the bathroom.

Pros

• Works with speed

• No need to scrub

Cons

• May not work on all grout stains

• Won’t re-whiten old, worn grout

How do I choose the best grout cleaner?

Consider what might be staining the grout in the first place. Is it mould? Or has the grout simply faded and discoloured over time? Some grout cleaners are great at removing the mildew that a damp environment causes, while others are best at tackling ingrained stains or actively coating faded grout in a fresh layer of coloured solution.

Also, think about the surface you want to use it on. Walls are trickier to clean with loose, liquid solutions as they can simply run off, so consider whether a paste might be best in those instances.

It’s worth bearing in mind too that some cleaners are great for everyday use, while others are intended only for the occasional deep clean.

How to clean grout

1. Check whether the product needs diluting, and follow the instructions for doing so if required.

2. Apply to the offending surface using a sponge, cloth or spray bottle.

3. Leave the solution to work its magic (check the container for information on how long your product is safe to stay applied for).

4. Get scrubbing if necessary. This is usually only required for the very toughest of stains, but you can buy specially designed brushes for this, or make use of an old toothbrush.

5. Rinse or wipe away thoroughly, ensuring all of the product is gone.

What is the best grout cleaner on the market?

The Pro-Kleen Grout Cleaner is the best grout cleaner on the market. It will blast away even the toughest grout stains and leave your tired grout looking like new, with minimal hands-on time from you. It’s not the cheapest on our list, but it’ll go the distance.

How we chose our recommendations

Our suggestions have come from recommendations on the Mumsnet forums and from consumer reviews online. We thoroughly research each product to make sure it will be an effective and good-value option for our readers. We also consult independent review sites for opinions about products to ensure we are bringing you an honest summary of the best grout cleaners around.

Why you should trust us

Mumsnet has been making the lives of parents and non-parents alike easier since 2000. We provide honest and independent advice by scouring our forums as well as bestseller lists and user reviews to find products that really work. Transparency is important to us, which is why we're always clear about where we find our recommendations.

If you buy something that we recommended as a result of our research, we often get paid affiliate commission from the retailer where you make a purchase. That is, unless you weren't happy with the product and return it – then we don’t make a penny.