The Best Carpet Cleaners To Keep Your Floors Fresh

While they might not seem essential in your arsenal of home cleaning tools, the best carpet cleaners can significantly impact the preservation of your rugs’ condition. These mighty machines utilize a combination of warm water, cleaning solutions, and suction to effectively lift stains, remove dirt, and neutralize odors simultaneously. Regular use of carpet cleaners can uphold the freshness and cleanliness of your rugs, proving especially beneficial for pet owners and homes with little kids.

Carpet cleaners come in two primary styles: full-size models resembling upright vacuums and compact portable options tailored for spot cleaning. While most models can effectively tackle the task, it’s vital to prioritize ease of use during the shopping process. Leanne Stapf, president of The Cleaning Authority, a cleaning services business, advises, “The best carpet cleaners are portable, easy to store, and facilitate reaching small corners.” She warns against choosing bulky machines, as they can be cumbersome to operate and store.
Utilizing expert guidance and our own expertise, we’ve curated a selection of top-notch options—some of which Vetted staffers use in their own homes. Whether you require a robust full-size solution for cleaning wall-to-wall carpeting or a compact option for spot-cleaning pet stains, here are the best carpet cleaners suitable for every home.

• Best Carpet Cleaner Overall: Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner
• Best Portable Carpet Cleaner: Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
• Best Carpet Cleaner For Pet Owners: Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner
• Best Carpet Cleaner For Large Spaces: Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner
• Best Carpet Steam Cleaner: Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner

Best Carpet Cleaner Overall

A Compact Upright Model Perfect For High-Traffic Areas

Weight: 12.5 pounds | Dimensions: 15.25 x 10.13 x 43.5 inches | Clean water tank: 0.5 gallon | Cord length: 20 feet | Additional features: HeatForce drying technology, Hoover Nozzle Cleanout Tool | Brush style: Antimicrobial brush roll

The Hoover PowerDash’s half-gallon clean water tank is enough to deeply clean a 300-square-foot room or multiple smaller rooms. Plus, it features an antimicrobial brush roll designed with pets in mind. In the event that anything gets trapped in the brush roll, the nozzle that covers it comes off, and the machine itself comes with a Nozzle Cleanout Tool to help ensure your carpet cleaner stays in tip-top shape.

Depending on the size of your home, this particular upright carpet cleaner may be more or less convenient for your needs: It doesn’t come with nozzle attachments, meaning this machine works best on large carpeted areas as opposed to smaller, tighter spaces.

Pros:

• Removable nozzle for easy and effective brush roll cleaning
• HeatForce technology to speed up drying time
• 1-year motor warranty

Cons:

• No attachments for targeting tight corners

---

Best Portable Carpet Cleaner

A Small But Mighty Option That’s Dog Parent-Approved

Weight: 9.7 pounds | Dimensions: 8.3 x 17.3 x 12.5 inches | Clean water tank: 48 ounces | Cord length: 15 feet | Additional Features: 8-ounce trial-size Spot & Stain with Febreze Freshness | Brush style: 3-inch Tough Stain Tool and HydroRinse Self-Cleaning Hose Tool

The Little Green Machine is one of the most recognized carpet cleaners around (see: its number one spot on Amazon’s Bestselling Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category). It features dual tanks—one for fresh water and one for dirty water. The 48-ounce fill tank is marked with a max fill line to help users avoid overflow. Plus, both tanks are easy to remove from the machine itself, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally spilling in the process.

This is also one of the most sanitary carpet cleaners on the market, in our opinion: It comes with a HydroRinse Self-Cleaning Hose Tool, so the dirty, stain-filled solution that it absorbs won’t tarnish the machine or future spot-cleans.

Pros:

• Lifts tough stains from carpet, rugs, and upholstery
• Includes 8-ounce trial-sized Spot & Stain with Febreze Freshness
• Many reviewers report ease with setup and use

Cons:

• Best for smaller areas and spot treatments
• The nozzle doesn’t detach

---

---

Best Carpet Cleaner For Pet Owners

A Carpet Cleaner That Spot Treats Like A Gem

Weight: 13.3 pounds | Dimensions: 10 x 14 x 14 inches | Clean water tank: 96 ounces | Cord length: 22 feet | Additional features: Two bottles of Pet Pro Oxy Urine Eliminator Formula; two brush attachments | Brush style: Stain Trapper Tool, Tough Stain Tool

Tired of not only soiled carpets but also pet beds, car seats, drapes, and more? The Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner is designed for such jobs. This model comes with a 20-foot cord plus a 5-foot hose, which makes it easier to clean every nook and cranny. What’s more, it has one of the largest tank sizes we’ve seen among portable carpet cleaners (an impressive three-fourths of a gallon), so it can work for larger areas or between spaces without refills.

