This Highly-Rated Compact USB Ryobi Tool May Be Useful When Cleaning Bathroom Tiles & Removing Mold

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Cleaning the bathroom is one chore many of us wish we could avoid, so it's not a huge surprise when a product that makes that job easier earns high customer ratings. Ryobi makes a USB Lithium Power Scrubber that is one such product, which can be used to clean stubborn dirt and potentially hazardous mold from the tiles lining bathroom floors and walls. It's not the only tool the brand makes in this category — one of the newest Ryobi USB Lithium tools you can buy is a telescoping scrubber that offers an extended reach. Both devices are part of Ryobi's USB Lithium power system, which includes a few dozen different tools powered by the same interchangeable and rechargeable batteries.

While not as powerful as Ryobi's 18V One+ Power Scrubber, there can be advantages to opting instead for the brand's USB Lithium cleaner. It uses much cheaper batteries for one thing, and it's more compact, which makes it easier to store and use. Its smaller size also makes it more practical to use on bathroom walls. It comes with a 2-inch medium bristle brush that, along with all other Ryobi hex-shank cleaning accessories, is compatible with the tool's power head. The head has two speed settings and can spin up to 300 rpm.

This may be enough speed to remove dirt, grime, grout, and even mold from bathroom tiles, and the tool can also be used in other applications such as cleaning car tires, windows, and pool lining, assuming you're using the right brush for the right job. To get a better idea of how useful the Ryobi USB Lithium Power Scrubber actually is in real-world applications, here's a closer look at what people who've actually used the tool have to say about it.

The Ryobi USB Lithium Power Scrubber sells for $60 at Home Depot, where over 700 customers have scored the tool an overall 4.5 out of 5 user score, with 93% of surveyed customers recommending the tool. That's a fairly high user rating for a tool, but you'll need to dig deeper into written reviews to get a better sense of what exactly makes the product so well-liked. One of the most commonly-praised features is the tool's battery life, with at least one customer confirming it lasts long enough to scrub an entire bathroom.

The compact size of the tool is also pointed out by multiple reviewers, who appreciate that it can be used to clean smaller areas, such as shower stalls. One user mentions that they use Ryobi's larger 18V One+ Power Scrubber for their shower walls, but that the USB Lithium tool is "excellent for shower corners and tracks." For those using it outside of the bathroom, one 5-star review notes that its compact and lightweight build helps when climbing ladders or using it one-handed. Another customer also mentions its power while praising its smaller size, stating that "though it be small, it is mighty."

Many users also point out that the tool is easy to operate, with at least one Home Depot customer noting that no assembly is required after unboxing the Ryobi's USB Lithium Power Scrubber. This same user provides even more useful information by explaining that they used it for hard water deposits in their shower tiles and reporting that it easily removed these deposits. Another user says that the tool "made cleaning floor tile grout so easy."

While Home Depot customers leaving 5-star reviews note a handful of different reasons for rating it so highly, the tool's negative reviews mostly revolve around a single issue — the strength of Ryobi's USB Lithium Power Scrubber. Users describe this flaw in a few different ways, with some saying the tool should have a faster speed than its 300-rpm max and others saying it's not powerful enough. Some mention both could use improvement and one dissatisfied customer goes as far as accusing Home Depot of doing "a poor job of product testing." Another says that the strength of the tool isn't enough to adequately scrub and clean.

This lack of power can be commonly found among many, if not most of its negative reviews, but it's also mentioned in more mixed reviews that find the tool still has some use regardless of the issue. One user recommends that people who buy the "underpowered" tool use it to remove loose surface dirt, as it won't be enough for "deep-set dirt and stains." Similarly, another user is happy with the scrubber and its performance but wishes it offered a speed higher than 300 rpm.

As one reviewer puts it, "It's a little under powered, but it runs off essentially an 18650 battery, so I don't know what I was expecting." They do add that "there's no comparison between the power of this and the power of my Ryobi drill," though, and that the product may not have a reason to exist considering you can use scrubbing attachments with the brand's power cordless drill. If these downsides are enough to keep you from trying out Ryobi's USB Lithium Power Scrubber, you could always jury-rig your own by using your power drill with a $20 scrubber attachment.