Carpets can easily get dirty even if you don’t have pets or kids. Sometimes accidents happen where you spill your coffee or wine on the carpet. For such messes, a vacuum cleaner is not enough, you need a machine called a carpet cleaner. It is designed to remove dirt, coffee spills, pet stains, germs, and allergens. With a carpet cleaner in your home, your carpets will always remain fresh.
There are different types of carpet cleaners available on the market. The carpet shampooers and carpet steam cleaners are two popular choices. These machines use water, cleaning solutions, and powerful suction to deep clean carpets. Currently, there are so many carpet cleaner brands, some stand out for their performance and others for reliability. Some popular brands include Bissell, Shark, Tineco, and Hoover. The Bissell is liked for its features and efficiency in handling tough stains, while Hoover is liked for its simple design and powerful cleaning capabilities.
To make the decision of choosing a carpet cleaner easier, we tested over 30 carpet cleaners. To find the best carpet cleaner, we did multiple tests, including the drying test, ease of use, noise level, stain removal test, tank capacity, and pet hair removal. After taking all these tests, we concluded Bissell Big Green was the best choice out of the 30 we tested. We were surprised by how good Bissel is at cleaning, with its great suction power, we easily managed to pull out hair and other hard stains, and the carpet completely dried in about 3 hours.
Our Top Picks
- Bissell Big Green Professional (best overall)
- Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic (best alternative)
- Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro (best for pets)
- Bissell Little Green Portable (best portable)
- Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 (professional-grade)
- Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner (best mid-range)
- Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact (best budget)
Comparison of the Best Carpet Cleaners
| Model | Best for | Tank Capacity | Weight | Cleaning Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bissell Big Green Professional | Overall Performance | 1.75 gallons | 42 lb | Powerful suction, deep cleaning, extra-large brushes | $411.00 |
| Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic | Alternative Choice | 1 gallon | 18.5 lb | Automatic cleaning, built-in drying, easy to use | $297.00 |
| Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max | Pet Owners | 1 gallon | 17.5 lb | Pet stain removal, HeatWave technology, deep clean mode | $269.99 |
| Bissell Little Green Portable | Portability | 0.37 gallons | 9.6 lb | Compact, spot cleaner, easy to store | $99.75 |
| Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 | Professional-Grade Cleaning | 3.9 gallons | 47 lb | Industrial-grade, triple-action vibrating brush | $424.14 |
| Tineco Carpet One Smart | Mid-Range Smart Cleaner | 0.8 gallons | 28.9 lb | Smart sensor-based cleaning, heated drying, Wi-Fi enabled | N/A |
| Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact | Budget-Friendly | 0.5 gallon | 12.5 lb | Lightweight, heat drying, great for small spaces | 109.99 |
Bissell Big Green Professional
This carpet cleaner is not made by Bissell Home. This is made by Bissell Commercial or Edmar, they have a lot of names for this company. This is made by a company that makes commercial cleaning stuff. This carpet cleaner is for people who take cleanliness and hygiene seriously.
After my testing, I can say that I am really impressed with Bissell’s Big Green. I would highly recommend it. I think that the Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner is a perfect model that stands out for its durability and efficiency.
This carpet cleaner cleans everything from pet urine, hair, or other waste. In our tests, it proved to be great for wine spills on carpet, upholstery, and area rugs. It has a 9′ hose, which makes it easier to remove hidden stains in hard-to-reach spaces, like stair crevices and between the couch cushions.
Reasons to buy:
- Bissell Big Green is liked by many for its strong suction and deep cleaning capabilities.
- It has a 1.75-gallon clean water tank, so it can clean without the need for refills.
- Durable and heavy-duty design.
- Ideal for homes with pets.
- Its performance and larger tank make it a good choice for big homes and offices.
Reasons to avoid:
- Its weight is around 40 pounds. Which is a little heavy.
- Its on the expensive side.
- It doesn’t have a built-in heater to keep the water hot.
- The motor is powerful but can be loud.
Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic
The Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic is a completely automatic carpet cleaning machine for home. This is the first-ever fully automatic carpet washer by Hoover that makes deep cleaning as easy as just vacuuming. No triggers and no guesswork. This carpet cleaner washes when you push forward and dries when you pull back, making it simple to use.
