The best tile cleaner depends on what is actually on your tiles. For everyday soap film and grime in a bathroom or kitchen, a good bathroom spray does the job; for crusty limescale around the taps you want an acidic descaler; and for black mould in the grout you need a bleach-based remover. These are the five we rate for 2026, picked from what is on UK shelves now and matched to the three jobs tiles really throw at you.
We clean bathrooms and kitchens for a living, across London, Liverpool and Manchester, so we get through a lot of these sprays. One warning before we start, and we come back to it lower down. The strong acidic limescale sprays here are for glazed ceramic and porcelain only. They will etch marble, limestone and other natural stone, so if your tiles are stone you need a gentler product. If a bathroom is past the point of a spray and a cloth, our deep cleaning service can take it on.
Best tile cleaners: quick comparison
| Product | Form | Targets | Surfaces | Scent | Approx UK price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG Bathroom Cleaner All Surfaces | Spray, 500ml | Soap residue, skin grease, light limescale | Glazed ceramic, porcelain, plus marble and granite | Light, fresh | About £3.50–£4.50 |
| Astonish Bathroom Cleaner | Foam spray, 750ml | Soap scum, watermarks, limescale | Glazed ceramic tiles, baths, taps; not stone | White Jasmine & Basil | About £1–£1.50 |
| Method Foaming Bath + Tile | Foam spray, 828ml | Soap scum, watermarks, light limescale | Sealed tiles, baths, showers, glass | Eucalyptus Mint | About £4–£4.50 |
| Viakal Classic Limescale Remover | Spray, 500ml | Heavy limescale, soap scum, watermarks | Glazed ceramic, porcelain, glass, chrome; not stone | Sharp, clean | About £2–£3 |
| Dettol Mould & Mildew Remover | Spray, 750ml | Black mould, mildew, discoloured grout | Glazed ceramic tiles and grout, acrylic; not stone | Bleach | About £3–£4.50 |
HG Bathroom Cleaner All Surfaces
A mild daily spray that cleans tiles without harming natural stone.
| Form | Ready-to-use spray |
|---|---|
| Size | 500ml trigger bottle |
| Targets | Soap residue, skin grease, light limescale |
| Surfaces | Glazed ceramic, porcelain, plus marble, travertine, granite and enamel |
| Scent | Light, fresh |
| Price | About £3.50–£4.50 |
Reasons to buy
- Mild and non-acidic, so it is safe on marble, travertine, granite and enamel as well as glazed tiles
- Lifts soap residue, skin grease and light limescale in one wipe
- Made for daily use on tiled walls, washbasins and plastic shower cubicles
- A little goes a long way, so a 500ml bottle lasts
Reasons to avoid
- Not strong enough for thick, crusty limescale, that is Viakal’s job
- Will not kill or bleach out black mould in grout
- Dearer per bottle than the supermarket value sprays below
This is the spray we hand most people first, because it suits the widest range of bathrooms. It clears the daily film of soap, body grease and light scale off tiles, screens and basins, and unlike almost every other cleaner here it is rated safe on natural stone. HG say it works on marble, travertine, granite and enamel, which makes it the one to buy if you are not certain what your tiles are.
You spray it, leave it a short while, then rinse with hot water. It is a maintenance cleaner rather than a heavy-duty descaler, so for set-in limescale you will want the Viakal below, and for mould the Dettol. For a weekly clean of a mixed bathroom though, it is the safest all-rounder on this list. If your tiles are stone and you want the gentlest routine, pair it with the stone-safe advice in our best marble and stone cleaners guide.
Where to buy
Sold through the HG site, Amazon, B&Q, Robert Dyas and hardware shops. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Astonish Bathroom Cleaner
A foaming spray that cuts soap scum and limescale for about a pound.
| Form | Foaming trigger spray |
|---|---|
| Size | 750ml |
| Targets | Soap scum, watermarks, limescale |
| Surfaces | Glazed ceramic tiles, baths, washbasins, taps; not natural stone |
| Scent | White Jasmine & Basil |
| Eco / ingredients | Vegan, cruelty-free, plant-based |
| Price | About £1–£1.50 |
Reasons to buy
- Often around a pound, which makes it the best value spray on this list
- Foams onto the tile and clings, so it works on vertical surfaces
- Genuinely strong on soap scum, watermarks and everyday limescale
- Vegan Society approved and Cruelty Free International certified
Reasons to avoid
- Astonish are clear it must not go on marble, limestone or travertine
- Acidic, so keep it off cracked or damaged enamel
- The bottle and trigger feel cheaper than the HG or Method
For the money, this is a brilliant little workhorse, and it is the one we restock most often for glazed-tile bathrooms. You spray the foam on, leave it two minutes while it eats into the soap scum and watermarks, then wipe with a damp cloth and rinse. On glazed ceramic tiles, baths and taps it punches well above its price.
