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Tile & Grout Cleaning

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Tile and grout cleaning is almost always really about mould. The tile itself is a glazed, non-porous surface that rarely needs more than a mop; the grout between the tiles is porous, and the silicone in the corners is a soft organic-friendly surface sitting in the wettest place in the house. That is where the black speckling appears, and that is what people are looking at when they decide the bathroom needs doing.

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NSW Health's position on mould is the practical starting point. Mould may grow indoors in wet or moist areas that lack adequate ventilation, and requires moisture and nutrients to grow. Health effects of mould exposure include a runny or blocked nose, irritation of the eyes and skin, and sometimes wheezing. For routine clean-up of mouldy surfaces, NSW Health advises using mild detergent or a vinegar solution diluted at 4 parts vinegar to 1 part water, and for stubborn mould a diluted bleach solution made up of 250 millilitres of bleach in 4 litres of water. Critically, it says to ensure the surface is dried completely once cleaned.

The word in that advice doing the most work is moisture. Cleaning removes what has grown. It does not remove the reason it grew, which is why the same corner goes black again eight weeks later.

Why the same grout keeps going black

Mould needs moisture and nutrients, and a shower supplies both continuously. Soap residue and skin cells are the nutrients; the water is supplied by you twice a day. The variable you can change is how long the surface stays wet after the shower stops, which is a ventilation question rather than a cleaning one.

In Australian bathrooms the recurring causes are consistent. An exhaust fan that discharges into the roof space instead of outside moves the moisture rather than removing it. A fan that is only run during the shower switches off before the room has dried. A bathroom with no openable window and a door kept closed has no way to exchange air. A failed silicone junction or a waterproofing problem behind the tile keeps the substrate damp from inside, in which case the mould is a symptom of a building defect and no amount of cleaning will hold it back.

For renters, the cause matters legally as well as practically. The Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria's cleanliness guideline lists, among the factors in deciding whether premises are reasonably clean, the presence of mould or damp and whether it was caused by a renter's failure to take care of the premises as compared to mould or damp caused by or related to the building structure. That is the test, and it is why reporting a suspected leak or a fan that vents into the roof in writing, at the time, is worth more than any product.

Tile, grout, silicone and stone are four different problems

  • Glazed ceramic and porcelain tile is non-porous and tolerant, and rarely the thing that actually needs the work.
  • Cement-based grout is porous, absorbs staining and holds mould in the surface rather than on it.
  • Epoxy grout is far less porous and cleans more easily, but is unforgiving of harsh abrasives.
  • Silicone sealant at internal corners and at the junction of wall and floor is soft, and once mould has grown into it, it usually has to be cut out and replaced rather than cleaned.
  • Natural stone, including marble, limestone and travertine, is damaged by acidic products, so the vinegar advice that suits a ceramic bathroom does not suit a stone one.
  • Unsealed or poorly sealed grout takes up staining that sealed grout would shed, which is why sealing is usually recommended after a restoration clean.
  • The waterproofing membrane behind and beneath the tile is not the grout and is not visible, and a failure there presents as recurring damp rather than as surface mould.

How tile and grout should be cleaned

  • Identify the tile and grout type first, because natural stone rules out the acidic products that work well on ceramic.
  • Ventilate the room before starting and keep it ventilated throughout, which matters more here than in any other room of the house.
  • Start with the mildest effective approach, which NSW Health describes for routine clean-up as mild detergent or a vinegar solution of 4 parts vinegar to 1 part water.
  • Escalate only where needed: NSW Health advises a diluted bleach solution of 250 millilitres of bleach in 4 litres of water for stubborn mould.
  • Never combine products; healthdirect's household advice is to label all cleaning products and keep them in their original containers, and combining is how people generate fumes in a small unventilated room.
  • Use mechanical agitation on grout lines rather than relying on chemistry alone, since the mould is in the surface of a porous material.
  • Rinse thoroughly and, in NSW Health's words, ensure the surface is dried completely once cleaned.
  • Assess the silicone separately, because mould growing inside a bead is a replacement job rather than a cleaning one.

Keeping a wet area dry enough to stay clean

  • Run the exhaust fan during the shower and for a good while afterwards, since the drying period is the part that matters.
  • Check where the fan actually discharges, because a fan ducted into the roof space is moving moisture into the ceiling rather than out of the house.
  • Open the window or the door after showering so the room can exchange air.
  • Squeegee or wipe the screen and the wall tiles after the last shower of the day, which is the single most effective daily habit.
  • Keep the shower floor clear of bottles and mats that trap water underneath them.
  • Reseal cement grout periodically, on the schedule the product specifies, rather than waiting for staining.
  • Replace silicone beads when they discolour rather than trying to clean them indefinitely.
  • Treat persistent damp on a wall or a ceiling as a building problem and get it investigated, because it will outlast every cleaning product you try.

Cleaning, recolouring, regrouting or retiling

  • A professional clean is right where the grout is structurally sound and the problem is staining and surface mould.
  • Grout recolouring or sealing suits sound grout that is permanently discoloured and will not come back to an even tone.
  • Regrouting is warranted where grout is crumbling, missing, or cracked along lines, which means water is reaching the bed.
  • Silicone replacement is almost always part of any of the above, since mould in a bead cannot be cleaned out.
  • Retiling becomes the answer when tiles are drummy or lifting, which indicates a failure below the tile rather than between them.
  • Recurring damp behind or below the tile points at the waterproofing membrane, which is a licensed building repair, not a cleaning or regrouting job.
  • In a rental, none of this is the renter's call: report the condition and let the rental provider arrange the repair.

