The Best Carpet Cleaners

Staff writer Sabine Heinlein has been a journalist for more than two decades. She obsesses over things like how to remove cat drool from velvet couches and hairballs from heirloom rugs.

For this guide, we’ve done the following:

• We’ve tested carpet cleaners since 2018, including six new models in 2023.
• We spent more than 40 hours researching carpet cleaners, scouring the websites of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and The Carpet and Rug Institute for guidance.
• We spoke with a professional rug cleaner, the manager of a carpet store, and an engineer who designs carpet cleaners, as well as with representatives from carpet cleaner companies.
• We analyzed thousands of customer reviews with FindOurView, which uses artificial intelligence to identify important themes and issues, and we polled real-life owners of carpet cleaners.

If you like ice cream and are clumsy (like me!), or you have children, pets, and lots of rugs or carpeting, a carpet cleaner can be a game changer.

“There’s no carpet that’s 100% stain-proof,” said Jeffrey Iqbal, the manager at Carpet City in Queens, New York, where we bought our test carpet. By engaging in certain habits — such as not wearing shoes in the house, vacuuming regularly, and cleaning up spills promptly (either by hand or with a portable carpet cleaner) — you can cut down on how often you have to clean your rugs and carpets. Eventually, however, you will need a carpet cleaner to tackle set-in stains, clinging odors, and widespread dinginess.

Deep-cleaning carpets and rugs can also improve the health and safety of those who live in your home. Rugs and carpets trap air pollution. “Once they reach a certain level [of dirtiness], they’re no longer trapping those particles,” said Ali Hafezi Mashhadi, vice president of Babash Rug Services. “They release them back into the air once you walk on them.”

Before you choose a carpet cleaner, check your carpet label(s) to make sure the carpets can handle the water-based extraction-cleaning method most of these cleaners use.

Also known as carpet shampooers, most carpet cleaners spray warm water mixed with cleaning solution on the carpet. When you pass the machine back and forth, a motorized brush massages and agitates the stain, suction extracts dirt and water, and airflow funnels it into the dirty-water tank. Many carpet cleaners also have heating elements that keep the cleaning solution warm and help dry the carpet.

Carpet cleaners are sometimes called “carpet steamers,” but most models don’t actually use steam. The Bissell HydroSteam was the only residential carpet cleaner we tested that used steam, in addition to water, to target sticky goo, like slime and caramel, according to Bissell engineer Ryan Alt.

You can rent a Rug Doctor, but rental carpet cleaners tend to be heftier than the models we recommend.

Whether you buy or rent a carpet cleaner, know that you’re unlikely to match the cleaning power of a professional carpet-cleaning service. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends that you have your carpets professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months; this gets carpets cleaner than any store-bought or rented machine.

Carpet cleaners are too rough for vintage and antique rugs, as the spinning brush roll can damage fibers. The experts we spoke to all said that silk and flat-woven rugs (like kilims) should always be taken to a professional.

But if you have an heirloom wool rug, consider washing it by hand. “Water is not a carpet’s enemy — if it’s done properly,” said Louise Broadhurst, the director and international head of the rugs and carpets department at Christie’s.

In our most recent round of testing, we tried six carpet cleaners. Here’s how we evaluated them:

Cleaning performance: We divided a 12-by-9-foot white polyester carpet into six columns (one for each carpet cleaner) and six rows (for one or two substances each). Then we soiled it with a carpet’s worst enemies: oils (chocolate ice cream, caramel syrup), dyes (Gatorade, Coke, and Fanta), tannins (red wine), and bodily fluids (urine). Using a spoon and a scouring brush, we worked yard dirt, Nutella, slime, and peanut butter deep into the fibers.

We let the muck dry over a weekend, and then we ran each carpet cleaner up and down one stain column, taking as many passes as necessary to clean the carpet as much as possible. After a 24-hour drying time, we compared the results, paying attention to the severity of any leftover stains and the carpet’s texture and appearance.

A decent carpet cleaner removes soil and most common household stains without much effort, but only an excellent one conquers the toughest stains. All of the carpet cleaners we tested got rid of Coke, urine, and blue Gatorade stains. But their performances varied when they faced chocolate ice cream with caramel syrup and peanut butter and Nutella. (Also, bad news for thirsty parents of thirsty children: None of the machines were able to entirely remove red wine or bright-orange Fanta.)

We also noted when a machine smeared a substance, making it bleed into an even larger area.