It comes with a hose and some other attachments to clean other areas like upholstery and stairs and to get closer to the baseboards. Compared to other carpet cleaners, this one is the easiest to use.
Hoover SmartWash+ also has a dry-only mode. It pulls dirty water from your water without the need of any additional water or formula down.
Reasons to buy:
- It features an automatic cleaning system.
- Its lightweight compared to many other carpet cleaners. It weighs only 19 pounds.
- With dry-only mode, it can quickly dry your carpet.
- It has a 1.25-gallon clean water tank. Which is sufficient for a big home.
- Its budget-friendly compared to other models with the same performance.
Reasons to avoid:
- 1-gallon dirty water tank requires more frequent emptying.
- The power cord might not be long enough for large rooms.
- Like most carpet cleaners, it can be loud.
- The build quality is not as solid as some commercial-grade options.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution is the best carpet cleaner for families with pets. If you are looking for a carpet cleaner to clean your pet mess, then you probably won’t find one better than the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro. Compared to other home carpet cleaners, this one is on the pricey side. However, its top-quality performance, ease of use, and great results make it worth the price.
If you own pets, then you are aware of the mess they make, whether it is dirt, urine, vomit, or something else. Now, to check if this carpet cleaner is good for pets, I stained a rug with different things, including mustard, coffee, wine, dirt, and permanent marker. After that I let these stains dry. Once dried, I put this carpet cleaner on the rug to test.
After giving it the first try, most stains were completely cleaned. However, the stains made with wine and mustard were still noticeable, and the permanent marker hardly came off. Remember that I didn’t use any stain remover beforehand, so if you use one, that would probably help to clean.
Reasons to buy:
- Ideal for pet owners
- Offers Deep Clean Mode for tough stains
- Easy-to-clean brush head
- It weighs only 18 pounds, making it easier to move.
- It comes with a pet stain tool and an antibacterial formula for pet owners.
Reasons to avoid:
- Can be loud compared to other models.
- 1 gallon of water tank is not enough for deep cleaning large areas.
- Setup can also be hard for some users.
Bissell Little Green Portable
If you don’t need to use a vacuum too often, then this one is for you. This is the perfect machine for you if you need to clean up minor spills on carpets and floors or need to clean your car once a year. The only drawback it has is the capacity of its water tank. If you need to clean a car, then you need to refill your tank multiple times.
The cleaning performance of this portable cleaner amazed me. I wasn’t expecting it from such a small machine. It can heat up water in less than a minute. So, if your pet makes a mess and you need to clean, you can do so rather quickly.
It works great for upholstery and spot-cleaning carpets or pet messes. This machine has a 15-foot cord, which is helpful for cleaning, whether its a sofa or a car.
Reasons to buy:
- Easy to use
- Sucks moisture and dirt out of the fibers
- Lightweight and portable
Reasons to avoid:
- Small water tank for cleaning car
- Can be loud for some users
Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3
Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 is a professional-grade carpet cleaner with great performance and features. It has a 12-foot universal hand tool, which is good enough for cleaning big rooms.
I am impressed by the performance of this carpet cleaner. It delivers exactly what you expect from a carpet cleaner with such a price tag. For deep cleaning, it sprays the solution deep into the carpet, reaching germs and dust mites too. After spraying, it uses its brushes to remove stubborn stains. Its powerful suction helps remove all the stains, germs, pet hair, and other waste easily.
Compared to other machines, it has better power and performance. However, its not as good as our top model, Bissell Big Green, which cleans in both forward and reverse motions, making it faster and more efficient. If price is not an issue for you and you are looking for better performance and faster cleaning, the Bissell Big Green might be a better choice.
Reasons to buy:
- With a triple-action brush system, it can easily remove dirt, stains, and allergens.
- Strong suction power.
- Its large water tank reduces the need for frequent refills.
- Comes with a 5-year warranty for added peace of mind.
Reasons to avoid:
- No built-in heater, meaning you need to manually add hot water.
- It cleans in one direction only, making cleaning slower.