What tile and grout work is priced on

  • Area, and the ratio of grout line to tile, since small mosaic tiles have far more grout per square metre than large-format tiles.
  • Whether the surface is floor or wall, because wall work is slower.
  • The tile and grout material, with natural stone requiring more careful and slower methods.
  • How bad the staining is and whether the grout has ever been sealed.
  • Whether sealing is included afterwards, which is usually recommended and usually priced separately.
  • Whether silicone beads are being cut out and replaced as part of the job.
  • Access and the number of wet areas in the house.
  • Whether the work is cleaning or restoration, since recolouring and regrouting are different trades with different time.

What to expect, and how LokalMatch fits in

Be clear before the job about what will and will not come back. Grout that has been stained for years may lighten considerably without returning to its original colour, and that is a limitation of a porous material rather than of the operator. Get that expectation recorded in the quote, along with whether sealing and silicone replacement are included, because those two items are where most disappointment sits.

Where the work itself is poor, the Australian Consumer Law applies: the ACCC says services must be carried out with an acceptable level of care and skill, at least as good as what a competent service provider with average skills and experience would provide, and where the problem is minor the business must fix it free of charge. Damage to stone from an unsuitable acidic product is a separate claim for compensation for damage or loss, which is exactly why identifying the material first matters.

LokalMatch only makes the introduction. You describe the wet areas, the tile and grout type if you know it, how long the problem has been there and whether you suspect a leak, and businesses that cover your area contact you directly. Those businesses pay LokalMatch for the requests they receive. LokalMatch does no cleaning, quotes no prices and does not vet, rank or recommend any business, so getting a suspected leak or a badly ducted fan properly investigated is still your step.

Tile & Grout Cleaning: frequently asked questions

Why does the mould come back within weeks?

Because the moisture is still there. NSW Health says mould may grow indoors in wet or moist areas that lack adequate ventilation and requires moisture and nutrients to grow, and that the surface must be dried completely once cleaned. If the room never dries between showers, cleaning only resets the clock. The usual Australian culprits are an exhaust fan that vents into the roof space, a fan that is switched off with the light, a bathroom with no openable window, or a failed silicone or waterproofing junction keeping the substrate damp from behind.

What should I use on bathroom mould at home?

NSW Health's advice is to use mild detergent or a vinegar solution diluted at 4 parts vinegar to 1 part water for routine clean-up of mouldy surfaces, and a diluted bleach solution of 250 millilitres of bleach in 4 litres of water for stubborn mould, ensuring the surface is dried completely afterwards. Ventilate the room while you work, never combine products, and do not use vinegar or other acidic products on natural stone such as marble, limestone or travertine, where they will etch the surface.

In a rental, who is responsible for mould in the shower?

It depends on the cause, and Victoria's cleanliness guideline names that as the test: whether the mould or damp was caused by the renter's failure to take care of the premises, or was caused by or related to the building structure. Mould on silicone in a bathroom that is never ventilated sits differently from mould caused by a leak or a fan ducted into the roof space. Report anything structural in writing as soon as you notice it, because that written report is what distinguishes the two cases later.

Will cleaning get my grout back to white?

Often it will lighten substantially and not return to original. Cement grout is porous and absorbs staining into the body of the material rather than onto it, and years of soap, minerals and mould leave a residual tone. This is why grout recolouring exists: it applies a pigmented coating over sound grout to give an even colour. If uniform white matters to you, ask about recolouring or regrouting at the quoting stage rather than being disappointed by a clean.

Can the black in the corner silicone be cleaned out?

Usually not. Once mould has grown into the body of a silicone bead, it is below the surface and bleaching it only lightens the appearance temporarily. The reliable answer is to cut the bead out, clean and dry the joint properly, and apply new sealant. Most professional tile and grout cleans in Australian bathrooms include or recommend this, and it is worth doing at the same visit rather than separately.

Is sealing grout worth it?

On cement-based grout, generally yes, because it slows the absorption of staining and makes routine cleaning much more effective. It is not permanent and it needs reapplying on whatever schedule the product specifies. Epoxy grout does not need it. Sealing is applied after a clean, onto dry grout, so it is a second stage rather than something that happens in the same hour, and it should be quoted as its own line item.

Sources

  1. NSW Health — Mould
  2. Consumer Affairs Victoria, Director's Guideline 2 — Cleanliness
  3. healthdirect — Poisoning
  4. ACCC — Consumer guarantees

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

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What affects the cost of tile and grout cleaning

Prices depend on the details of your project. We only publish price ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch quote data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the price:

  • Size of the home and number of bathrooms
  • Type of clean: regular, deep, move-in or move-out
  • Current condition and how long since the last clean
  • How often you book
  • Extras like inside the oven, fridge, cabinets or windows
  • Pets, stairs and access

How to compare cleaners before you hire

  • Ask exactly what's included in a standard clean, a deep clean and a move-out clean, since each company defines them differently.
  • Check whether the company carries liability insurance and whether cleaners are employees or contractors.
  • Ask whether they bring their own supplies and equipment, and whether they can use products you prefer.
  • For recurring service, ask whether the same cleaner or team will usually come.
  • For specialty work like carpet, upholstery or pressure washing, choose someone with the right equipment for that job.

Questions to ask cleaners before you hire

  • What exactly is included in the clean you're quoting?
  • Do you bring your own supplies and equipment?
  • Are you insured if something is damaged or someone is hurt?
  • Will the same person or team come each time?
  • How do you handle keys, alarm codes and access to my home?
  • What happens if I'm not happy with part of the clean?

Tile and grout cleaning permits and local rules

Some tile and grout cleaning work needs a permit or has to meet local bylaws. Rules vary by municipality, so ask your pro whether a permit is needed and who will apply for it — and check with your city or town if you’re unsure.

Permits and licensing

Guides about tile and grout cleaning

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