Drying time and carpet appearance: A good carpet cleaner should not leave the carpet saturated with water and soap. Depending on the carpet’s thickness and material, and on room temperature, it should fully dry within two to 12 hours. Some cleaners feature a dry mode, which, in addition to extracting water, blows warm air on the carpet to speed drying.

We allowed the test area to dry for two hours and then felt how damp the carpet remained, rechecking periodically. After 20 hours, we checked the dryness and visually inspected the carpet, looking for fibers that were refreshed and even, rather than chewed up.

Comfort and maneuverability: We noted whether the machine’s wheels rolled smoothly, its weight was distributed evenly, and whether it could easily move into corners, around obstacles, and over thresholds. We assessed whether the handle was comfortable to hold for an entire cleaning session, and whether the machine felt heavy or awkward to use. (Most models now weigh less than 20 pounds, with water adding another 4 to 8 pounds.)

Finally, we used the SPLnFFT app to measure each machine’s noise level.

Design and operation: We paid attention to how convenient it was to fill and clean the tanks, how easy it was to find and press power buttons, and whether we had to hold and release a trigger to operate the machine (this can be uncomfortable during long cleaning sessions).

We checked whether the machines’ hoses and hand tools easily and securely snapped on and off, and we considered how easy it was to remove and replace brush rolls on the cleaner head.

When applicable, we assessed the model’s digital display and tried to connect the machine to Wi-Fi.

Leakiness: Leakiness is a common complaint with carpet cleaners, and all of the models we tested leaked to some degree. We observed how much each model leaked when it was shut off.

Cleaning attachments: We tested their hoses and attachable cleaning tools on our white carpet’s peanut-butter-and-Nutella stains.

Top pick

The best carpet cleaner

Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner

This model operated more smoothly, tackled common household stains better, and left the carpet drier than its competitors.

$499 from Amazon

With its nifty design, smooth operation, and superior cleaning (and drying) ability, the Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner was the clear winner.

It’s an excellent cleaner. The Tineco Carpet One Smart effortlessly removed Coke, blue Gatorade, and urine. It took this machine fewer passes to remove ground-in yard dirt than it took competitors. This model also excelled at tackling the oily, sticky stains that thwarted most competitors. This was the only carpet cleaner we tested that almost entirely cleaned up chocolate ice cream with caramel syrup and peanut butter (though it did take many passes on its Max mode).

The only foes this machine couldn’t vanquish were red wine and the neon slime we ground into the carpet. (Hardly any of the carpet cleaners we tested could handle every parent’s worst nightmare.)

It has four useful cleaning modes. The Tineco Carpet One Smart’s four cleaning modes — which can be set using a button on the machine’s handle or via the app — eliminate some of the guesswork. Auto mode automatically adjusts cleaning power to soil severity, while Max mode gives the machine an extra boost. Attachment mode allows you to use a hose tool attached to the main cleaning head, and it effectively removes Nutella and peanut butter.

In Dry mode, which extracts water while blowing air, this cleaner dried the carpet faster than any other machine we tried. The Tineco Carpet One Smart also left the carpet smoother and more revitalized than its competitors.

It’s comfortable, convenient, and easy to operate. The Tineco Carpet One Smart was faster and easier to assemble than any of its competitors — it took us less than five minutes to set it up and start cleaning. The machine’s weight (around 22 pounds) is about average, but its smooth wheels and user-friendly design made it easier to push and pull than any other model we tested. It rolled over thresholds and around obstacles more nimbly than its competitors. In addition, its brush roll automatically shuts off when the handle is pushed fully upright, protecting the carpet from damage.

While most other models have a bulky, 1-gallon water tank, the Tineco Carpet One Smart has a half-gallon tank — providing plenty of water for a small cleaning session while reducing heft. The clean- and dirty-water tanks have carrying handles, making them easier to empty, refill, and scrub than competitors’ tanks. (And the caps are attached to the tanks, so they won’t get misplaced.)

The Tineco Carpet One Smart was significantly quieter than other models we tried: While cleaning, it emitted a low hum rather than a deafening roar.

It’s helpfully high-tech. The Tineco Carpet One Smart’s LED screen displays the cleaning mode, Wi-Fi connectivity status, and maintenance reminders. The screen’s dirt-monitoring loop, which changes from red to blue as soil is removed from the carpet, was particularly handy when we were cleaning dark or patterned rugs. The screen also indicates the carpet’s dryness level when the cleaner is operating Dry mode.

