Grout will look sparkling with cleaner's favourite method — not vinegar or baking soda

Cleaning the grout lines between tiles can be a real challenge, as standard mopping often fails to shift accumulated dirt and grime. However, cleaning professionals have a simple and effective trick up their sleeves to restore grout to its original condition.

Home experts at The Spruce chatted with Jade Piper, a professional cleaner and operations manager at BetterCleans, to uncover the best technique for dealing with grimy grout, reports the Express. Surprisingly, it doesn't involve vinegar or baking soda.

The secret weapon? A steam cleaner.

Jade said: "My favourite grout and tile cleaner isn't a chemical product at all. Say goodbye to those because a steam cleaner is all you need.

"It cuts down the elbow grease by at least half, and you're not hunched over with a toothbrush. I always cover way more ground in less time, and the results are way more consistent.

"Once you're done, run a clean microfibre mop over the floor, then dry it asap with another dry mop or towel. This keeps streaks away and stops any grime from settling back in."

The cleaning pro recommends theDupray Neat Steam Cleaner, available on Amazon. This gadget comes with a17-piece accessory kit, which includes an extension tube, brass brush, garment steamer bonnet, nylon brush, and cleaning pad.

It's currently priced at £159.99. With an impressive 4.3-star rating from over 2,900 customers, the steam cleaner certainly seems to do the job.

One said: "On a single tank fill, I was able to deep clean an entire bathroom, tackle a heavily soiled oven, and refresh all my kitchen cabinets without needing to stop and refill. The steam output is strong and consistent, and it made stubborn grime and grease disappear with minimal effort.

"This little machine packs a serious punch and has completely changed my cleaning routine. Highly recommend."

Another wrote: "I love that it comes with different attachments and the steam is ready pretty quickly and pretty powerful. However, steam cleaning requires constant steam on a surface for 30 seconds to actually kill all germs, so this becomes very time-consuming."

They added: "However, if you're not concerned with sanitising, it still does a pretty good job on different types of flooring (mine was wooden) and material (couches, chairs etc). The assembly and removal of parts are very easy. However, the low efficiency meant I did return it as I didn't want to wait 30 seconds every time."

For those on a budget, Tower's 16-in-1 Steam Mop is available from Argos for only £40.

Other methods of cleaning grout

A favoured 'gentle' method for tackling grout involves the use of lemon juice and baking soda. DIY Natural suggests that these two ingredients serve as "excellent natural cleaners for most everything in your home".

Start with any amount of baking soda, then gradually introduce spoonfulls of lemon juice until you get a thick paste. "Spread the solution out on the grout lines," they suggest.

Let it rest for a few moments before giving it a good scrub with a tile brush. A grout brush, known for its particularly stiff bristles, is perfect for this job, but an old toothbrush can serve as a handy substitute if you don't have one to hand. Lastly, mop up any lingering paste from your floor.