Top 5 compared
The best spot cleaners
The dog’s accident on the rug or coffee on the couch, washed out before the stain sets.
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The top 5 at a glance
A spot cleaner is a small carpet cleaner you carry to the mess: it sits on the floor nearby while you spray, scrub and suck up the dirty water through a hose and hand tool. It does the jobs a full-size machine is too big for, from stairs and couch cushions to pet beds, mattresses and car seats. Smaller ones store under a sink; bigger ones carry more water and longer cords for a whole staircase.
Blot up what you can first and test a hidden patch, especially on upholstery: check the couch’s care label, as some fabrics aren’t meant to get wet. Work in short strokes toward yourself, and when the job’s done, empty and rinse the dirty tank before the machine goes back in the closet.
What matters
- A clean water tank sized to your usual mess.
- A hose long enough to reach a few stairs up.
- A tool that rinses the hose out after each job.
- Extra tools if there are pets or a car to do.
#1Shark StainStriker Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner (PX202, 4 tools)
$200–$300
Ready for stains anywhere in the house: a 1.25 L (42 oz) tank for a staircase or a rug, four tools from a wide 18 cm (7 in) head to a pet-mess tool, and two formulas mixed inside the machine as it sprays.
What owners say: Car seats are where owners rate it most, along with how well it lifts stains, and plenty like having one on hand for whatever happens next. Suction is the split: strong enough for some, weaker than hoped for others.
A closer look: After each job, slide the self-clean tool onto the hose and let it flush water through. Then lift the dirty tank out and rinse it before it goes back in the closet, so nothing sits in there and smells.
- Mixes its two formulas itself
- 18 cm (7 in) head
- Dirty tank lifts out
- 3-year limited warranty
Best for: Pets, rugs and car seats
- Clean water tank
- 1.25 L (42 oz)
- Tools
- 4 tools, incl. pet-mess tool
- Hose-rinse tool
- Self-clean tool
- Weight
- 3.9 kg (8.5 lb)
- Cord length
- 3.7 m (12 ft)
- Hose length
- 1.3 m (4.2 ft)
- Keeps hot water warm
- No
#2BISSELL Little Green Mini Portable Carpet Cleaner (4075B)
$100–$150
A small spray, scrub and suction machine that lives in a closet until the dog has an accident or coffee hits the couch. It weighs 3.2 kg (7 lb), the lightest here, and its HydroRinse tool rinses the hose clean after each mess. The Shark leads for its bigger tank and fuller kit; this one suits small messes and costs less.
What owners say: Couch cushions and grubby patches of carpet come up well, owners say, and it goes together quickly and tucks into a closet without taking over. Leaks are where they split: some never have a drip, others do.
A closer look: Its 473 mL (16 oz) tank suits a couch cushion, a stair or two, a car seat or a pet bed rather than a whole floor. The cord is 3.7 m (12 ft), so on stairs plug it in at the landing and work a few steps at a time, then run clean water through the HydroRinse tool before putting it away.
- Trial bottle of OXY formula
- Removable lens on stain tool
Best for: Small spills and couches
- Clean water tank
- 0.47 L (16 oz)
- Tools
- Stain tool
- Hose-rinse tool
- HydroRinse tool
- Weight
- 3.2 kg (7 lb)
- Cord length
- 3.7 m (12 ft)
- Hose length
- 1.2 m (4 ft)
- Keeps hot water warm
- No
#3BISSELL SpotClean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner (2891B)
$150–$200
The portable for big jobs: a 2.8 L (¾ gal) tank, more than twice what the others here hold, a 6.7 m (22 ft) cord and a 3-in-1 stair tool, so a whole staircase or a car’s interior gets done without stopping to refill. BISSELL rates its suction as strong as a full-size deep cleaner’s.
What owners say: It gets a lot of dirt out of carpets and furniture, owners find, and plenty call it indispensable around the house. It’s very loud, though, and opinions split on its suction.
A closer look: At 6 kg (13.25 lb) before it’s filled, it’s the heaviest here, so set it on a landing or halfway up the stairs and work outward with the 1.5 m (5 ft) hose. It’s loud, which makes it better kept for the daytime than for a late-night spill, and the HydroRinse tool flushes the hose when you’re done.