The Tineco Carpet One Smart also has voice prompts to alert you when the machine is powering down or malfunctioning, or when the water tank needs to be emptied or a brush roll untangled. We found these prompts helpful, if a bit too chatty; the voice feature can be disabled.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• It’s a bit leaky. It’s normal for carpet cleaners to release some residual water from the cleaner head after shutoff (keep an old towel handy). The Tineco Carpet One Smart generally leaked less than other models we tested. But we found out the hard way that it can leak violently if you don’t properly secure the brush roll cover of the cleaner head after removing it for cleaning. One long-term tester found the brush roll cover can dislodge during use, causing rapid leaking. (It’s a good idea to keep plenty of towels on hand.)
• It’s easy to mix up buttons and pedals. During testing, we kept mixing up the power and cleaning-mode buttons because of their proximity. Our testers also tended to accidentally step on the more-prominent dirty-water-tank release pedal instead of the recline pedal. But these mishaps are easy to avoid with practice. One long-term tester has found that sometimes the machine won’t turn on, inexplicably; usually, pressing and releasing the on/off button a few times will get it to eventually boot up.
• Its Wi-Fi connectivity and app are iffy. The Tineco Carpet One Smart can connect to Wi-Fi, allowing you to turn on the machine and select cleaning modes using an app. But after three hours of trying — with the help of a customer service rep, two testers, an IT specialist, and a network engineer — we determined that our testing unit was incapable of connecting to our 2.4 GHz network and, thus, to the mobile app. (The machine generally can’t connect to 5 GHz networks.) Luckily, this issue doesn’t impact cleaning performance, since all of the machine’s functions can be controlled with its buttons. One long-term tester has never bothered to connect the Tineco machine to her home’s Wi-Fi network, and hasn’t found it impacts functionality.
• It’s loud. All carpet cleaners are noisy, and, although one of the quieter machines we tested, the Tineco model is no exception. During cleaning, it can be hard to hear the voice prompts over the roar of the machine.
• It’s heavy. While it is generally more comfortable and convenient to handle than other carpet cleaners, this one weighs almost 5 pounds more than our budget pick, which makes it harder to lug it up and down stairs.

Budget pick

Good cleaner, less convenient

Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner

This model cleans nearly as well as our top pick, and it costs less. But it’s more awkward to use, and it didn’t leave the carpet as dry and refreshed.

$227 from Amazon

$220 from Walmart

$11 from Wayfair

The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner isn’t quite as stellar as our top pick, but it still outperformed most carpet cleaners we tested. It’s a good option if you want to save money and are willing to give up some cleaning performance and convenience.

It’s a great cleaner, especially for red wine. In our tests, this model removed urine, Coke, blue Gatorade, yard dirt, and peanut butter as well as our top pick. (It outperformed some pricier Bissell models at cleaning up peanut butter and Nutella). Notably, it was the only machine we tested that removed most of the red wine stain. But it lagged behind our top pick when confronted with chocolate ice cream and caramel syrup, leaving a significant stain.

It’s a decent (but slower) dryer. The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet dried our test carpet faster and more fully than most other models we tested. But it took significantly longer than our top pick.

It left the cleaned carpet in decently smooth and revitalized condition. Though the carpet appeared roughed up in some areas, the carpet fiber smoothed out when vacuumed and walked on.

It’s light (but a bit clunky). Despite its unwieldy appearance, the ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet is, at 17.5 pounds, one of the lightest models we tested. We didn’t have much trouble passing it over bumps in the carpet or moving it from hard surfaces to rugs. But its wheels don’t maneuver quite as smoothly as those of our top pick, and its handle isn’t as comfortable to hold.

It has three moderately useful cleaning modes. The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet has three cleaning modes: Max, Deep Clean, and Express. We weren’t able to tell the difference between Max and Deep Clean (according to the manual, Deep Clean is “for best cleaning performance,” and Max Clean is “for the dirtiest carpets”). The Express Clean mode, which uses less water, provides a lighter clean and a shorter dry time. (Ryan Alt, a product development engineer at Bissell, told us this mode is designed to give the carpet “a nice little refresh.”)

It can be used as a spot cleaner. This model comes with an 8-foot hose, a pet tool, and a 6-inch stair tool to remove small stains from couches, mattresses, and car interiors. By comparison, the Tineco Carpet One Smart comes with just one tool, and its hose is a foot shorter (this didn’t impact cleaning performance in our testing).