Tineco Carpet One
The Tineco Carpet One Smart is a powerful machine, equipped with a 1300 W motor for great suction power of 130 AW. With such a strong suction power, it can easily remove water-soluble stains from your carpet. It uses a technology called “iLoop smart dust sensor” for detecting how dirty the carpet is, and then it automatically adjusts its suction power to an ideal state for effective cleaning.
The Tineco Carpet One is more than just a traditional carpet cleaner. It comes with an additional hose and a stain-remover tool for cleaning upholstery, carpeted stairs, car interiors, and other difficult-to-reach areas.
This cleaner dries your carpets with 167°F air using a special dry-only mode. The Tineco One also displays the state of dryness on a small screen to keep you informed. According to our testing, it takes around 30 minutes to dry with dry mode on.
Reasons to buy:
- Adjusts suction and water flow based on how dirty the carpet is.
- Uses hot air to speed up the drying process
Reasons to avoid:
- Corded operation
- Can be noisy for some users
- Requires regular maintenance
Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact
Hoover PowerDash is a compact and budget-friendly carpet cleaner designed to tackle pet messes and everyday stains. This carpet cleaner is ranked as the most powerful compact carpet cleaner. Its portability makes cleaning easy. Its portability and suction power make it an ideal machine for pet owners. This machine comes with antimicrobial brush rolls for killing germs and bacteria.
For drying, it uses a technology called “HeatForce” by Hoover. Using this technology, this carpet cleaner assists you with dry time so you can get back on your carpets faster. According to our testing, the time it takes to fully dry a carpet is around 40 minutes.
Reasons to buy:
- Affordable price tag
- Uses antimicrobial brush rolls for bacteria and microorganisms.
- PowerDash is easy to use and store
- The HeatForce technology comes in handy for faster drying
Reasons to avoid:
- Corded operation
- Due to its smaller size, it has a smaller water tanks
- It may not be the best choice for large areas
Things to consider before buying a carpet cleaner
If you have frequent spills and pet accidents, then you definitely need a carpet cleaner. Having a carpet cleaner at home can be a time, energy, and money-saving option in the long run. However, before buying a carpet cleaner, we recommend keeping these points in mind:
Weight and Useability
Some carpet cleaners are heavier to carry and push and difficult to use compared to others. And once you fill up their wanter tank, they weigh even more. If you want to clean on multiple levels in your home, then it will be difficult carrying a heavy machine up and down the stairs.
We recommend looking for water tanks with wide openings. These are easy to fill and have large handles, making them easy to carry.
Storage
Upright carpet cleaners require more storage space than portable or handheld cleaners. If you don’t have a lot of carpeting in your home and are looking for a carpet cleaner for minimal use, then we recommend looking for a compact or portable carpet cleaner like Bissell Little Green Portable.
Warranty
Many companies have information about warranties on their websites and sometimes on Amazon too. Most companies provide a warranty of around 2 to 5 years. Some brands recommend a specific solution to use; if you use a different one, it can void your warranty.
Final thoughts
The best carpet cleaner for you is the one that fulfills your needs. However, according to our testing, the Bissell Big Green Professional is the overall best carpet cleaner on the market. Its powerful suction, durability, and professional-grade make it stand out. If you are looking for something with similar features but with a lower price tag, then the Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic is an excellent option. This carpet cleaner performs very well in most of our testing. It is almost as good as the top pick.
For families with pet accidents, we recommend the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro. This carpet cleaner is designed specifically to handle pet messes with deep-cleaning capabilities and an antibacterial formula. And if portability is your main concern, then the Bissell Little Green Portable is an excellent choice with a compact size.
For professional use, our best choice is Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3. This machine is great for deep cleaning and commercial use. However, its not as good as our top pick, ‘Bissel Big Green’. Finally, for families on a tight budget, we recommend the Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact. It provides a great cleaning experience at a lower price tag.
Investing in a carpet cleaner can extend the life of your carpets and keep your home fresh and free of germs. Before buying a carpet cleaner, we recommend checking some important factors like tank capacity, ease of use, weight, and drying time before making a final decision. Not paying attention to these factors can cause a lot of trouble.