How to Use a Steam Cleaner for Grout

By
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.

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Updated on 08/22/22
Reviewed by
Brandon Pleshek
Brandon Pleshek headshot.
Reviewed by Brandon Pleshek
Brandon Pleshek of Clean That Up! is a seasoned veteran of the cleaning industry with over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential cleaning. He is a member of The Spruce's Cleaning and Organizing Review Board.
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using a steam cleaner on grout

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 1 - 2 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner

Steam cleaners are power tools for grout cleaning (and other types of deep cleaning). Steam cleaners heat water to more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit using nozzles and brushes that direct blasts of steam onto the grout and scrub away grime. Read on to discover how to choose a steam cleaner and use it for your toughest grout cleaning challenges.

Why Grout Gets So Dirty

Upon installation, tile grout is forced between the tiles to fill the gaps and help stabilize the tile. The surface of the tile itself is smooth and relatively easy to clean.

By contrast, tile grout, being slightly lower than the tile and containing sand, attracts all sorts of debris. In tubs and showers, this gunk is mostly hardened soap scum, mineral scale, and general grime (and sometimes mold) from the moist environment. On tile flooring, the debris mainly consists of embedded dirt, but it too can contain the built-up residue of detergents.

This gunk works into the pores of the grout and, over time, becomes progressively more difficult to remove with normal cleaning. Even scrubbing vigorously with a stiff-bristled brush and using powerful cleansers and machines may produce unsatisfactory results. Steam cleaning is more effective because it uses steam and simultaneous scrubbing without the need for harsh detergents.

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Click Play to Learn How to Easily Use a Steam Cleaner for Grout

Choosing a Steam Cleaner

On the consumer market, there are few tools specifically made for cleaning tile grout. A general-purpose canister-style steam cleaner, such as the McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner, heats water past the boiling point in a few minutes and maintains steam for about 30 minutes. If you want to clean the bathroom wall tile, make sure you buy a canister, multi-purpose steam cleaner. Some steamers are floor-only and will not work for shower or bathtub tile. Multi-purpose cleaners have attachments for different surfaces.

You can purchase steam cleaners or rent them at home centers and rental outlets. Most rental units are suitable for tile (and that's why most people rent them), but be sure to check with the rental store to make sure you have the right brushes for grout.

choosing the right steam cleaner
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 
Featured Video

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Broom and mop
  • Steam cleaner with grout brush attachments

Materials

  • Sponges (optional)

Instructions

materials to steam clean grout
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 

How to Use a Steam Cleaner for Grout

  1. Clean the Tile

    Start by cleaning the entire area where you will steam clean. This gets rid of dirt, grit, and excess gunk that will only hamper your steam-cleaning efforts. Excess dirt or soap scum also can clog the steam cleaner brush. For floor tile, sweep and damp-mop the tile. For walls, sponge-clean the tiles, using a mild detergent, if desired, then rinse.

    cleaning the tile where you want to steam clean
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 

  2. Set Up the Steam Cleaner

    Fill the steam cleaner with water, then turn on the unit and set it to steam, as directed by the manufacturer. Typically, it takes just a few minutes to create the steam. Attach the hose to the steam cleaner, as directed. Choose an appropriate brush for the size of your grout and the type of tile, following the manufacturer's recommendations.

    As a general rule, it's best to start with a nylon-bristle brush, which is effective on most grout and will not damage the tile. If necessary, you might move to a brass-bristle brush for stubborn dirt; just be aware that brass-bristle brushes may damage some types of tile.

    preparing the steam cleaner
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 

  3. Begin Steaming and Scrubbing

    Turn on the steam with the recommended rate of spray. Scrub the grout directly with vigorous back-and-forth strokes. Work one small section at a time until it is clean, then move on to the next section. If you're cleaning walls, work from the top down so that all the dirty water runs down onto uncleaned areas.

    steam cleaning the grout lines
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 

  4. Rinse and Repeat

    Stop scrubbing periodically to rinse and/or mop or sponge each cleaned section. It's important to clean up the dirty water before it settles back into the grout and dries. Refill and reheat the steamer as needed, and continue the same process until the job is complete. Finish with a final cleaning of the entire area.

    scrubbing between steam cleaning
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Sealing Cleaned Grout

Steam cleaning can be done on sealed and unsealed grout; it won't hurt the sealer. But once you've cleaned your grout and restored its original color, the best way to keep it clean is to seal it with a high-quality grout sealer. Sealers come in two basic types: penetrating and topical. Both have their pluses and minuses, so compare the options relative to your tile (including how the sealer might affect the grout color and sheen) to choose the best sealer for your needs.

When to Call a Professional

Steam cleaning grout works often but not all the time. Consumer-grade steam cleaners have such small tanks that they cannot generate enough steam to clean a large area of time. Nor do these cleaners force the steam at the tile with the same kind of pressure found on commercial-grade steam cleaners. If DIY steam cleaning isn't working, call a professional.

Alternatives to Steam Cleaning

If cleaning the grout with steam isn't an option, you have a couple of alternatives at hand: tinting the grout or replacing the grout.

Tinting the Grout

It's possible to tint the color of your tile's grout and hide stains. The color usually goes from lighter to darker, not the reverse. Tint pens are even available which allow you to change the color as easily as using a marking pen.

Replacing the Grout

While removing and replacing the grout may sound like a huge project, it's less daunting than it may seem, as long as you have the right tools. Electric oscillating multi-tools let you chip out the grout while steering clear of the tile. When the grout is gone, it's easy to trowel on new grout.

FAQ
  • How often should you clean tile grout?

    Tile grout should be cleaned at least once or twice per year. If you notice it looking dirty or dingy, it should be cleaned more often.

  • Do you need to seal tile grout?

    Sealing the grout between tiles is an effective way to keep it cleaner longer.

  • Should you hire a professional to clean your tile and tile grout?

    If you don't have the time, or you feel that the tile and grout just aren't getting clean enough when you do it yourself, then, by all means, contact a professional to clean it.