The catch is the same as for any acidic bathroom spray. Astonish state plainly that it should not be used on acid-sensitive surfaces such as marble, limestone or travertine, so keep it for glazed and porcelain tiles. Pair it with the Dettol below and you have soap scum, limescale and mould covered for under a fiver.
Where to buy
Sold as a 750ml spray through Savers, Morrisons, B&M, Home Bargains and Amazon. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Method Foaming Bath + Tile Cleaner
A plant-based foaming spray that clears soap scum without bleach.
| Form | Foaming trigger spray |
|---|---|
| Size | 828ml |
| Targets | Soap scum, watermarks, light limescale |
| Surfaces | Sealed tiles, baths, shower surfaces, glass |
| Scent | Eucalyptus Mint |
| Eco / ingredients | Plant-based, biodegradable, bleach-free, no parabens or phosphonates |
| Price | About £4–£4.50 |
Reasons to buy
- Bleach-free and plant-based, made with biodegradable ingredients
- Foams onto tiles and removes soap scum and watermarks well
- Non-toxic formula that Method say needs no rinsing
- The eucalyptus and mint scent is genuinely pleasant, and the 828ml bottle is large
Reasons to avoid
- Dearer than the value sprays, and you are partly paying for the eco credentials
- Not a heavy descaler, so thick limescale still needs Viakal
- Made for sealed surfaces, so the usual stone and unsealed-grout caveats apply
If cutting harsh chemistry matters to you, this is the tile spray we would pick. It foams onto the surface, dissolves soap scum and watermarks, and rinses away clean, but it does it with plant-based cleaners rather than bleach or solvents. Method make it without parabens, phosphonates or chlorine bleach, and the formula is biodegradable, so it is kinder to drains and septic systems.
On day-to-day soap scum and light scale across baths, tiles, shower screens and glass it works well, and the eucalyptus mint scent beats the usual chemical hit. It is not a heavy-duty descaler, so for set-in limescale reach for the Viakal. For an eco routine across the rest of the house, the same brand turns up in our best all-purpose cleaners guide.
Where to buy
Sold in several scents through the Method shop, Big Green Smile, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Ocado. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Viakal Classic Limescale Remover
The strongest descaler here, and it slows the next build-up.
| Form | Ready-to-use spray |
|---|---|
| Size | 500ml (also sold as 750ml) |
| Targets | Heavy limescale, soap scum, watermarks |
| Surfaces | Glazed ceramic, porcelain, glass, chrome; not stone or metals |
| Scent | Sharp, clean |
| Eco / ingredients | Anti-limescale film slows return |
| Price | About £2–£3 |
Reasons to buy
- The strongest limescale remover in this guide, made for crusty hard-water scale
- Leaves an anti-limescale film that slows the next build-up
- Also lifts soap scum and watermarks off glazed tiles and glass
- Cheap and stocked in every supermarket
Reasons to avoid
- Acidic, so it must not go on marble, travertine or other natural stone
- Keep it off coloured or damaged enamel, aluminium and other metals
- Needs a thorough rinse, and the smell is sharp
When the problem is limescale rather than general grime, this is the one that does it. The white, crusty scale that builds up around taps, on shower screens and on glazed tiles in a hard-water area is exactly what Viakal is for. Spray it on, leave it up to five minutes on stubborn deposits, then rinse well, and it strips scale that a normal bathroom spray just slides over. The anti-limescale film it leaves behind is a real bonus, slowing how fast the scale comes back.
It earns its place by being strong, and that strength is also the warning. Viakal is acidic, so keep it off marble, travertine and other natural stone, off coloured or damaged enamel, and off aluminium and other metals, where the acid will etch or discolour. On glazed ceramic, porcelain, glass and chrome it is superb. Never mix it with a bleach product like the Dettol below.
