The Best Upholstery Cleaners We’ve Ever Tested
Spills and stains are inevitable. But with the help of an upholstery cleaner, you can revive everything from upholstered furniture to upholstered car interiors.
“You can use these wonder tools to clean couches, upholstered headboards, mattresses, and more without damage,” says Kathy Cohoon of Two Maids & A Mop. Plus, upholstery cleaners come in many forms, so you can find an option that meets your budget, storage, and cleaning needs.
To find the best upholstery cleaners, we tested 23 upholstery cleaning machines, upholstery cleaning solutions, and leather cleaning solutions side-by-side in our Lab. We used the upholstery cleaners to remove mustard, wine, soda, and marinara sauce from couch cushions and rugs, and the leather cleaners to remove foundation, chocolate, and sunscreen from leather pillows. During our tests, we evaluated each upholstery cleaner for performance, portability, ease of use, noise level, and overall value.
We previously tested 10 upholstery, carpet, and steam cleaners on dried ketchup and wet potting soil, and 21 carpet cleaners on potting soil, chocolate syrup, red wine, and coffee. We included top-performing products from both rounds of testing in this final selection. In addition to Cohoon, we also consulted cleaning experts, Will Cotter of HappyCleans, and Jim Mount of Phoenix Cleaning Solutions, to round out our research.
Bissell 3624 Spot Clean Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner at Wayfair
$165
Hoover CleanSlate XL Deep Clean Spot Cleaner at Amazon
$180
$140
Bissell Little Green Cordless Portable Carpet Cleaner 3682 at Amazon
$200
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This upholstery cleaner outperformed the pricier models we tested, and its simple grip handle, dual-tank design, and 22-foot cord make it easy to use.
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It could be quieter.
Of the 22 total upholstery cleaners we tested, the Bissell SpotClean Pro offered the best performance at the best price. The upholstery cleaner removed wine and soda stains in just a few passes, and though it worked more slowly on marinara sauce and mustard—taking four to 16 passes—it still proved more efficient than cleaning by hand. (We needed 18 to 64 passes to achieve similar results.)
Using the upholstery cleaner is easy: Press the trigger to spray water and cleaning solution on a stain. Then, drag the tool over it to suck up the mess. The machine stores clean and dirty water in separate 96-ounce tanks, which outlasted our tests without getting refilled or emptied. And thanks to a built-in handle, 22-foot power cord, and 5-foot hose, the machine is easy to lift and ideal for cleaning small to medium rooms. The model also comes with two attachments—a 3-inch tool and a 6-inch tool—but the 3-inch tool worked so well that we never switched it out.
At 93 decibels, the machine is the loudest on our list. And it left our upholstery damper than other models. But for the price, it still feels like a steal, and we recommend it to anyone who wants an effective upholstery cleaner.
Weight: 13 pounds | Tank Capacity: 96 ounces | Cord Length: 22 feet | Surface Type: Upholstery, carpet, stairs, and car interiors
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PHOTO: Wade Review / Dera Burreson
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PHOTO: Wade Review / Dera Burreson
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