The Differences Between Cleaning Grout With a Steam Cleaner or Scrubber

Grout Scrubbers

• Grout scrubbers don’t differ much from standard cleaning brushes or pads. The scrubbers contain either bristles or textured surfaces used for scrubbing the grout surface. Generally, grout scrubbers have a protruding section that dips down between the tiles to ensure contact with the grout between them. Use grout scrubbers in conjunction with cleaners labeled for grout or with all-purpose cleaners. If the grout is stained, use a cleaner with bleach.

Steam Cleaners

• Steam cleaners provide a less labor-intensive means of cleaning the grout between tiles. To use a steam cleaner, fill the chamber with water, plug in the unit and turn it on. The steam cleaner heats the water and produces steam through the hose. To clean with the steam cleaner, hold the hose to the grout for 15 to 20 second and then move the hose down slightly. Continue down one line of grout and wipe the loosened dirt with a rag.

Shower Enclosures

• Tiles and grout in shower enclosures face exposure to many organic materials that most walls and floors do not. The oils in soaps and shampoos, and even from skin contact, can get imbedded in the grout surface, which makes it difficult to clean the grout with a scrubber and grout cleaner, since the scrubber only touches the surface. A steam cleaner helps loosen this buildup by getting deeper into the tiles.

Walls and Floors

• Whether you need a steam cleaner on the grout in walls and floors outside of the shower depends on how soiled the grout is and how much money you want to spend. Light dirt can generally be removed from grout with a scrubber, which is the cheaper of the two cleaning options, but a scrubber may not provide deep enough cleaning for heavily soiled areas. If you do choose to use a steam cleaner, you can usually rent them from home improvement stores if you don’t want to purchase one.