Sold as a 500ml or 750ml spray through Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda and Amazon. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Dettol Mould & Mildew Remover
A bleach spray that lifts black mould stains out of grout.
| Form | Ready-to-use spray |
|---|---|
| Size | 750ml |
| Targets | Black mould, mildew, discoloured grout |
| Surfaces | Glazed ceramic tiles and grout, chrome, plastics, acrylic baths and showers |
| Scent | Bleach |
| Eco / ingredients | Contains bleach (sodium hypochlorite); kills 99.9% of bacteria |
| Price | About £3–£4.50 |
Reasons to buy
- Bleaches the black staining down into the grout lines, where mould takes hold
- Kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including coronavirus
- Works on ceramic tiles, grout, chrome, plastics and acrylic baths
- Spray-and-leave: five minutes of contact does most of the work
Reasons to avoid
- Not for coloured grout, unglazed tiles, enamel or natural stone
- Strong bleach smell, so ventilate the room and wear gloves
- Never mix it with a limescale remover or any acid
When the grout has gone black, no amount of normal cleaning brings it back, because the staining is mould growing into the grout. This is where a bleach remover earns its place. Dettol Mould and Mildew Remover contains sodium hypochlorite, so it kills the mould and bleaches the dark staining out of the grout at the same time. Spray it on, leave it up to five minutes, then wipe and rinse, and badly discoloured grout often comes back close to white.
Treat it with respect. It is not for coloured grout, unglazed tiles, enamel, natural stone, rubber or anything painted, and the bleach means you ventilate the room and wear gloves. Crucially, never mix it with an acidic limescale remover like the Viakal, because that releases dangerous fumes. If the mould keeps coming back, the real fix is ventilation, and a deeper clean. Our best grout cleaners guide goes further on grout specifically.
Where to buy
Sold as a 750ml spray through Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Boots and Amazon. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Never put an acidic tile cleaner on natural stone
This is the mistake we are called out to fix most often, and it is permanent. Most strong bathroom and limescale sprays are acidic, and acid eats into natural stone. One wipe of the wrong cleaner can dull a polished marble tile for good.
Keep acidic tile cleaners, including Viakal, Cif and Astonish, off these surfaces every time:
- Marble, limestone, travertine and slate. The acid etches the surface and leaves dull, rough patches that no amount of scrubbing restores. Astonish and Viakal both say so on the label.
- Polished or honed natural stone tiles of any kind. If you do not know what a tile is and it is not obviously glazed ceramic, assume it could be stone and test first.
- Coloured or damaged enamel, and metals like aluminium, brass and copper, which acid can discolour.
On natural stone use a pH-neutral stone cleaner, or a mild non-acidic spray such as the HG Bathroom Cleaner All Surfaces above, which is rated safe on marble and granite. If you are ever unsure, plain warm water and a microfibre cloth is the safe option, and a hidden test patch settles it.
How to choose a tile cleaner
Match the product to the problem, not the other way round. Most bathrooms have three different jobs, and no single spray is best at all three. Work out which one you actually have before you buy.
Soap scum and everyday film
This is the dull, slightly waxy layer that builds up on shower tiles and screens. A bathroom spray that foams and clings is what you want here, so it can sit on a vertical tile and break the film down. The Cif, Method and Astonish sprays all do this well. A general all-purpose cleaner often just smears it around.
Limescale
If you are in a hard-water area, the white crust around taps and on glass is limescale, and it needs acid to shift it. An acidic descaler like Viakal cuts through scale that a normal spray slides over. The trade-off is that the same acid damages stone, enamel and metals, so check your surfaces first.
Black mould in grout
Black or pink staining in the grout lines is mould, not dirt, and only a bleach-based remover such as the Dettol lifts it out properly. It bleaches the stain and kills the mould. It will not, though, touch limescale, and you must never use it alongside an acid product.
Mixed or stone tiles
If your bathroom has a mix of surfaces, or any natural stone, lead with a mild all-surface spray like the HG and keep the strong stuff for spot jobs on glazed tiles only. One gentle cleaner for the week, plus a descaler and a mould remover for the occasional deep clean, covers almost every home.
Spray, foam or steam?
A trigger spray is the quickest for a regular wipe-down and for spot-treating scale or mould. A foaming spray, like the Astonish or the Method, clings to vertical tiles for longer, so it is better on shower walls and screens where a thin liquid would just run off.
For a proper deep clean of grimy grout, a handheld steam cleaner is worth a look. Hot steam lifts dirt out of grout lines and sanitises with nothing but water, which is handy if you would rather not use chemicals on every clean. It will not remove limescale though, so think of steam as a partner to a descaler, not a replacement. If that appeals, our best handheld steam cleaners guide covers the models worth buying.
How we picked these
We clean homes for a living, so this list comes from what we actually use, cross-checked against current UK shelves. We looked at how well each product does its specific job, whether soap scum, limescale or mould, which surfaces it is genuinely safe on, the form and size, the scent, and the price.
Prices and pack sizes were checked against UK retailers and manufacturer listings in May 2026, and they do move, especially the value sprays that go in and out of offer. If a bathroom or kitchen needs more than a spray and a cloth, our regular domestic cleaning and end of tenancy cleaning teams cover London, Liverpool and Manchester. For a price, ask us for a quote or call 0333 555 2076.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tile cleaner in 2026?
For everyday bathroom and kitchen tiles, HG Bathroom Cleaner All Surfaces is our pick, because it lifts soap residue and light limescale yet stays mild enough for marble and other natural stone. For heavy limescale on glazed ceramic or porcelain, Viakal Classic is stronger. For black mould in the grout, use Dettol Mould and Mildew Remover instead, and for a plant-based option the Method foaming spray is the one we reach for.
Can you use an acidic limescale remover on natural stone tiles?
No. Acidic limescale removers such as Viakal, Cif and Astonish will etch and dull marble, limestone, travertine and slate, and the damage does not buff out. Those sprays are for glazed ceramic and porcelain only. On natural stone use a pH-neutral stone cleaner, or a mild spray like HG Bathroom Cleaner All Surfaces, which is rated safe on marble and granite. If you are unsure what your tiles are, test a hidden spot first.
What removes limescale from bathroom tiles?
An acidic limescale remover does. Viakal Classic is the strongest of the ones we use, and it also leaves an anti-limescale film that slows the next build-up. Spray it on the affected tiles, leave it for up to five minutes on stubborn scale, then rinse well with clean water. Keep it off marble, enamel and metals, because the acid will damage them.
How do you get soap scum off shower tiles?
Soap scum needs a bathroom spray that can cut the waxy film, not a general all-purpose cleaner. Cif Power and Shine, the Method foaming spray and Astonish Bathroom Cleaner all remove soap scum well. Spray the tiles, leave it a minute or two so the foam does the work, then wipe and rinse. A weekly squeegee after showering stops it coming back as fast.
What kills black mould on tile grout?
A bleach-based mould remover kills black mould at the root. Dettol Mould and Mildew Remover contains sodium hypochlorite, so it bleaches the staining out of the grout as well as killing the mould. Spray it on, leave it up to five minutes, then wipe and rinse. Keep it off coloured grout, unglazed tiles and natural stone, and never mix it with limescale remover or any acid.
Are tile cleaners safe on porcelain and ceramic?
Yes. Glazed ceramic and porcelain are non-porous, so the bathroom sprays in this guide are all safe on them, including the acidic limescale removers. The surfaces to watch are natural stone, unglazed or unsealed tiles, and damaged or coloured grout. Glazed wall and floor tiles in a normal bathroom or kitchen are the easy case.
Should I use a steam cleaner or a tile spray?
Both have their place. A spray is quicker for a regular wipe-down and for limescale or soap scum. A handheld steam cleaner is better for a deep clean of grimy grout and for cutting chemicals, because hot steam lifts dirt and sanitises with just water. Many people keep a spray for the week and steam the bathroom every month or two. Our guide to the best handheld steam cleaners covers the models worth buying.
Do you need to rinse tiles after cleaning them?
It depends on the product. The Method foaming spray is non-toxic and does not need rinsing. Acidic limescale removers like Viakal, and the bleach in Dettol Mould and Mildew Remover, should be rinsed off with clean water so no residue is left on the tiles or grout. When in doubt, a quick rinse and a dry wipe gives the best finish and the least streaking.
Last updated 29 May 2026. Written by the team at Monster Cleaning, professional cleaners working in UK homes since 2014. Prices and pack sizes were checked against UK retailers and manufacturer listings at the time of writing and do change.