In terms of the brush, the Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro comes with a stain-trapping attachment, which keeps liquid spills and messes in the tool rather than filtering them back into the machine. There’s also the 3-inch Tough Stain Tool that’s lined with three rows of individual scrubber heads (15 in total) for deeper or more stubborn stains. No matter the attachment you use, though, you can expect optimal stain lifting thanks to the included Pet Pro Oxy Urine Eliminator Formula (but keep in mind there are only two trial-size bottles, so you’ll likely want to buy more).

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Comes with two trial-size bottles of Pet Pro Oxy Urine Eliminator Formula
• 2-year limited warranty

Cons:

• Attachments can be difficult to remove from the nozzle
• Some reviewers say the hose isn’t very durable

---

Best Carpet Cleaner For Large Spaces

A Hefty And Powerful Upright Model For Large Areas

Weight: 18.9 pounds | Dimensions: 18.9 x 14.5 x 43 inches | Clean water tank: 1 gallon | Cord length: 22 feet | Additional features: 8-foot hose attachment | Brush style: Flex-force brush roll

Most upright carpet cleaners are designed solely with large surface areas in mind, but not the Hoover SmartWash Pet Automatic Carpet Cleaner. This exceptional model combines high-quality, commercial-level suction with the ease of being able to use it just about anywhere, thanks to the lengthy 22-foot cord and additional 8-foot hose attachment. It also has a 1-gallon tank, making it the largest capacity on this list, so it can be used to clean various rooms and surfaces without having to refill between spaces. One of the reasons this machine works so well to lift stains is its “trigger-less” design, which automatically mixes the cleaning solution and water to ensure it’s the perfect ratio for effective stain-lifting.

Pros:

• 1-gallon tank size
• Removable nozzle and upholstery attachment included
• Quick Dry technology
• 5-year motor warranty

Cons:

• Heavy
• Bulky and large to store

---

Best Splurge Carpet Cleaner

A Smart Carpet Cleaner That Indicates When Cleaning Is Complete

Weight: 28.9 pounds | Dimensions: 11.4 x 16.3 x 43.7 inches | Clean water tank: 67.6 ounces | Cord length: 21 feet | Additional features: LED cleaning display, temperature-regulating design, Dry Mode | Brush style: 2-in-1 brush roll cleaning nozzle, suction hose attachment

The Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner Machine is very much a smart appliance. For starters, it’s designed with an LCD panel that indicates how dirty the carpet is, which then prompts the device to automatically adjust suction and water flow for the most effective cleaning. What’s more, the screen changes colors to let users know when the carpet is fully clean: It’s red when dirt and stains still remain, and blue once cleaning is complete. It’s also expensive, but considering how much professional cleaning services typically cost, carpet cleaners are often surprisingly cost-effective, particularly when they’re on sale for $350, like the Carpet One is right now.

Beyond the LCD screen, the Tineco Carpet One makes carpet cleaning even more intuitive with its PTC heater and temperature controller that keeps water at the perfect stain-lifting temperature. If you’re unsure of how to put those nifty features to use, the cleaner is also compatible with a smartphone app that provides voice prompts on how to utilize all of them best.

Pros:

• Features smart prompts for optimal cleaning
• Maintains water temperature for effective stain removal
• Has a Dry Mode to renew carpets post-shampoo quickly
• Some say Tineco’s cleaning formula smells better than popular competitors

Cons:

• Very heavy
• It may not be ideal for users who aren’t tech-savvy

---

Best Carpet Steam Cleaner

A Versatile Tool That Cleans And Sanitizes Without Chemicals

Weight: 9 pounds | Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.5 x 9.5 inches | Clean water tank: 54 ounces | Cord length: 16 feet | Additional features: Retractable handle | Brush style: N/A

If you want to clean and sanitize your carpets without any chemicals or cleaning solution, the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner uses hot steam (up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature) to kill bacteria and remove stains. The compact body holds up to 54 ounces of water, which offers around 50 minutes of cleaning time, and the unit comes with a variety of attachments so you can clean virtually any surface around your home. You’ll receive a variety of different brush styles, a window tool, and a floor tool, just to name a few, and you can clean floors with either the included microfiber pads or any regular towel.

