We Tested Carpet Cleaners, and These 9 Are the Best at Fighting Stains
A standard vacuum cleaner is enough to handle crumbs, dust balls, and pet hair, but larger messes like food stains and spills are sometimes beyond the scope of this device. It’s best to opt for more heavy-duty carpet cleaners and/or upholstery sprays to handle tougher jobs. When combined, these cleaning components can help restore your home to its previous, unsoiled state without having to spend countless hours scrubbing.
To help you find the best carpet cleaner for your home, we tested several models and put the most effective carpet and upholstery sprays and treatments up against the toughest stains. We evaluated important factors such as performance, price, weight, and more to see which devices excelled in specific categories. For extra tips on finding the right carpet cleaner, we spoke with Matthew Baratta, VP of operations at Daimer Industries, and Aaron Christensen, resident cleaning expert and VP of growth at Homeaglow.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner at Amazon
$227
Bissell 3624 Spot Clean Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner at Wayfair
$165
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It expertly cleans everything, including pet hair, coffee stains, and spilled wine.
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While not extremely loud, it does produce a fair amount of noise.
Right from the start, we loved how simple the Bissell Big Pet Pro carpet cleaner was to set up. The instructions were incredibly intuitive, and it came with minimal parts, all of which easily locked into position. Once assembled, this upright did double duty by sucking up dirt and hair before tackling a myriad of stains, including wine, coffee, and chocolate syrup. After a few passes and the use of the handy wet/dry attachment, the stains vanished, and the carpet was as good as new.
Although it weighs over 40 pounds, the wheels on this carpet cleaner make it easy to maneuver around the house. Thanks to its long extension cord, we were able to navigate areas without feeling tethered to an outlet. Additionally, the water tanks are easily accessible and simple to fill up and dump out. After two months of use, this machine is still performing up to par. The only main drawback we noticed with the carpet cleaner was the level of noise it produced while in action. Its volume certainly isn’t piercing, but it was easy to hear from one room over.
Weight: 44 pounds | Cord Length: 25 inches | Hose Length: 9 inches | Dirty Water Tank Size: 1.75 gallons | Clean Water Tank Size: 1.75 gallons | Cleaning Path: 10.5 inches
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PHOTO: Wade Review / Henry Wortock
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![Person putting the lid on a bottle of cleaning solution above the Bissell Big Green Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner's tank]()
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PHOTO: Wade Review / Henry Wortock
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![Person pulling Bissell Big Green Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner across a floor]()
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PHOTO: Wade Review / Henry Wortock
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![Bissell Big Green Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner cleaning a brown stain from a carpet]()
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PHOTO: Wade Review / Henry Wortock