As we spend time in our homes, it’s only natural for pet hair, food stains, dust, and debris to accumulate over time. While spot cleaning may remove some stains, stubborn ones will only come out with a deeper clean. And, one cleaning gadget that will help you thoroughly clean your home is a carpet cleaner.

These machines will remove stains and bacteria, while also leaving your home with a pleasant smell. House cleaning guru Angela Brown says, “Choosing the right type of carpet cleaner depends on your needs, the type of carpet you have, and how frequently you plan to clean your carpets.”

Angela Brown is a professional cleaner and the CEO of Savvy Cleaner in Charlotte, North Carolina.

We’ve curated the best carpet cleaners to use on all types of stains. We tested these options both in the lab and at home for up to six months, evaluating them based on effectiveness, ease of use, portability, setup, and value. Keep reading to find the best carpet cleaner for your home.

Our Top Picks Best Overall: Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner at Amazon $227 Jump to Review Best for Pet Owners: Bissell 3624 Spot Clean Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner at Amazon $212 Jump to Review Best Quick-Drying: Hoover Powerscrub XL Pet Carpet Cleaner at Amazon $250 Jump to Review Best Heavy-Duty: Rug Doctor Trudeep Cleaner at Amazon $425 Jump to Review Best Portable: Bissell Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner at Amazon $140 Jump to Review

　　 Best Overall

　　 Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner

$227 at Amazon $227 at Target $227 at Bissell.com What’s Great About It Effectively removes stains

Easy setup

Brightens up the appearance of furniture

What Could Be Better Included cleaning solution has potent smell

If you’re trying to restore your carpet or upholstery to its original condition, then the Bissell Pro Heat Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner will help you out. 

We found that this machine removed most of the coffee, red wine, and soil stains. While there was a small amount of residue left on the carpet, we were able to remove it using the tough stain tool. We also found that pet stains were easy to remove using this machine. By the time we were finished, our carpet, rug, and loveseat couch looked much brighter and smelled nice. Although the cleaning smell was so potent that we found it to be a bit overpowering.

The removable opening helped us to easily refill and empty the tank. There was also a maximum fill line which helped us to know how much water the tank could hold. And when setting up this carpet cleaner, we only needed a screwdriver to attach the cord wrap.

Weight: 17 pounds, 3 ounces | Cord Length: 22 feet | Cleaning Path Width: 11 inches | Attachments: Pet stain tool, 3-inch tough stain tool, 7-foot accessory hose, 2 bottles of 8-ounce cleaning solution

　　 Best for Pet Owners

　　 Bissell 3624 Spot Clean Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner

$212 at Amazon $18 at Walmart $259 at Newegg.com What’s Great About It Works well on carpet and upholstery

Removes mold and pet stains easily

Easy to use

What Could Be Better Lacks additional attachments

Noisy

If you need a carpet cleaner that works well on pet stains across multiple surfaces, then look no further. With this Bissell Spot Clean Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner, you can have your carpet, couch, car seats, and other pieces of furniture cleaned in no time. 

It only took us about eight minutes to put this machine together. We found that we were able to remove the soda and wine stains from our carpet without any issues. Not only did this cleaner leave our carpet spotless but it also cleaned up the wine, soda, and marinara stains from our couch cushion.

Besides food and drink stains, mold is also no match for this cleaner. We had a mold stain on our car's upholstery, but this cleaner was able to lift it and left a fresh smell behind.

Even if your pet accidentally stains your carpet, this cleaner easily removes the mess. The only stain that we had a hard time with was the mustard, although this was true of most carpet cleaners we tested.

We did find this cleaner to be a bit too noisy. The noise level is so loud that it would be difficult to hold a conversation with another family member or watch TV. We also wish that more attachments came with this cleaner (preferably ones that help us reach narrow areas within our home).

Weight: 13 pounds | Cord Length: 22 feet | Cleaning Path Width: 3 inches | Attachments: 3-inch stain tool, 6-inch stair tool, trial size bottle of cleaning formula

　　 Best Quick-Drying

　　 Hoover Powerscrub XL Pet Carpet Cleaner

$250 $230 at Amazon $149 at Walmart $250 at Chewy What’s Great About It Cleans up stains easily

Perfect for deep cleaning large areas

Leaves carpets dry in under 20 minutes

What Could Be Better Difficult to assemble

Not great for spot cleaning

The Hoover Powerscrub Carpet Cleaner left our carpets completely dry in just under 20 minutes. When we dumped out the dirty water, it was gray and full of dog hair (which shows how effective this cleaner is at removing stains and debris). 

Once our carpet had dried off, we noticed that it felt more stiff. However, after a few days, our carpet’s texture changed back to its original appearance, and it never showed signs of damage. Plus, the cleaning solution gave our carpet a fresh linen scent.