Pros:

• Lightweight design with retractable handle
• Cleans, removes stains, and kills bacteria with hot steam
• Wide range of accessories for use on any surface

Cons:

• Fairly short power cord

---

How We Chose The Best Carpet Cleaners

We took a multi-step approach to finalizing the product recommendations for this story. First, we consulted two cleaning experts (mentioned above) for their top considerations when shopping for the best carpet cleaners. Then, keeping their guidance and our own cleaning experience in mind, we scoured the internet for our top picks. We made sure to hone in on the latest models that are popular among shoppers, highly rated (at least four stars at major online retailers), and well-reviewed (prioritizing reviews from verified purchasers). Further, we asked our staff for their real-world feedback after using some of the top-rated models we recommend.
We considered factors like use cases, portability, size and weight, length of the cord and hose, and clean water tank capacity. We also highlighted any extra features for each product, such as self-cleaning tools, removable nozzles, and app connectivity.

What To Look For When Choosing A Carpet Cleaner

Style

When deciding on which carpet cleaner is best for you, Meighan McLaughlin, associate director for the portable deep cleaning category at Bissell, says it’s important to consider the environment you live in and your common mess-makers. If pets that track in mud, grass, and dirt are your biggest concern, she says that reaching for a portable carpet cleaner like the Bissell Little Green is best. “They’re engineered for quick removal of spots and stains (you may have seen them in action on TikTok’s #CleanTok!) and use specially formulated solution to spot-treat and deep clean carpet, upholstery, and other soft surfaces around your home and car,” she adds, referencing Bissell machines.

If you’re less concerned about spot treatments and more focused on making your rugs and carpets look fresh again as a whole, McLaughlin says that upright cleaners—such as the strapping editor-favorite Hoover SmartWash—will be the quickest and most effective option. “The larger the machine, the greater the suction power and tank capacity,” she adds.

Weight

If you’re looking for a full-size carpet cleaner, it’s important to consider the machine’s weight. “One thing to note is that some of these cleaners can be extremely heavy—65 pounds or so when full,” explains Jessica Samson, cleaning expert at The Maids. “If you are unable to lift something this heavy, you should look for a model that is lighter and has a smaller tank.”
Similarly, you may want to consider how you’ll store the machine. Upright carpet cleaners often take up quite a bit of space, while portable units are easier to store, especially if you have a smaller home.

Brush Style

There are various brush styles when it comes to carpet cleaners. Where upright carpet cleaners tend to feature a brush roll or a series of spinning brush heads, portable carpet cleaners rely more heavily on suction and textured attachments. Generally speaking, the more textured a brush is, the more likely it will be able to treat stubborn set-in stains.

Additional Features

Not all carpet cleaners come with the same features, whether it’s attachments or the carpet solution itself. To ensure you’re maximizing your clean, McLaughlin says to always look for carpet cleaners that come with specialized tools and accessories. That way, you’ll also be able to easily clean full rugs, upholstered areas, in between cushions, and tight corners, and more.
The Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro, for instance, comes with two types of hose attachments: a tool that traps dirty cleaning solution inside it, and a three-inch scrubber-lined tool that works on deeper stains. Essentially, you want to look for models that offer flexibility in your overall cleaning.

What Is The Best Carpet Cleaner Available Right Now?

Our top pick for 2025 is the Hoover PowerDash Compact Carpet Cleaner, which offers a roomy half-gallon clean water tank, an antimicrobial brush roll, and a handy tool for cleaning the nozzle. It’s also lighter weight than some other upright versions (although our senior updates editor says it’s still a bit on the heavy side). That said, we’ve also featured plenty of other excellent carpet cleaners above, including the Bissell Little Green, a portable pick that’s a staff favorite.

What Do Professionals Use To Clean Carpets?

Steam cleaning or “hot water extraction” is the go-to method for most professional cleaners. Super-heated water distributed at high pressure can easily penetrate deep into carpet fibers, so it’s a great mode of extracting those nastier stains (the water is subsequently vacuumed up). Professionals also know not to rub stains, instead blotting or dabbing them. That said, many of the models we’ve listed above do a great job of almost replicating these professionals’ hard work, so they’re worth a try.

Are Home Carpet Cleaners As Good As Professional Carpet Cleaning?

When you pay for professional carpet cleaning, the company will use heavy-duty equipment—often including a truck-mounted carpet cleaner—to deep clean your floors. These units are able to heat water to a high temperature for better dirt extraction and have powerful suction to leave carpets drier after cleaning. Generally speaking, home carpet cleaners can’t match this same level of power, but they’re still useful for everyday cleaning and spot treating stains.
“The industrial style cleaners that professionals use are very heavy and difficult to maneuver,” says Samson. “If you are looking for something that is easy to use, you might not get professional-grade cleaning, but your carpets will be far cleaner than before.” Many people opt to use a home carpet cleaner as needed and then have carpets professionally cleaned once a year, which is often required to maintain a rug’s warranty.

More Cleaning Stories To Shop

• The Best Carpet Cleaners For Pets
• Best Steam Mops
• Best Carpet Shampoos