Top 5 compared
The best carpet cleaners
Salt stains from winter boots and the grey path down the hallway, washed out of the carpet.
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The top 5 at a glance
An upright carpet cleaner is pushed across the floor like a vacuum: it sprays water and cleaning formula into the pile, scrubs it with spinning brushes and sucks the dirty water back up into a separate tank, so ground-in grime leaves the carpet instead of being pushed around. Full-size machines usually carry a hose and hand tool for stairs and upholstery; compact ones are lighter and easier to store but do floors only.
Vacuum first, since a carpet cleaner lifts dirt from deep in the pile rather than loose crumbs and hair, and test a hidden patch before doing a whole room. Roll the machine between rooms rather than carrying it, and keep feet and paws off until the carpet is dry. For a spill on the couch or in the car, a portable spot cleaner is the handier tool.
What matters
- A clean water tank big enough for a room between refills.
- A cord long enough to do a room from one outlet.
#1Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker Upright Carpet Cleaner (EX200C)
$200–$300
A full-size upright that handles the spills between big cleans as well as the cleans themselves: the StainStriker hand tool pulls out on a hose and mixes two Shark formulas as it sprays, so a wine mark on the couch gets the same care as the hallway carpet. It does both jobs without the bulk or the price of a professional-grade machine.
What owners say: Carpets that hadn’t looked this good in years come up close to new, owners report, and for a full-size machine it’s not too heavy to push. The small clean and dirty tanks are the common gripe: a big room means a trip or two to the sink.
A closer look: Vacuum first, then work in slow, overlapping passes and finish each strip with the trigger off to pull up more water, so the carpet dries sooner. At 7.7 kg (17 lb) it’s a lift on the stairs, so leave it at the bottom and pull the hose out to work up the steps.
- Mixes two formulas while spraying
- Trigger-off pass dries carpet sooner
- Both formulas in the box
- High-speed brush roll
Best for: Whole rooms, stairs and spills
- Type
- Full-size upright
- Tools
- Built-in hose, stain and crevice tools
- Clean water tank
- 2 L (68 oz)
- Weight
- 7.7 kg (17 lb)
- Cord length
- 6.1 m (20 ft)
- Hose length
- 1.5 m (5 ft)
- Warranty
- 5 years, limited
#2BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine (86T3B)
Over $300
BISSELL’s professional-grade machine, for big carpeted homes and carpets that haven’t had a deep clean in years: an eight-row XL DirtLifter PowerBrush across a 27 cm (10.5 in) path, a 6.6 L (1.75 gal) clean water tank and a 2.7 m (9 ft) hose with a 15 cm (6 in) stain tool for the stairs. BISSELL builds it with an anti-tip design and backs it for five years.
What owners say: Owners rate its clean above other carpet cleaners they’ve used and single out the strong suction; for such a big machine, they find it straightforward to work and to clean out afterwards.
Heads up: At 19 kg (42 lb) it’s heavy, so roll it rather than lift it, and empty the dirty tank before taking it upstairs.
A closer look: Fill the clean tank with warm tap water, never boiling, as BISSELL advises, since the machine doesn’t heat it itself, then work in slow, overlapping passes. The 7.6 m (25 ft) cord covers most rooms from one outlet, and afterwards both tanks want a rinse and a few hours open to air-dry before it goes away.
- Eight-row power brush
- 27 cm-wide cleaning path
- Anti-tip design
- Fill with warm tap water
Best for: Big homes and heavy soiling
- Type
- Full-size upright
- Tools
- 2.7 m (9 ft) hose, stain tool
- Clean water tank
- 6.6 L (1.75 gal)
- Weight
- 19 kg (42 lb)
- Cord length
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Hose length
- 2.7 m (9 ft)
- Warranty
- 5 years, limited
#3BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Carpet Cleaner (3579C)
Over $300
Made for regular whole-house cleans, this full-size upright has 12 rows of spinning DirtLifter brushes and edge-sweep brushes on the foot. Its Express Clean mode is made to leave carpet dry in about 30 minutes, BISSELL says, so a room is back in use the same afternoon, and at 7.9 kg (17.5 lb) it’s light for a machine of its size.
What owners say: Owners are amazed by how much dirt it pulls out of their carpets and say it does upholstery just as well; it’s lighter and far less bulky than the commercial machines some had used before.
A closer look: HeatWave uses the motor’s warmth to stop the water cooling, but it won’t heat cold water, so start with warm tap water. Use Max Clean for the first pass over busy paths and Express Clean for a quick refresh before guests arrive; the 6.7 m (22 ft) cord reaches across most rooms from one outlet.