Due to its large size, we found this carpet cleaner difficult to push around our home. Rather than using it for spot cleaning, this type of cleaner is better suited for when you want to give your carpets a good deep clean and remove stains that have been on your carpet for months.

Weight: 20 pounds, 8 ounces | Cord Length: 23 feet | Cleaning Path Width: 12 inches | Attachments: Pet tool, upholstery tool, nozzle cleanout tool, 8-foot hose, storage bag, sample bottle of cleaning solution

　　 Best Heavy-Duty

　　 Rug Doctor Trudeep Cleaner

$425 at Amazon View on Rugdoctor.com What’s Great About It Arrives assembled

Removes fresh stains easily

Leaves rugs and carpet looking fresh

What Could Be Better Has a harder time removing set-in stains

Difficult to maneuver in small spaces

Upon arrival, the Rug Doctor TruDeep Cleaner was already assembled. The only part that we had to attach was the hose. As we were cleaning up, this carpet cleaner easily removed the dirt stains. And, once we were done with the cleanup, the rug’s appearance was greatly improved. The rug didn’t feel stiff and it even had a fresh smell to it.

When it was time for us to refill the water tank, we had no issues. While we filled up the tank in our utility sink, we do think that it could fit under most kitchen sinks. As we continued to use this product, we found this cleaner has a harder time removing older stains. Therefore, we would recommend that you use it to clean up fresh stains. And one drawback to its size is that it’s better suited for larger or empty rooms. When we used it in our small townhome, we had a difficult time maneuvering it around our furniture.

Weight: 28 pounds | Cord Length: 22 inches | Cleaning Path Width: 12 inches | Attachments: Pet upholstery tool, hose, super boost spray

　　 Best Portable

　　 Bissell Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner

$140 $120 at Amazon $134 at Target $134 at Kohls.com What’s Great About It Comes with helpful attachments

Perfect for hard-to-reach areas

Doesn’t leave residue on your carpet

What Could Be Better The hose and cord get tangled up easily

Stairs, cracks, crevices—those hard-to-reach areas are always difficult to clean. But with this portable carpet cleaner from Bissell, you won’t have any trouble. 

While we did need to refer to the instruction manual to put this machine together, we believe that it’s possible to set this cleaner up without it. We also didn’t have any trouble with filling up the water tank (thanks to the rubber stopper). All we had to do was remove the tank, fill it up with water using the stopper, and place it back onto the cleaner. 

Another attachment that helped us was the 3-in-1 stair tool. Using it, we were able to easily clean our carpet, upholstery, and stairs. We found that this cleaner handles drink stains better than food stains. Specifically, the wine and soda stains were easily removed while the marinara and mustard stains were more difficult.

After cleaning, our carpet was wet but we didn’t come across any leftover residue. If we needed to rinse out the hose, we could easily do so with the hydro cleaner tool. We loved this attachment so much that we wished our vacuum cleaner also had it.

One issue that we did come across was unwrapping the hose and cord. Since these two parts are near each other, it was very easy for us to get them tangled up. But aside from this, we loved the many attachments that come with this cleaner and felt that they made it easier to use.

Weight: 9.2 pounds | Cord Length: 15 inches | Cleaning Path Width: 3 inches | Attachments: HydroRinse self-cleaning hose tool, 3-inch tough stain tool, spot and stain formula

　　 The Bottom Line

Our top pick is the BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet, 35799. It was able to remove most stains we tested it against and we also liked that each tank came with a detachable opening, which helped to easily refill or empty them. Plus, the tough stain tool made it easy to remove stubborn stains.

　　 Our Testing Process

We tested 20 carpet cleaners both in the lab and at home for up to six months. In the lab, we first weighed each one without water and took note of the measurements in pounds and ounces. Next, we filled the tank with water and stopped at the recommended water level. After that, we weighed the full carpet cleaner, taking note of the measurements in the same units. To see how heavy the machine felt, we carried it at least 10 feet and then returned to our initial starting position.

For the cleaning test, we added 1/4 cup of coffee, 1/4 cup of red wine, and 2 tablespoons of potting soil to the carpet. After waiting 10 minutes, we tried to sweep up the dry debris using a broom and dustpan. If that method didn’t work, we used paper towels. If we weren’t able to remove the stains using paper towels, we then tried the carpet cleaners. 

To see how long it would take us to clean the carpet, we started a timer before turning the machine on. For each stain, we spent no more than 5 minutes trying to remove them. When cleaning, we used attachments and tried different cleaning modes to see if they would help us to remove the stains. We stopped using the cleaner if we were able to remove the stains or if the allotted time passed.

