Scrubbing Grout Is Annoying. This Tiny $2 Brush Makes It Easy.

New York Times

25-03-2025

Turns out, I was right about the odd jobs, but this little brush also ended up being the perfect tool for keeping the white grout lines in my shower clean.
Originally, I bought two of these mini cleaning brushes on a whim, simply because they were cute—and less than $2 each. Sure, I also thought they might come in handy for odd jobs around the house, like scrubbing around faucets and cleaning appliance crevices, but I'm a sucker for anything miniature (see: my beloved mini dustpan set ).
But one of my best Muji purchases is also one of the most unassuming: a tiny little cleaning brush that I end up reaching for more times than I can count.
Give me an hour, and I could fill it with all the ways I love Muji, a store that sells Japanese-designed basics. Over the years, I've stocked up on my favorite 0.5 mm gel pens, colorful cotton socks, and little spiral-bound notebooks.
I like to give the tiles in my shower a periodic deep clean (usually once or twice a quarter) when I start to notice a buildup of soap scum and that hauntingly familiar pink bacteria, but especially if dark mold spots are beginning to form.
Since I'm allergy-prone and asthmatic, keeping mold and mildew at bay in my home is a constant but worthwhile endeavor. It's annoying, though, to try to clean the once bright-white grout lines between my subway tiles with any sort of efficiency, and I've tried my fair share of relatively ineffective methods.
The small brush head and angled handle of this mini cleaning brush make it easy—and even fun—to really get into grout lines.
Caroline Mullen/NYTWirecutter
In the past I've tried a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (which turned out to be better suited to non-abrasive surfaces), a spinning brush attachment for my drill (which put more strain on my arm than simply scrubbing), and a host of wider, bigger cleaning brushes (which weren't precise enough to focus on the grout lines).
To confirm that the mini Muji brush really was my new favorite tool, I also tested the OXO Good Grips Grout Brush, which Wirecutter recommends in our article on how to clean grout and tile. The OXO brush was certainly more effective than the Magic Eraser and a flatter, wider cleaning brush, and I liked the grippy handle. If your shower or floor has wide grout lines, I would definitely recommend the OXO brush for scrubbing more surface area. But my shower is covered with subway tile, and the grout lines are relatively thin, so a small brush head is ideal for my situation.
Plus, instead of begrudging the tiny tool for not getting the job done as quickly as possible, I found that it worked more effectively than a larger brush because it allowed me to focus on cleaning each section of grout properly before moving on to the next. This way, I complete the task correctly the first time instead of needing to go back and touch up my work.
I usually spray Clorox Clean-Up on the tile and grout, let it sit for about a minute to penetrate the grime, and then get to scrubbing.
Caroline Mullen/NYTWirecutter
The Muji brush is about the size of a toothbrush and angled, so it's quite comfortable to hold flush against the wall. The bristles are short and stiff, which is particularly helpful when I'm scrubbing the gritty, abrasive grout, which tends to do a number on cleaning brushes.
The stiff bristles further set it apart from a toothbrush, as even the stiffest toothbrush isn't nearly as hardy as the Muji brush (and for good reason—the Muji brush would tear your gums apart). It also has a hole at the end of the handle, so you can hang it from a hook or loop a string through it.
Left: My shower wall before a scrub-down with Clorox Cleanup Cleaner + Bleach and the little Muji brush. Right: The results.
Caroline Mullen/NYT Wirecutter
I like to use this brush in conjunction with our top disinfecting all-purpose spray, Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner + Bleach, to kill the mold and bacteria living in the damp shower environment and return the grout to its original white. I always wear gloves and turn the bathroom fan on, as bleach can affect my breathing, and I never use other cleaning products with bleach to prevent noxious fumes.
This little brush isn't great just for grout, though. Since my original purchase, I've picked up several more and stashed them around the house—they're less than $2 apiece, after all. I keep a couple under the kitchen sink for scrubbing the rivets on stainless steel pans with Bar Keepers Friend, getting gunk off the electric stove coils, and squirming into the nooks and crannies of the faucet for a deep clean. I have one in the bathroom for the grout (of course), faucet, and drain, and another one specifically for scrubbing inside the rim of the toilet, which is prone to mineral buildup.
Caroline Mullen/NYT Wirecutter
Brushes that come in contact with particularly gross bacteria, such as those that I use inside the toilet bowl, get washed with soap and water and then disinfected with Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner + Bleach, the same cleaner I use on the grout. I let the Clorox cleaner remain visibly wet for at least 30 seconds, per the bottle's instructions, to kill bacteria.
When I'm finished using any of the other brushes on a particular task, I pop it in the dishwasher for a cycle. However, I keep the brushes that come in contact with food surfaces separate from the others for sanitary reasons.
I've fallen so in love with these little cleaning brushes that I even put them in my family's stockings last Christmas in the hopes that they'll find a little bit of joy when scrubbing their grout or getting their showerhead back to its glistening glory.
Much like my affinity for my mini dustpan set, my fondness for this little brush is bound to last. I tend to think that a thoughtfully designed, adorable tool makes even the most loathsome cleaning task a bit less painful—and that's certainly worth $2.
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder.