10 of the best bathroom cleaners for showers, sinks and tiles

If you live in an area with hard water, you will find the build-up of limescale in your bathroom particularly frustrating and difficult to remove if you don't stay on top of it. Shower heads, taps and toilets can be particularly affected.

Tiles are prone to mould or mildew and the grouting may need regular attention to stop it becoming discoloured.

There are a lot of different areas of your bathroom that need a good old clean. So, to help you find an effective and easy-to-use bathroom cleaner, we found products recommended by our Top Testers Club to clean different elements of your bathroom, from limescale to mould to pesky water droplets. We can also recommend the best electric cleaning brushes, best window cleaners, oven cleaners and grout cleaners for your home. For more household products, take a look at the best bath mats, cutlery trays, best toilet brushes, best window cleaners, fridge organisers or the best retractable washing lines.

Best bathroom cleaners at a glance

• Best bathroom cleaner for limescale: Viakal Bathroom Limescale Remover Spray, £3
• Best sustainable bathroom cleaner: Method Bathroom Spray – Eucalyptus Mint, £2.48
• Best subscription service bathroom cleaner: Smol Everyday Surface Cleaning Spray, £6 for 6 – start your free trial
• Best easy to use bathroom cleaner: Dettol Big & Strong Bathroom Wipes, £3.50
• Best bathroom cleaner for shower screens: Astonish Shower Shine Self Clean Spray, £1.50
• Best bathroom cleaner for mould and mildew: Dettol Mould & Mildew Remover, £4
• Best bathroom cleaner for fragrance: Flash Bathroom Liquid Cleaner, £2
• Best bathroom cleaner for grease: Elbow Grease All Purpose Degreaser, £1.13
• Best bathroom cleaner for stubborn marks: The Pink Stuff, £1.50
• Best bathroom scrubber: JML Hurricane Spin Scrubber, £39.99

What to consider when choosing bathroom cleaner

Type of cleaner – As there are many different components in a bathroom, there are lots of different types of bathroom cleaner. You can get antibacterial bathroom wipes to quickly clean down surfaces. Or, for a more thorough clean you can get liquids and sprays that you leave on for a few minutes and then wash off. For even tougher dirt and deeper cleans, you have the option of an abrasive scrub or scrubbing brush to really clean up all the dirt and grime.

Area you're trying to clean – If you're cleaning your shower then you may need to think about limescale, mould and water droplets (they can be a nightmare to get rid of). For sinks, you will need to consider the same and for tiles, your main focus will be to ensure they're germ-free and there's no mould growing in the grout. For toilet seats and surfaces, you definitely need an antibacterial spray or wipe as this area will be full of bacteria.

Limescale – We have featured products to help you tackle limescale. If you live in a hard water area, this will be essential. If you live in a soft water area then you may still need to use a limescale cleaner in order to prevent any build-up. However, it's likely you won't need to use it as often.

Sustainability – Some bathroom cleaners are far from sustainable, especially wipes. However, as sustainability becomes a bigger concern in the world, you could consider using plant-based bathroom cleaners and those in recycled bottles or with as little plastic packaging as possible. If this is one of your top priorities, then you will find a few great options below.

Our pick of the best bathroom cleaners

1. Viakal Bathroom Limescale Remover Spray, £3

– Best for removing limescale

Volume: 500ml

Viakal is a great bathroom cleaner to remove limescale and hard water marks. It can be used on chrome, ceramics, tiles and shower doors to help keep your bathroom limescale free.

The formula of Viakel removes and prevents future build-up of limescale. Its anti-droplet technology prevents water marks from reappearing.

It removes tough marks but it's free from chlorine, bleach and ammonia so it's also quite gentle.

To use, just spray on your targeted surface, let it sit for a bit and then rinse. If you have a tough encrustation of limescale to remove, then leave the spray on for 3 minutes before rinsing.

When we asked our Top Tester's Club which bathroom cleaner they use, we were flooded with comments about Viakal. Parent tester Rebecca said, "We use Viakal spray as we live in a very hard water area so this helps us keep on top of any potential limescale build-up". Parent tester Pooja also uses Viakal and said, "It's great on metal and glass to remove limescale."

Pros: Tough on limescale, can be used all over the bathroom, gentle on your bathroom
Cons: Does not have a scent, is not anti-bacterial

Available from: Tesco, Amazon and Wilko

2. Method Bathroom Spray – Eucalyptus Mint, £2.48

– Best sustainable bathroom cleaner

Volume: 800ml

Method has created a naturally derived formula to help you clean your bathroom. Their bottles are made from old bottles and the cleaner is non-toxic and biodegradable. Every material they use is assessed by independent scientists to see its environmental impact.

Although the bathroom cleaner is kind to the environment, it is still tough on dirt and grime. This non-toxic bathroom cleaner with powergreeen technology can dissolve soap scum and get rid of stains.

To use, just spray and wipe away. It's suitable for use on showers, tiles, fixtures, glass and baths.

As well as being an effective cleaner it has a lovely Eucalyptus mint fragrance.

Many of our Top Testers recommended Method. Parent tester Charley-Marie said, "We use the mint Method bathroom cleaner. I love the smell of it and the fact it's plant-based". Parent tester Stephanie likes the Method cleaner too and said "It smells amazing and cleans so well with minimum effort".

Pros: Sustainably made, large volume, lovely fragrance
Cons: One of the more expensive cleaners, may not work as well on limescale

Available from: Asda, Waitrose and Amazon

3. Smol Everyday Surface Cleaning Spray, £6 for 6

– Best for a subscription service

Volume: 500ml

If it's difficult to get out of the house or you prefer to have a guaranteed supply of a product you like and you're not keen on lugging heavy products back from the shops, then a subscription service where the product is delivered straight to your door might be useful.

You can sign up to Smol for a free trial and receive a spray bottle and 1 tablet. From then on for £6 you will get 6 refill tablets posted through your letterbox. You refill the bottle with water and add the tablet.

The spray is an everyday cleaning spray and can be used on surfaces throughout the house, including the bathroom. Because of this, the spray is versatile and means you don't have lots of bottles taking up space. The tablet subscription service also reduces the amount of plastic packaging, making it a better option for the environment.

Many home testers recommended Smol and like that they only need one product for their whole house. Parent tester Amy said, "We use Smol products for almost all our cleaning". Parent tester Hannah said, "I've recently switched to Smol. I love the smell, the bottle and the fact I can get refills through the post".

Pros: Products sent straight to your door, less plastic packaging, can be used for the whole house
Cons: May not be as tough on limescale

Available from: Smol

4. Dettol Big & Strong Bathroom Wipes, £3.50

– Best for easy use

Volume: 25 wipes

Wipes are one of the easiest ways to clean your bathroom as there's no need for any extra cleaning supplies such as cloths or sponges.

These wipes are tough on soap scum and limescale as well as being antibacterial, killing up to 99.9% of bacteria. They also leave a fresh fragrance.

The only downside to them is that they're not the most sustainable method, although they are biodegradable.

Parent tester Kara said, "I use Dettol Big & Strong Bathroom Cleansing Wipes. I find it so much easier using wipes while having a 2- month-old baby who won't let me put her down for more than 5 minutes. They're bigger and stronger than normal cleaning wipes and I find it really handy to be able to just grab one when I see something that needs cleaning. They smell nice too".

Pros: Quick and easy to use, fragranced, antibacterial, no need for other cleaning supplies
Cons: Not very sustainable

Available from: Sainsbury's, Wilko and Tesco

5. Astonish Shower Shine Self Clean Spray, £1.50

– Best for shower screens

Volume: 750ml

This shower spray is designed for daily use to prevent the build up of limescale, soap deposits and grime. This prevention spray means you don't have to spend as much time scrubbing away at your shower screen.

The spray is designed to make keeping your shower clean as easy as possible. It will also leave a lovely clean scent.

Pros: No scrubbing required, has a fragrance
Cons: Have to use daily

Available from: Ocado

6. Dettol Mould & Mildew Remover, £4

– Best for mould and mildew

Volume: 750ml

This bathroom cleaner is excellent for tackling mould or mildew. It's also great for cleaning up dirty grout as it contains bleach and can eliminate mould that may be forming around your tiles.

The spray kills 99.9% of bacteria and can be used on tiles, grout, chrome and stainless steel.

To use, just spray onto the targeted area and leave for up to 5 minutes then wipe clean.

Pros: Tackles mould and mildew, can clean grout, kills 99.9% bacteria
Cons: Quite expensive

Available from: Waitrose, Tesco and Wilko

7. Flash Bathroom Cleaner, £2

– Best for fragrance

Volume: 1.2l

Flash has collaborated with Febreze to create a lovely smelling bathroom cleaner. Parent tester Charlotte said, "I use Flash Bathroom with the Febreze scent because it smells so good". Parent tester Ionela also uses Flash bathroom cleaner and said, " We use Flash if the bathroom needs a deep clean. I find Flash easy to use and it cleans the soap scum very well".

It comes in a 1.2 litre bottle so should last you quite a while.

It helps remove soap scum and limescale and has anti-droplet technology. The liquid is made using renewable energy. It also has a shine-protect formula to prevent watermarks and keep your bathroom looking clean and shiny for longer.

This cleaner is not suitable for marble, coloured enamel, enamel over 10 years old or fabrics.

Pros: Scented, removes limescale, anti-droplet technology, shine-protect, large volume
Cons: Cannot be used on marble or some enamels

Available from: Asda

8. Elbow Grease All Purpose Degreaser, £1.13

– Best for grease

Volume: 500ml

Elbow Grease is a brilliant option for cleaning up greasy surfaces and grimy tiles in the bathroom. It can also be used in the kitchen and throughout the house.

It's formulated to remove grease. To use, spray onto a clean cloth and then wipe the surface or spray directly onto the surface and wipe off with a clean cloth.

Parent tester Seaneed said, "I use Elbow Grease Spray, I use it all over my house and find it really good".

Pros: Versatile, great at removing grease and oil, affordable
Cons: Not antibacterial, may not be great for getting rid of limescale

Available from: Asda and Amazon

9. The Pink Stuff, £1.50

– Best for stubborn marks

Volume: 850g

Whenever we ask our Top Testers what products they use to clean certain things, there's always an overwhelming amount of people saying The Pink Stuff. When it came to bathroom cleaner, it was no different.

Parent tester Olivia said, "I use The Pink Stuff paste for taps and tiles" and Karla said, "The Pink Stuff, it's the best by far, I wouldn't use anything else".

The Pink Stuff can be used on pretty much anything and is a fantastic abrasive paste that removes stubborn marks and stains.

To use, just put the paste onto a soft sponge or cloth and rub onto the area you wish to clean. Then, rinse off with hot water. However, do note that as this is an abrasive scrub, you shouldn't rub it in too hard as this may scratch your chrome surfaces or tiles.

Pros: Affordable, good for tough marks/stains, versatile
Cons: Could scratch surfaces if used too vigorously

Available from: Wilko, Asda and Sainsbury's

10. JML Hurricane Spin Scrubber, £39.99

– Best bathroom scrubber

Volume: N/A

Not a bathroom cleaner but still very useful when it comes to cleaning your bathroom.

This brush cleans soap scum, mildew, calcium, limescale and hard water stains. The brush spins at 300 rpm and extends to over 4 feet long so you can reach into your bath and up to the top of the shower screen without bending or stretching.

You can change heads on the brush depending on what you need to clean.

Pros: Reaches into nooks and crannies, no need for chemicals, extends so you don't have to bend or stretch
Cons: Expensive

Available from: Amazon

How often should you clean your bathroom?

Maid For You says, "You should give your bathroom a good clean at least once a week. This includes wiping down the toilet and sink. The floor and bathtub should be cleaned every 2 weeks or so. It's also important to invest in a deep clean every month. This involves thoroughly scrubbing down and disinfecting all services".