For the next cleaning test, we wanted to see how well the cleaner could remove dry stains. Before the test, we started a timer. Regarding the stains, we were trying to clean up 1/4 cup of coffee, 1/4 cup of red wine, and 1 teaspoon of chocolate syrup. Similar to the first cleaning test, we followed the same steps of taking no more than 5 minutes to clean up each one and using different attachments. Once the carpet was wet, we started a timer to see how long it would take for it to dry completely. 

To measure the noise level of each carpet cleaner, we used a decibel meter and took note of the measurement. If the cleaner came with multiple noise levels, we made sure to record each one. Next, we poured out the dirty water and cleaned out the tanks and filters. 

Once we were done cleaning the tanks, we wanted to test how wet or dry the cleaned area was. For this test, we took a paper towel and pressed it into the designated area. If the area was dry, we stopped the timer and recorded the time. If the area was still wet, we waited 10 minutes and repeated the paper towel test. Once the allotted time was up, if the area was still wet, we recorded how long the carpet spent drying. We also recorded a percentage of the wet area of the carpet.

Finally, we brought the top-performing models home and used them for up to six months to see how well they held up to long-term use.

　　 Tips For Choosing The Right Carpet Cleaner

Tank Capacity Before cleaning your carpet, Brown says that you’ll start with a full tank of clean water. Then, as you’re cleaning, the water sprays onto the carpet to loosen up dirt and debris. Next, the carpet cleaner sucks the dirty water up and moves it to a separate tank. By checking this tank, you’ll know which areas are clean and which ones need more attention.

It’s also important to frequently check the dirty tank so you’ll know when to empty it into the sink. If your dirty tank becomes too full, it causes the machine to lose its ability to suck up water. In turn, this can also cause the carpet cleaner to leak dirty water back onto your carpet.

Also, most of the time, the manufacturer will list how much water can fit into each water tank in the product description. Brown says that there is not a standard amount for each tank because they tend to vary by brand.

Attachments and Accessories Brown says that in general, most carpet cleaners will come with a spray nozzle for treating stains or applying cleaning solutions. You will also find that most of them come with an upholstery tool for cleaning chairs, sofas, and even car seats. Besides these accessories, some cleaners will also have cleaning solutions, brushes, specialized tools designed for treating pet stains, nozzle cleanout tools, storage bags, and much more.

Maintenance  Brown advises emptying the water tank after each use. Once you clean the tanks, leave the caps off so the tank can dry out. To prevent clogging in the hose and nozzle, spray clean water through them to remove dirt and debris. We also recommend properly wrapping the cord up so that it stays free of kinks. It’s also helpful to remove any leftover residue from the beater bar or brushes.

Finally, always make sure to store your carpet cleaner in a dry space. 

　　 More Carpet Cleaners To Consider

Hoover Dual Spin Pet Carpet Cleaner FH54050V: While this carpet cleaner did a great job at removing simple stains, it was much more difficult to remove stubborn ones. And after we used this cleaner on our carpet, it took several hours for it to dry.

Hoover Pro Clean Pet Carpet Cleaner FH51050: This cleaner changed our carpet’s texture so that it was much softer, it also made our carpet smell clean. On the downside, we found it to be heavy and difficult to maneuver in small spaces.

　　 Questions and Answers

How do carpet cleaners work? According to Brown, carpet cleaners work by applying a mixture of water and cleaning solution to the carpet, then as you vacuum back and forth, the beater bar agitates the carpet fiber to loosen dirt and debris. Next, the solution is applied, the carpet is scrubbed, and the machine extracts the dirty water into a separate tank.

Is it better to shampoo or steam clean carpets? “Ultimately, the best choice depends on your carpet's condition and particular cleaning needs,” says Brown. If you’re primarily focused on removing dirt and allergens, it’s best to steam-clean your carpet. This method also leaves behind less residue. 

For those who have carpets with heavy soiling, it’s best to shampoo your carpets every once in a while. Regardless of the cleaning method, Brown says, “Regular maintenance, like vacuuming, promptly treating spills, and periodic professional cleaning, will keep most carpets clean and extend their life.”

How often should you clean your carpets? Brown recommends vacuuming low-traffic areas at least once a week to remove dirt, dust, and pet hair. But, for high-traffic areas, she says it’s best to vacuum them either two or three times a week. It’s also recommended to have your carpet professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months.

　　 Why Trust Southern Living

This article was written by Moriah Mason, a writer for Southern Living who specializes in shopping content. For this article, we tested 20 carpet cleaners in the lab and at home for up to six months, evaluating them based on setup, noise level, effectiveness, ease of use, portability, and other factors. She also spent hours researching carpet cleaners and contacted the founder and CEO of Savvy Cleaner Training and house cleaning guru, Angela Brown, for expert insight.

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