Top 5 compared
The best carpet cleaners
Spilt wine, muddy paw prints and the grubby path down the hallway, washed out of carpets at home.
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The top 5 at a glance
An upright carpet washer is pushed like a vacuum cleaner: it sprays water and cleaning solution into the pile, scrubs it with brushes and sucks the dirty water back into a separate tank. Full-size machines usually add a hose and hand tool for stairs, upholstery and car seats; a compact one without a hose is lighter but does floors only.
Whichever kind, vacuum first, check the carpet’s care label and try a small hidden patch before doing the whole room. Finishing with a slow pass, spray off, lifts out more water so the carpet dries sooner. For hard floors, see our steam mops list, and for wet spills in the garage or car, our wet and dry vacuums.
What matters
- A bigger clean water tank, for fewer refills mid-room.
- Weight and cable length, for stairs and large rooms.
- A dirty water tank that lifts out for rinsing after each clean.
- The guarantee, and whether registering the machine is needed to get it.
#1Shark CarpetXpert Deep Carpet Cleaner (EX150UK)
£249.99 RRP
A full-size upright with a hose and stain tool built in, so one machine does the living room carpet, the stair runner and a spill on the sofa. Shark designed it to pull the water back out with strong suction, so carpets dry sooner and aren’t left soaked.
What owners say: Owners find it steers as easily as an upright vacuum, and say rooms are dry and back in use soon after a clean.
A closer look: Vacuum thoroughly first, since a carpet cleaner lifts ground-in grime rather than loose crumbs and hair. At 8.5kg it rolls easily but is a lift on the stairs, so leave it at the bottom and work up with the hose and stain tool. Rinsing out the dirty tank after every session keeps smells away.
- Stain tool and crevice tool
- Starter bottle of Shark formula
- 5-year guarantee when registered
Best for: Whole rooms and quick drying
- Power
- 960W
- Clean water tank
- 2.3L
- Dirty water tank
- 0.85L
- Weight
- 8.5kg
- Cable length
- 7.6m
- Hose length
- 1.5m
#2Vax Compact Power Plus Carpet Cleaner (CDCW-CPXP)
£50–£75
A small, light upright for the odd room rather than the whole house, with twin tanks that lift off and empty separately, an antimicrobial brushbar and a narrow floorhead that gets into tight spots.
What owners say: Owners say it lifts dirt and stains well and is easy to carry about, though some wish the clean tank were bigger, and drying times vary from home to home.
Heads up: There’s no hose or hand tool, so it’s for floors only: stairs and sofas need one of the machines here with a hose.
A closer look: The small clean tank means a refill about once a room, so mix the next batch of solution before starting. Go over the worst marks with the pre-treatment first, then wash, and finish with a slow pass with the trigger released to lift out more water. Register it with Vax for the one-year guarantee.
- Tanks lift off separately
- Antimicrobial brushbar
- Narrow floorhead for tight spots
- Three Vax solutions included
Best for: A room at a time, floors only
- Power
- 840W
- Clean water tank
- 1.8L
- Dirty water tank
- 1.5L
- Weight
- 5.5kg
- Cable length
- 6.7m
- Hose length
- None
#3BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner (20666)
£200–£300
Two rows of spinning DirtLifter brushes and BISSELL’s HeatWave technology, plus an Express Clean mode that BISSELL says dries carpets in about 30 minutes, with a hose and tools for stairs and the sofa.
What owners say: Owners say it brings carpets up like new and find it straightforward, with separate clean and dirty tanks, and rooms dry in under two hours. Some find it heavy to carry upstairs.
A closer look: Spot-treat pet stains with the CleanShot pre-treater first, then make a slow wet pass followed by a dry pass with the trigger released. Rinse the brush roll cover and the dirty tank after each clean, and register the machine for BISSELL’s six-year warranty.
- Two rows of spinning brushes
- Quick-dry mode, about 30 minutes
- Spot pre-treater for pet stains
- Six-year warranty when registered
Best for: Pets and heavy use
- Power
- 800W
- Clean water tank
- 3.7L
- Dirty water tank
- –
- Weight
- 7.9kg
- Cable length
- 7m
- Hose length
- 3m
#4Vax Dual Power Pet Advance Carpet Cleaner (ECR2V1P)
£75–£100
Vax, founded by Alan Brazier in 1977, made its name with an orange 3-in-1 machine that let people wash carpets at home. This one is light for an upright at 6.4kg, with two rotating brushbars, an 8m cable and a 2.4m hose and wash tool for stairs and sofas.
What owners say: Owners say it lifts the grime and dog hair out of hallways and other busy walkways, and find it light and quick to put together.
Heads up: For carpets that dry sooner, finish each area with a few slow passes without pressing the spray trigger: they draw out more of the water.
A closer look: The cap of the clean tank doubles as a measure for the solution, which keeps the mix right and stops carpets feeling sticky afterwards. Work the pre-treatment wand over the worst marks first, such as by the sofa or the dog’s bed, then wash the whole area. Empty and rinse the dirty tank before putting it away.
- Two rotating brushbars
- Tank cap measures solution
- Pre-treatment wand
- Wash tool for stairs
Best for: Dog hair in busy hallways
- Power
- 800W
- Clean water tank
- 2.7L
- Dirty water tank
- 1.5L
- Weight
- 6.4kg
- Cable length
- 8m
- Hose length
- 2.4m
#5Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner (1300W)
£200–£300
Rug Doctor’s machines are the ones many shops hire out. This one is a 1,300W upright with two vibrating cross-action brushes and big tanks, 3.8 litres clean and 4.2 dirty, so a whole room goes by with fewer trips to the tap.
What owners say: Owners praise the strong suction, which leaves carpets close to dry when they’ve finished.
Heads up: At 14.25kg it’s the heaviest here: tip it back on its wheels to move it, and lift the tanks out before carrying it upstairs.
A closer look: Rug Doctor’s guide asks for a colourfastness check before cleaning, so try a small patch somewhere hidden first. Save the Super Boost spray for the worst spots, such as a hallway runner or the patch by the back door. Afterwards the handle folds down and the tools ride in their caddy, which helps such a big machine fit in a cupboard.
- Two vibrating cross-action brushes
- Boost spray for heavy soiling
- Folding handle
- Removable tool caddy
- Upholstery tool
Best for: Large carpets and ground-in dirt
- Power
- 1,300W
- Clean water tank
- 3.8L
- Dirty water tank
- 4.2L
- Weight
- 14.25kg
- Cable length
- 8.5m
- Hose length
- 2.4m
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Shark CarpetXpert | #2Vax Compact Power Plus | #3BISSELL ProHeat 2X | #4Vax Dual Power Pet Advance | #5Rug Doctor Deep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Most powerful | |||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| Price | £249.99 RRP | £50–£75 | £200–£300 | £75–£100 | £200–£300 |
| Power | 960W | 840W | 800W | 800W | 1,300W |
| Clean water tank | 2.3L | 1.8L | 3.7L | 2.7L | 3.8L |
| Dirty water tank | 0.85L | 1.5L | – | 1.5L | 4.2L |
| Weight | 8.5kg | 5.5kg | 7.9kg | 6.4kg | 14.25kg |
| Cable length | 7.6m | 6.7m | 7m | 8m | 8.5m |
| Hose length | 1.5m | None | 3m | 2.4m | 2.4m |
| Best for | Whole rooms and quick drying | A room at a time, floors only | Pets and heavy use | Dog hair in busy hallways | Large carpets and ground-in dirt |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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