With a high-quality joint cleaner, you can get the joints on the terrace and balcony, in the garden, as well as in the bathroom and kitchen clean again. You can find out which types there are and what you should pay attention to when buying in our guide.
Dirt can be easily removed from the joints with a grout brush
Note: In this article, we are primarily concerned with grout cleaners as devices for house and garden. We mention liquid/gel grout cleaning agents in the last section of the article as optional accessories for cleaning.
Our recommendations
our recommendation
Einhell cordless joint cleaner GE-CC 18 Li Set Power X-Change (lithium ions, 18 V, 1200 min-1, brush diameter 10 cm, incl. steel and nylon brush, incl. 2.0 Ah battery and charger)
89.00 EUR To the product| drive | battery pack |
|---|---|
| brush material | nylon, steel wire |
| handle incl. | Yes |
| extras | second handle, guide wheel |
| Weight | 2.40kg |
The cordless joint cleaner from Einhell is convincing in every respect. Many reviewers on Amazon describe it as very functional - the moss should just fly out of the joints. The operating time of more than one hour is also impressive. Added to this is the generous scope of delivery with two brushes - one with nylon bristles and one with steel bristles. Thanks to the second handle and guide wheel, the device can be used comfortably.
our recommendation
GLORIA WeedBrush | Electric floor scraper | Weed brush | Cleaning between patio tiles | Incl. steel wire joint brush
57.99 EUR To the product| drive | electric |
|---|---|
| brush material | steel wire |
| handle incl. | Yes |
| extras | second handle |
| Weight | 2.44kg |
The electric grout cleaner from Gloria is the price-performance winner among the models with a motorized drive. He is considered a "great work simplification" and should fulfill his tasks absolutely satisfactorily. Only the relatively short handle is criticized by some buyers. If you need a version with nylon bristles in addition to the steel brush included in the scope of delivery, you can order this separately.
our recommendation
Fiskars joint brush with additional scratch blade, device head, length: 18.5 cm, width: 15 cm, steel bristles/glass fiber reinforced plastic frame, black/orange, QuikFit, 1000657
19.34 EUR To the product| drive | manually |
|---|---|
| brush material | steel wire |
| handle incl. | no |
| extras | scratch blade |
| Weight | 160g |
The manually operated Fiskars joint brush earned third place in our comparison test. It can be supplemented with the brand's telescopic handle so that you can work upright. The buyers of the device on Amazon praise the high quality of the steel bristles, which "really do something" with moderate effort and should not deform even under heavy loads. Apparently, the joint brush is also well suited for very narrow joints.
Purchase Criteria
drive
Manually: Manual grout cleaners are inexpensive and easy to use. But: They demand a lot of strength from you because they are driven solely by your muscles.
electric: With electric grout cleaners, the device does the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is switch on the cleaner and move it in the joints. The rapidly rotating brush scrapes out the dirt. Classic electric joint cleaners are wired. This means that you don't have any stress in terms of time, but you always have to be careful not to trip over the cable. Also, you always need an outlet near the joints you want to clean.
battery pack: Battery-powered grout cleaners work basically the same as electric models - with the difference that they have a rechargeable battery. This has a limited capacity and usually does not last longer than 30 to a maximum of 60 minutes before it needs a new energy boost. Spatially you are completely flexible with the cordless joint cleaner, since there is no annoying cable in the way (or rather it is).
brush
The heart of the joint cleaner is the brush with the bristles. The latter must always be designed in such a way that on the one hand they have enough power to remove the dirt, but on the other hand they also protect the material of the surface to be cleaned.
There are brushes with steel or nylon bristles. The former are harder, the latter softer. They are recommended for different areas of application:
- Steel bristles for resistant materials such as concrete
- Nylon bristles for more sensitive materials such as natural stone
stalk
There are grout cleaners with and without a handle. Both variants have their advantages and disadvantages.
If you use the grout cleaner with a handle, you can easily clean the grout while standing. In this way you relieve your back, your knees and also your wrist. However, precision suffers due to the distance between your guide and the brush. Also, you can't use as much force, so the job may take longer - especially if it's a hand-operated device.
tips
Of course, the joint cleaner is only kind to your back if the handle is the right size for you. You should therefore prefer a telescopic handle that you can adapt to your individual requirements. Also make sure that the locking mechanism is stable - i.e. does not loosen during work and let the handle whiz down, which can cause a great shock and also result in injuries.
The disadvantages of the grout cleaner with a handle are the advantages of the device without an extension: you can work more precisely and energetically. But your knees, your wrist and your back will feel the passionate use. People with physical disabilities should use a grout cleaner with a handle.
extras
Joint cleaners with a handle are often available with special, useful extras. In this context, it is worth mentioning the second handle, the guide wheel and the splash guard.
Secondary handle: The secondary handle, located a little below the main handle, provides more comfortable handling and improved control of the device when cleaning.
Guide wheel: The small plastic wheel is located next to the brush. It helps you guide the grout cleaner evenly across the floor and takes the strain off your arms.
Splash protection: When cleaning the joints, small stones, shards and other particles can be thrown up. The splash guard prevents dangerous small parts from flying towards you and injuring you. In addition, it ensures that the dirt is not thrown out of the joints in all directions.
frequently asked Questions
What is a grout cleaner?
A joint cleaner is a practical device for cleaning various joints - whether indoors or outside on the balcony, terrace or in the garden. Classic grout cleaners are brush attachments with an ergonomic handle or handle. Commonly, these brushes have nylon or steel bristles that are so hard they literally scrape dirt out of the grout.
tips
With robust grout cleaners, you can also reliably remove dirt from the surfaces of tiled tiles as well as wood and stone slabs.
How does a grout cleaner work?
Using a grout cleaner is very simple: all you have to do is move the brush vigorously back and forth in the grout to be cleaned to scrape and sweep the dirt out completely. Depending on whether you use the joint cleaner with or without a handle, you can do the work standing up or have to get on your knees.
What is the difference between joint scrapers and joint cleaners?
In principle, the joint scraper is a special type of joint cleaner. Instead of a brush, it has a blade with a curved end and is primarily used to scrape weeds and unwanted grass from the joints of the tiles or slabs on balconies and terraces or in the garden.
In contrast, the joint cleaner in the narrower sense is basically equipped with a brush that is operated either manually or electrically (cable or battery). This brush can be used to effectively clean joints indoors (in the bathroom, in the kitchen) and outdoors - especially in combination with a special joint cleaning agent.
Which brands offer good grout cleaners?
There are numerous brands that offer high-quality grout cleaners. Here are some well-known and popular manufacturers at a glance:
- unanimously
- Karcher
- Gardena
- goodness
- Makita
- Bosch
- Ryobi
- glory
Where is the best place to buy a grout cleaner?
You can find high-quality joint cleaners in well-stocked hardware stores such as toom, OBI, Bauhaus, hagebaumarkt and Hornbach. Depending on the season, solid designs are sometimes even available from discounters such as Lidl and Aldi. Amazon offers you the largest selection.
tips
Liquid or gel joint cleaning agents, which can be used in addition to the joint cleaner (device), are also available in drugstores such as DM or Rossmann.
equipment
grout cleaner
If you want to use the grout cleaner to remove particularly stubborn and dried-in dirt or harmful mold, you should also buy and use a special grout cleaning agent.
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