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When you're looking to thoroughly clean your home, steam is a powerful disinfectant that can get rid of 99.9% of bacteria. And for tackling the corners and crevices in your bathroom, the best steam cleaners for grout combine heated water with powerful pressure and specialty nozzles to power out dirt and grime. But when it comes to deciding which model is the best pick for your home, here are a couple things you want to consider:
Where You Want To Clean
While any steam cleaner that's tough on grout stains with feature a focused, jet-like nozzle, consider how else you plan on using the steamer. If you want one appliance that can tackle grout, upholstery, floors, and more, then a heavy-duty steamer with a wide variety of accessories will have the range and operating time needed. If you’re just looking to restore your shower tile and spot treat a few other places from time to time, consider the ease (and lower price tag) of a handheld model. However, be aware that steam cleaners aren't the best choice for porous materials like marble and brick, and materials that don't handle heat well like silk or unfinished wood.
Tank Size
Tank size largely will determine how long the unit provides steam and runs before refilling (and reheating). Larger tanks mean you don’t have to stop for frequent refills, but they'll also come with a bigger price tag. Canister- and vacuum-style steam cleaners tend to come with larger tanks, but if 15 to 20 minutes of operating time is all you need, you might prefer the ease of a handheld model.
No matter what the task at hand, scroll on for a range of steam cleaners that are tough on grout and much more.
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1
A Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner That Will Clean Almost Anything
For an all-around great cleaner for your home, consider McCulloch's heavy-duty canister-style steamer. For starters, it has a 48-ounce water tank that runs for about 45 minutes before refills and a 15-foot power cord and 9-foot hose to give you flexibility and range. This heavy-duty steamer heats up water to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit in eight minutes for a deep clean.
Finally, the 18-piece accessory set ensures that you have everything you need for just about any cleaning task including a jet nozzle that's great to power through grout stains and five nylon cleaning brushes that'll also help with tile and grout. There's also a mop head for efficient cleaning of floors (including tile floors) and much more. "Purchased to clean grout lines in floor tile. Previously used strong tile cleaner that required rubber gloves, face mask, and a stiff grout brush. This does the job with no harsh chemicals and no scrubbing. The steam nozzle really gets the stains up and out of the grout. As I go, I wipe up the wet dirt with a rag. A full reservoir lasts long enough to do a large section of floor," one customer raved.
2
The Overall Best Handheld Steamer
PentaBeauty's handheld steamer is a fan-favorite cleaner with a 4.8-star rating after more than 10,000 reviews. It comes with a nine-piece accessory set that includes a jet nozzle and a scrub brush head with bristles, both of which are great for cleaning grout. This handheld steamer heats up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit quickly, though a specific time frame wasn't given. The 12-ounce tank lasts for up to 20 minutes before a refill and a generous 9-foot cord ensures that you won’t have to constantly stop to unplug and reset. "Some places in the bathroom where I have had difficulty getting dirt spots, the steamer took care of. I like the fact you don’t have to use any harsh chemicals either, just water," one fan wrote.
3
The Best Budget Steam Cleaner
Weighing in at just under four pounds, this affordable handheld steamer comes with a nine-piece accessory kit that includes a grout brush and an angled concentrator that makes easy work of cleaning tile and grout stains. This gadget heats water up to 250 to 270 degrees Fahrenheit in under three minutes and while the tank size isn't specified, it gives users 15 to 20 minutes of cleaning before it needs a refill.
And despite the low price point, customers have been pretty happy with it. "I just received this beauty last week and I love it !!! My bathroom tub is so difficult to clean , but I used the steamer , sprayed the grout with Kaboom , let it sit for a few minutes , used the steamer for a good minute or so , the mold , dirt and caked on junk started lifting away," one user commented.
4
A Steam Mop That Detaches To Work On Grout
This multipurpose steam mop also features a detachable handheld steamer and accessories that allow you to tackle dirt and grime embedded in your grout with a jet nozzle and grout-cleaning brush. It heats water up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit in as little as 30 seconds, and while the tank size isn't noted, a customer reported that it ran for about 30 minutes.
"Love this mop! It is very fast and thorough for cleaning our hard floors (primarily tile); I would say it's about as quick as vacuuming a room and I dont have to do any sort of scrubbing or clean up since it's just water and dries so fast without any residue. I've also used it to clean our grout with the long attachment. Again, I didnt have to do much in the way of scrubbing or clean up, but I did have to sit on the floor going back and forth and while it was much easier than any other grout cleaning I've done it still took a long time," one customer wrote. However, a few other reviewers noted that while it worked well for lighter cleaning, it wasn't the most effective alone at scrubbing out grime in grout.