- Express mode: about 30-minute dry
- 12 rows of spinning brushes
- Edge-sweep brushes
- Stops warm water cooling
- Deep-clean and quick-refresh modes
Best for: Carpets that need to dry fast
- Type
- Full-size upright
- Tools
- 2.1 m (7 ft) hose, stain tool
- Clean water tank
- 3.8 L (1 gal)
- Weight
- 7.9 kg (17.5 lb)
- Cord length
- 6.7 m (22 ft)
- Hose length
- 2.1 m (7 ft)
- Warranty
- 3 years, limited
#4Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner (FH50700)
$100–$150
A light way to deep-clean the carpet in an apartment, condo or smaller home: a compact upright of 5.7 kg (12.5 lb) with a 6.1 m (20 ft) cord, small enough to stand in a closet between cleans. Its antimicrobial PowerSpin Pet brush roll scrubs busy paths and resists odours, and HeatForce speeds up drying.
What owners say: Owners like how light it is to lift and carry, and the suction gets good marks. Motors giving out is the complaint heard most, and opinions split on how much water it leaves behind and how well it cleans.
Heads up: There’s no hose or hand tool, so it cleans floors only: pair it with a spot cleaner for stairs and the couch.
A closer look: Take the nozzle off and rinse it under the faucet after each clean, as it’s made to come off for that, and empty the dirty water before storing it. It suits bedrooms, area rugs and the busy path through a living room better than a big open-plan floor.
- Odour-resistant brush roll
- Helps carpet dry faster
- Stands in a closet
- Nozzle lifts off to rinse
- Hoover formula sample included
Best for: Apartments and small homes
- Type
- Compact upright
- Tools
- None (floors only)
- Clean water tank
- 1.9 L (0.5 gal)
- Weight
- 5.7 kg (12.5 lb)
- Cord length
- 6.1 m (20 ft)
- Hose length
- None
- Warranty
- 1 year
#5Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner (FH52001)
$200–$300
Hoover’s automatic cleaner leaves nothing to set: there’s no trigger to hold, since pushing forward washes and pulling back dries, and the Auto-Mix system measures the formula into the water by itself. HeatForce helps the carpet dry faster, and a 2.4 m (8 ft) hose with a pet tool and a stair tool takes care of the stairs, the couch and the car seats.
What owners say: Owners find it as easy as vacuuming and are surprised by how much dirt comes out of carpets that looked clean; the quick drying gets praise too. Durability is the complaint, and views differ on suction and how much water it picks up.
A closer look: Keep to a slow, steady pace, since it sprays on the push and dries on the pull, and rushing leaves more water behind. Afterwards, lift off the nozzle and brush roll to rinse them, as Hoover made them to come out, and empty the dirty tank before putting the machine away.
- Push washes, pull dries
- No trigger to hold
- Measures the formula by itself
- Helps carpet dry faster
- Removable nozzle and brush roll
Best for: No-fuss cleans, couch to car seats
- Type
- Full-size upright
- Tools
- 2.4 m (8 ft) hose, pet and stair tools
- Clean water tank
- 3.8 L (1 gal)
- Weight
- 8.4 kg (18.6 lb)
- Cord length
- 6.7 m (22 ft)
- Hose length
- 2.4 m (8 ft)
- Warranty
- 5 years
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Shark CarpetXpert | #2BISSELL Big Green | #3BISSELL ProHeat 2X | #4Hoover PowerDash Pet | #5Hoover SmartWash+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Price | $200–$300 | Over $300 | Over $300 | $100–$150 | $200–$300 |
| Type | Full-size upright | Full-size upright | Full-size upright | Compact upright | Full-size upright |
| Tools | Built-in hose, stain and crevice tools | 2.7 m (9 ft) hose, stain tool | 2.1 m (7 ft) hose, stain tool | None (floors only) | 2.4 m (8 ft) hose, pet and stair tools |
| Clean water tank | 2 L (68 oz) | 6.6 L (1.75 gal) | 3.8 L (1 gal) | 1.9 L (0.5 gal) | 3.8 L (1 gal) |
| Weight | 7.7 kg (17 lb) | 19 kg (42 lb) | 7.9 kg (17.5 lb) | 5.7 kg (12.5 lb) | 8.4 kg (18.6 lb) |
| Cord length | 6.1 m (20 ft) | 7.6 m (25 ft) | 6.7 m (22 ft) | 6.1 m (20 ft) | 6.7 m (22 ft) |
| Hose length | 1.5 m (5 ft) | 2.7 m (9 ft) | 2.1 m (7 ft) | None | 2.4 m (8 ft) |
| Warranty | 5 years, limited | 5 years, limited | 3 years, limited | 1 year | 5 years |
| Best for | Whole rooms, stairs and spills | Big homes and heavy soiling | Carpets that need to dry fast | Apartments and small homes | No-fuss cleans, couch to car seats |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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