You just finished laying out the tile of your dreams, or maybe you’re renting your apartment and finding the tiling needs a bit of scouring. Even the best laid grout eventually needs a good scrubbing—whether for maintenance or deep cleaning—especially in rooms like kitchens and bathrooms, which can get messy quickly. A good scrub brush makes all the difference, and can save you the expense of relaying floors or walls.
Whether you’re looking for a brush for routine scrubbing, or for tackling years of dirt, we’ve chosen the best ones for the job.
Best overall: OXO Good Grips All Purpose Scrub Brush
While Oxo’s entire range of scrub brushes is excellent, this one is our top choice due to its sheer versatility. Bristles are tough enough to clean grout without eroding its surface, and the handle is comfortable on the hands (true to its “Good Grips” brand name). It’s the type of all-purpose workhorse that belongs in every household because it’s got uses in basically every room—it can even be used to spot clean carpets.
Best for the bathroom: Unger 2-in-1 Grout and Corner Scrubber
Unger’s grout brush is our top choice for stubborn bathroom grout, thanks to its thoughtful design. Sturdy bristles attack mold and soap scum, and are shaped to a V, which helps it eviscerate tough-to-reach corner grout. The curved handle means it can be grasped firmly and comfortably from a variety of angles, and the triangular nose of the brush can reach even the smallest of nooks. After you’re done cleaning, treat yourself to a nice bath in your shiny, spotless tub.
Small space scourer: OXO Good Grips Deep Clean Brush Set
Scrap that old toothbrush for this OXO upgrade. The softer bristles of your old dental tool might work for tuning up your sneakers, but deep grout cleaning requires something tougher. This set of two Oxo scrub brushes is designed for the hardest to reach, toughest stains, with durable nylon bristles and comfortable no-slip grips. They’re also great for shower tracks, griddles, stovetops—or any hard to navigate surface that needs a good scrub.
Best tool accessories: Holikme 4 Pack Drill Brush Power Scrubber
Avoid putting in the elbow grease at all, with Holkme’s drill brush heads. They attach to any standard drill, turning your power tool into a cleaning machine. Intensely satisfying to use, these bad boys easily bust through even the grimiest, most built-up of messes—the soap scum on tubs, fat caked grill tops, and, of course, the toughest grout stains. Just remember to suit up correctly, as it covers a wide surface and can spread cleaning supplies more widely than a manual scrub brush.