- Two trial formulas included
- Both tanks lift out
Best for: Whole staircases and cars
- Clean water tank
- 2.8 L (¾ gal)
- Tools
- 3-in-1 stair tool, stain tool
- Hose-rinse tool
- HydroRinse tool
- Weight
- 6 kg (13.25 lb)
- Cord length
- 6.7 m (22 ft)
- Hose length
- 1.5 m (5 ft)
- Keeps hot water warm
- No
#4BISSELL Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner (2513E)
$100–$150
A step up from the Mini for a home with stairs or pets: a 1.1 L (37 oz) tank, a 4.6 m (15 ft) cord and a 1.4 m (4.5 ft) hose, so a staircase, a rug or a pet bed gets done with fewer refills. It’s the only one here with BISSELL’s Heatwave, which helps keep hot tap water warm while it works, to loosen stains.
What owners say: It does the job well on the messes it’s bought for, owners find, from a stained rug to a car interior. Two complaints come up: slow leaks from the hose or around the handle, and suction that some find strong and others don’t.
Heads up: It doesn’t heat cold water: fill it with hot tap water (never boiling) and Heatwave helps keep it warm.
A closer look: On stairs, start at the top and stand the machine on the step below as you work down, so the hose always reaches the next one. When you’re done, clip on the HydroRinse tool and run clean water through it to flush out the hose, so last week’s dirt isn’t in the next clean.
- Fill with hot tap water
- Trial cleaning formula included
- 2-year limited warranty
Best for: Warm-water cleaning for pet beds
- Clean water tank
- 1.1 L (37 oz)
- Tools
- Stain tool
- Hose-rinse tool
- HydroRinse tool
- Weight
- 4.2 kg (9.2 lb)
- Cord length
- 4.6 m (15 ft)
- Hose length
- 1.4 m (4.5 ft)
- Keeps hot water warm
- Yes
#5Hoover CleanSlate Portable Carpet and Upholstery Spot Cleaner (FH14000V)
$150–$200
A wide 18 cm (7 in) WidePath tool covers a stair tread or a couch cushion in a pass or two, and a TightSpot tool gets into corners and the gaps between cushions. Hoover gives it a 1.18 L (40 oz) tank for more stains between refills and a 2.4 m (8 ft) hose, the longest here, for reaching up the stairs.
What owners say: Owners find it does a fine job on stains in carpet and upholstery. The hose is the complaint, with reports of it not lasting, and views are split on suction, tank size and value.
A closer look: Treat the hose gently, since it’s the part that wears out first in owners’ reports: coil it in loose loops for storage rather than wrapping it tight around the machine. Use the WidePath tool for broad patches and the TightSpot for seams and cushion edges, then flush the hose with the rinse tool before putting it away.
- Wide tool covers stair treads
- Separate clean and dirty tanks
- Coil the hose loosely
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Couches and stair treads
- Clean water tank
- 1.18 L (40 oz)
- Tools
- WidePath and TightSpot tools
- Hose-rinse tool
- Rinse tool
- Weight
- 4.3 kg (9.4 lb)
- Cord length
- 4.6 m (15 ft)
- Hose length
- 2.4 m (8 ft)
- Keeps hot water warm
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Shark StainStriker | #2BISSELL Little Green Mini | #3BISSELL SpotClean Pro | #4BISSELL Little Green ProHeat | #5Hoover CleanSlate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Biggest tank | |||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.4 |
| Price | $200–$300 | $100–$150 | $150–$200 | $100–$150 | $150–$200 |
| Clean water tank | 1.25 L (42 oz) | 0.47 L (16 oz) | 2.8 L (¾ gal) | 1.1 L (37 oz) | 1.18 L (40 oz) |
| Tools | 4 tools, incl. pet-mess tool | Stain tool | 3-in-1 stair tool, stain tool | Stain tool | WidePath and TightSpot tools |
| Hose-rinse tool | Self-clean tool | HydroRinse tool | HydroRinse tool | HydroRinse tool | Rinse tool |
| Weight | 3.9 kg (8.5 lb) | 3.2 kg (7 lb) | 6 kg (13.25 lb) | 4.2 kg (9.2 lb) | 4.3 kg (9.4 lb) |
| Cord length | 3.7 m (12 ft) | 3.7 m (12 ft) | 6.7 m (22 ft) | 4.6 m (15 ft) | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
| Hose length | 1.3 m (4.2 ft) | 1.2 m (4 ft) | 1.5 m (5 ft) | 1.4 m (4.5 ft) | 2.4 m (8 ft) |
| Keeps hot water warm | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Best for | Pets, rugs and car seats | Small spills and couches | Whole staircases and cars | Warm-water cleaning for pet beds | Couches and stair treads |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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