Of all the jobs in the bathroom, grout is the one most of us put off. The lines darken slowly, soap scum builds up, and before long the whole shower looks tired, even when it's technically clean. The good news is that bringing grout back to life doesn't have to mean an hour on your knees with an old toothbrush.
Why grout gets dirty so fast
Grout is porous, so it soaks up water, soap residue and body oils. Add warmth and humidity and you have the perfect conditions for grime and mould spots to settle in. Regular, light cleaning is far easier than one big scrub every few months.
What you'll need
- Warm water and a mild bathroom cleaner or a little dishwashing liquid
- Bicarb soda for tougher marks
- A grout brush with stiff, narrow bristles
- A power scrubber for larger areas (optional, but a real time-saver)
The standing-up method
1. Rinse and loosen. Run the shower on warm for a minute to soften the grime, then spray your cleaner over the tiles and grout. Leave it for five to ten minutes so it can do the hard work for you.
2. Let the brush do the scrubbing. A cordless power scrubber with an extension handle lets you clean walls and floors without bending or kneeling. Use a pointed or narrow brush head along the grout lines and a flat head for the tile faces. Our Cordless Spin Scrubber comes with eight heads for exactly this.
3. Get into the lines. For corners and narrow joints, a brush with V-shaped bristles reaches deeper than a sponge ever will. Rotating Grout Brushes are designed to follow the line without twisting your wrist.
4. Treat stubborn spots. Mix bicarb soda with a little water into a paste, spread it over darker patches, leave it for ten minutes, then scrub and rinse.
5. Rinse and dry. Rinse everything with warm water, then squeegee or wipe the tiles dry. Removing standing water is the single best way to slow down the next build-up.
A few cautions
- Avoid vinegar and other acidic cleaners on natural stone such as marble or travertine, as they can etch the surface.
- Don't mix cleaning products, especially anything containing bleach.
- Always test a new tool or product on a small, hidden area first.
Keep it clean for longer
Once your grout is clean, a quick once-over each week keeps it that way. Ventilate the bathroom after every shower, wipe down the tiles, and consider resealing your grout once a year so it absorbs less grime.
Clean is the new chic, and it's a lot easier when the tools do the work. Explore our cleaning edit.