Removing soiled stains from carpets is a challenging task. One needs a good all-in-one product, which is hard to find. The best carpet cleaners remove the dirt and stains from rugs without leaving any minor marks. However, it may not happen in one cleaning.
Before cleaning a stain, it is helpful to have all debris like pet hair off of your carpet. To take a bit of the strain out of the chore, a robotic vacuum might be the way to go. Check out our list of the top five best robot vacuums to do the dirty work for you.
Speaking of vacuuming, getting chores done is also good for the brain. A study of over half a million adults finds that those who did household chores were 21 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. So, if that pesky stain has been on your mind, cleaning it will not only have your rug as good as new, but it might improve your health in the long run.
That said, searching for that perfect product and hunting through a hundred websites will take a lot of time. So, StudyFinds has made the task easy for you. We reviewed 10 expert websites to choose the top five best carpet cleaners for you to make the process simple and quick.
The List: Best Carpet Cleaners, According to Experts
1. Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner
Wired ranks this product at the top of its list and explains, “This Bissell looks like a normal upright vacuum cleaner, but it packs plenty of carpet cleaning power. I was pleased with the results; my whole house felt renewed. It removed plenty of cat hair and eliminated lingering odors. It’s easy to use, with the two removable tanks—fill the top tank to the marked lines with warm water and detergent, pull a trigger on the handle to wet wash, and then run over the area slowly and watch the bottom tank fill with dirty water. A special spray jet, triggered by a pedal, can target stains. There are three modes (Max, Deep, and Express) and lots of attachments. The upholstery attachment was very effective on an old armchair, and the stair-cleaning tool works well too.”
HGTV says this is designed for pet owners: “Our tester, a parent of two border collie mixes and two young adults, has relied on this machine for years to remove stubborn stains and general dinginess from her carpets and rugs…our tester noted that it’s easy to maneuver and reaches underneath furniture and beds with no problem.”
“The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution is one of our favorite carpet cleaners. It’s an upright vacuum-style design with a motorized brush head and an internal tank that dispenses water and detergent as you’re cleaning. Though it’s loud and tricky to store, we reviewed the 2X Revolution and absolutely loved it, and we think you will also,” adds Reviewed.
2. Rug Doctor Pet Portable Spot Cleaner
People loves this model and writes: “It’s a little larger than other portable cleaners, weighing over 18 pounds. The cleaner has a 0.5-gallon water tank that lets you work for longer before needing to refill, and the hand tool is equipped with rubberized bristles that help to capture loose pet hair and remove dirt and stains from carpeting.”
Better Homes & Gardens rates it 4.6 out of five stars and writes, “When you need on-the-spot cleaning, it helps to have a portable device. Our tester found that Rug Doctor’s compact cleaner fit the bill. The hose is not very long, but keep in mind that this is really meant to be portable for on-the-spot carpet treatment. When it’s used for those types of treatments, it is an excellent product.”
CNN Underscored raves about its portable design “which includes a carry handle, wheels and a second retractable handle that lets you easily roll the cleaner from one spot to another. The Rug Doctor’s 4.5-inch vacuum head also made quick work of our carpet stain test. But the Rug Doctor was hampered by unfortunate design choices like water tanks with rounded bottoms that made them hard to refill.”
3. Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner
Real Simple mentions that this is the best commercial-style carpet cleaner. “In our testing, it was able to remove all the stains on the first pass, except for the ketchup, which came up after a few additional passes. It’s also one of the most expensive carpet cleaners we tested. But if you find yourself frequently renting a carpet cleaner, this machine might just save your money in the long run.”
The Spruce says this is worth investing in. “In our most recent testing of this machine, it cleaned red wine and coffee stains within the first six passes…It also cleaned potting soil and chocolate stains after 12 passes with both the wet and dry clean features. This stellar performance earned it a 5-star rating for effectiveness. It also came out of the box ready to use, so setup was simple. And while it doesn’t come with attachments, you can order a hose with an attachment separately. Our tester also appreciated that she didn’t have to bend over to use this cleaner, which is often the case with smaller spot-cleaning options.”
“If you’re really serious about carpet cleaning, we think the Rug Doctor is the next best thing to professional cleaning. We haven’t tested this model in the Cleaning Lab, but we have tested an older version and were pleased with its performance. And this Rug Doctor has earned the highest rating from the Carpet & Rug Institute — the carpet industry’s trade organization — for soil removal, water removal and gentleness,” writes Good Housekeeping.
4. Hoover Spotless Portable Carpet & Upholstery Spot Cleaner
Forbes says this model is an affordable and effective choice. “The Hoover Spotless Portable Carpet & Upholstery Spot Cleaner comes with a 5-foot hose (on top of a 14-foot extension cord) along with a self-cleaning triangular suction attachment, and we believe it’s one of the best carpet cleaners to buy especially for those hoping not to spend hundreds. Often on sale, this carpet cleaner touts over 13,000 5-star Amazon reviews, many of which are dedicated to applauding just how powerful the suction is on this small device. Best of all, while it works wonderfully on carpets, it’s also suitable for upholstery.”
“One tester described this carpet cleaner as ‘cleverly designed,’ thanks to its compact size, and wraparound hose—although we wish the hose was slightly longer,” writes Real Simple. “Emptying and cleaning the tank is an easy, process in part due to the self-cleaning hose that flushes after each use. This spot cleaner is not meant for use on wall-to-wall carpet, but it makes an affordable option for spot treating small patches of carpet, furniture, car interiors, and more.”
The Spruce agrees that it is easy to use: “It has two separate tanks—one for dirty water and one for clean water. The tanks are clearly labeled, and the release button on top of the machine makes emptying the dirty water tank straightforward and mess-free. The center handle ensures that it’s easy to carry around your home.”
5. Bissell Jetscrub Carpet Cleaner
People chose this carpet cleaner as their overall favorite. “The BISSELL JetScrub Pet Upright Carpet Cleaner offers powerful cleaning abilities. Its upright design saves you from having to scrub stains on your hands and knees, yet it’s easier to move around than the other upright carpet cleaners we tested. The appliance weighs just over 12 pounds, and our testers liked its narrow form, which features a collapsible handle, making it small enough to tuck into a closet for storage.”
Better Homes & Gardens loves the simplicity, “The tester noted that the noise was ‘what you would expect from a vacuum,’ so you won’t have to worry about things getting too loud when you’re cleaning. Our tester thought that the effectiveness of this machine plus its compact size were enough to make it a winner. Though the water extraction ‘could have been more powerful,’ the machine did remove the stains, which is the ultimate goal. If you’re concerned about a carpet cleaner being too complicated, the Bissell JetScrub has just three buttons to operate it.”
“We particularly loved the LED headlights that illuminate hard-to-see stains and the CleanShot Pretreater that made a difference in the machine’s ability to remove stains. Plus, the rotating brush helps to lift embedded stains and solids. This carpet cleaner also features an Express Clean Mode, which dries in 30 minutes, so you can do some last minute carpet cleaning prior to company arriving,” adds Real Simple.
Sources:
- HGTV
- Good Housekeeping
- CNN Underscored
- Forbes
- Better Homes & Gardens
- The Spruce
- Wired
- Reviewed
- People
- Real Simple
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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links.