The Best Carpet Cleaners, According to Cleaning Pros

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You likely already own several vacuum cleaners to quickly remove the everyday dust, pet hair, lint and food crumbs from your carpets and upholstery. But simply vacuuming these materials isn't enough. Occasionally, they need wet cleaning and that's when it's time to put a good carpet cleaner to work. A wet carpet cleaner washes carpets and upholstery fabrics using a mix of water and a cleaning solution to dissolve stains and ground-in dirt.

To test carpet cleaners in the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab, we use each machine to clean a pre-stained, industry-standard white carpet, taking measurements before and after cleaning to determine each model's stain-cleaning ability. We also assess how long it takes for carpets to dry, how adept each machine is at removing fresh and dried stains, how easy each appliance is to use and more.

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After our top picks for the best carpet cleaner, keep reading to learn more about how we evaluate carpet cleaners in our Lab plus everything you need to keep in mind while shopping for one. Our complete guide to cleaning your carpet has step-by-step instructions and tips for tackling different stains, removing odors and maintaining your carpet on a regular basis.

Through the years, our experts have tested many of Bissell's full-size and portable carpet cleaners — including an earlier version of this model — and found them to be effective, easy-to-use appliances. And Bissell was the first to incorporate HeatWave technology in its upright carpet cleaners which helps maintain the temperature of the warm or hot water you put into the tank for better cleaning performance. In our experience, using warmer water does improve your carpet cleaning results. While we haven’t tested this exact model, we have tested similar ones from Bissell with many of the same features, so we trust the brand’s performance and are comfortable recommending this model. Plus, it has over 19,000 five-star ratings on Amazon.

Other Bissell innovations that make carpet cleaning easier are its targeted spray nozzle for zapping stains with the in-tank cleaning solution simply by tapping a button with your foot. And there's a two-in-one Pet Upholstery tool that works dry to pull out stubborn pet hair and wet to zap stains on furniture fabrics and mattresses. Unlike single brush roll models, Bissell's dual DirtLifter PowerBrush uses double brush rolls for more cleaning action and yet it's still fairly lightweight and very maneuverable.

In the Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab, we consider after-use clean-up and storage to be right up there with performance. That's why we give this model kudos for its removable brush roll cover for easier, more thorough cleaning. You will have to store the hose and tools in a separate bag and be aware that the brush rolls continue to turn even when using the hose and handheld tools, so keep tabs that they don't damage any floor surface they come in contact with.

In our experience, Hoover's floor-cleaning appliances offer great value for the money, and this carpet cleaner is no exception. While it may not always be the least expensive model on this list, keep in mind that prices on these appliances fluctuate frequently. And with its good performance and innovative features, this model offers lots of plusses, even when there's a small hike in the price.

The Hoover SmartWash Pet Pro is a full-sized carpet cleaner with a unique removable stain-pretreating wand that allows you to address stains without bending over or reaching for extra bottles of carpet cleaner. It's battery-operated and holds its own canister of stain solution. Simply pop off the wand, point and shoot to zap a stain.

Other notable features include dispensing an automatically-mixed combo of water and cleaning formula through its double brush rolls (nothing for you to measure and no triggers to hold!). It cleans when you push it forward and suctions and dries the carpet when you pull it back. Waiting for a carpet to dry can be a real hassle, especially in busy households, so we really liked the "dry-only" mode that doesn't dispense cleaning solution, but rather emits heat to dry as you move it forward so carpets can be walked on more quickly. An 8-foot hose and 22-foot cord provide ample length for cleaning stairs, hard-to-reach areas and large upholstery pieces, though both are shorter than those on some other full-size models we've tested.

Consumer testers in our last Cleaning & Organizing Awards rated this cleaner highly, especially for its ease of use, and all said they would continue to use the appliance in their cleaning routine. One tester notably shared, "It apparently has better suction than my vacuum because I vacuumed thoroughly before using, and the cleaner still quickly filled up with dog fur, dust, carpet fibers and sand." No surprise to us! In our experience, even the best vacuums for pet hair can struggle with heavy pet shedding or pet hair buildup on carpets.

Even carpet cleaners are getting smarter these days. Tineco's Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner brings intuitive technology to the carpet cleaning space. Like the Tineco combo vacuum mops we've tested in the Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab, this carpet cleaner works with an app and automatically adjusts the suction and water flow according to how much dirt and debris it detects is being picked up. Voice prompts tell you when to refill the clean water tank and empty the dirty water tank, and lights alert you when the area you're working on is clean. Its built-in heater keeps the cleaning solution hot for optimal stain-fighting, and the heater helps dry carpets faster, too.

In our tests, we found this model cleaned carpets very well and was much easier to maneuver than bigger machines. Our expert — who uses it to clean carpets, area rugs and upholstery in her own home — was impressed with the LED display that keeps you informed of the cleaning mode, how dry the carpet is and more. Attaching the hose to go from carpet to upholstery cleaning is easy and at just 16.5 pounds, this model is lighter than many other full-size cleaners. And because it has a smaller footprint, it's easier to store, pull out and set up which also means you're likely to use it more frequently. But take note, the included 8-foot hose and handheld accessory cannot be stored onboard.

Even if you own a full-size carpet cleaner, sometimes it's more than you need — or want to deal with — for just an occasional spot on the carpet or couch. Those are the times when a lightweight portable carpet cleaner is a practical solution. In our most recent test of this category, this Bissell model was our best overall winner for stain and odor removal, sound, run time and more, outperforming the larger models we tested. It erased fresh and dried red wine and blueberry pie stains with ease, and we found it easy to set up, clean and store so it's ready to go the moment a spill happens when speed is key. It was also among the quietest models we tested.

A built-in rotating brush gently agitates the carpet pile and works in Bissell's pre-mixed detergent solution for deep cleaning, but it can be switched off when tackling stains on delicate fabrics. A nubby rubber tool makes tackling pet messes easier and less messy. You won't be able to clean a very large area on one charge as it only has a 20-minute runtime, and the small tanks will likely need refilling if you're removing multiple stains, but it's a great option for homes with less carpeting or few stains to clean.

While it's difficult to achieve the same carpet cleaning results professionals can get with their industrial equipment, Bissell's Big Green is the most user-friendly professional-style home carpet cleaning machine we've tested. The large 1.75-gallon tanks are super easy to fill, carry and replace and the spinning flow indicator on top takes the guesswork out of knowing when the cleaning solution needs refilling. Though it looks bulky, it's simple to operate and relatively easy to maneuver for a machine this size, even when full. The adjustable handle moves to the most comfortable position for each user and folds for easier storage. Keep in mind that the machine weighs in at over 40 pounds, so those with carpets to clean on multiple levels will likely need help carrying it up and down stairs.

A rotating brush gently works the cleaning solution into the carpet pile and this, combined with the strong suction, removed deep-down dirt, leaving our test carpets soft and not overly wet. Because of its size, the Big Green is typically the type of appliance you pull out for bigger jobs, like spring cleaning or cleaning large open spaces before furniture goes in. The extra-long 25-foot power cord made it easy for our expert to clean an entire room of carpeting without stopping. And we found the 9-foot hose and handheld stain tool perfect for cleaning upholstery, along wall edges and stair treads.