But it can be uncomfortable and awkward to operate. The model’s power and mode switches are inconveniently located on opposite sides of the machine, instead of close to the handle or on the back of the carpet cleaner.

The ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet requires you to hold and release its trigger, depending on whether you want to spray cleaning solution or extract dirty water, and this can be tiresome. And this machine doesn’t shut off automatically when the handle is placed upright, like our top pick does.

Its tank is inconvenient. The tank’s screw caps aren’t attached, so they can easily be misplaced. The clean-water tank has an uneven bottom and slanted opening, which we found harder to align with the faucet. Our long-term tester, though, has found it easy to empty and clean the tank (and she’s impressed by how long the bottle of cleaning solution has lasted).

It’s noisy. Most carpet cleaners make noise, but this machine’s sound was particularly grating when compared with that of the Tineco Carpet One Smart. (And it’s certain to drown out any serious talk about slime you may want to have with your child.)

It’s leaky. After shutoff, this machine leaked more than the Tineco Carpet One Smart but less than some of its competitors.

The Tineco Carpet One Cruiser is a newer version of our top pick, the Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner. The Cruiser’s self-cleaning station, redesigned water tank, more intuitive pedals, and quicker drying times are nice additions, but its stain-removal performance isn’t appreciably better than that of the model we recommend. As long as our top pick is still available, it’s not worth spending the extra $200 dollars for the Cruiser, especially for a machine that will be used infrequently.

Two other brands dominate the carpet-cleaner category: Bissell and Hoover. In our testing, most of these machines worked well on common household stains like soil, urine, and most sodas. But they struggled with tougher challenges like peanut butter, chocolate ice cream, and caramel syrup.

Bissell carpet cleaners

In addition to the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet, our budget pick, we tested the Revolution HydroSteam Pet and the ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus.

The Revolution Hydrosteam Pet was the only one that got rid of at least some of the dried-on slime (a common problem in US households, according to Bissell engineer Ryan Alt). This model came in second on chocolate ice cream and caramel, but it made wine stains bleed, exacerbating the problem.

In our tests, the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus didn’t perform any better than our budget pick, but it’s usually about $100 more.

Hoover carpet cleaners

We tested Hoover’s SmartWash PET Complete Automatic and the PowerDash Pet Advanced carpet cleaners. Neither of these cleaned better than our picks, and both left the carpet wetter than their competitors did.

Rinse and dry the tanks: Read the manual carefully. Manufacturers usually recommend emptying both tanks after each use, which is annoying because you may end up wasting precious formula. But tanks tend to leak, and mineral buildup will be a lot worse if you don’t clean and dry them.

Rinse the brush heads, nozzles, suction gate, and filter after each use: After removing fiber clumps and hair tangles from inside the cleaner head, run those parts, as well as the filter, under warm water. Let them dry completely before reassembling.

Vacuum often: To avoid having to break out your carpet cleaner too often, make sure to vacuum your floors and furniture at least once a week. Avoid wearing shoes in the house, and clean your dogs’ paws before letting them in. Routine vacuuming can make the difference between cleaning your carpets twice a year and once every other year.

Avoid using certain substances in carpeted areas: If you share your home with small children or clumsy, irresponsible adults, ban Fanta, red wine, caramel syrup, slime, and red Gatorade from carpeted areas. In our tests, none of the cleaners were able to remove the slime, wine, and Fanta, and they all struggled with the syrup and red Gatorade.

Maybe. Professional rug cleaners use special chemicals and machines to minimize bleeding and cut down on drying time. Like most carpet-cleaner manufacturers, professionals advise against using a home carpet cleaner on heirloom rugs. Though it may be possible to clean certain wool rugs lacking tags and manufacturer’s instructions with carpet cleaning machines, a simple spot test doesn’t guarantee colorfastness because rug makers often use different types of yarn and dye within the same rug, said Ali Hafezi Mashhadi of Babash Rug Services. Another risk factor is the carpet cleaner’s rotating brush roll, which may pull out delicate fibers and fringes. In short, a beautiful old rug isn’t worth the risk.

Consider whether your heirloom wool rug could be washed by hand with a mild detergent.

Tyler Wells Lynch wrote an earlier version of this guide. This article was edited by Courtney Schley and Ingrid Skjong.