The 9 Best Carpet Cleaners to Lift Set-In Stains and Eliminate Odors

This portable and affordable carpet cleaner fits comfortably on a shelf or in a cupboard. It's mainly designed for spot cleaning yet offers plenty of power, with a three-stage cleaning process that involves spraying cleaning fluid, scrubbing the affected area with a stain tool, and suctioning up the stain and remaining fluid.

Beyond the basics, the carpet cleaner comes with a self-cleaning attachment for circulating clean water through the hose and tanks to prevent gunk or mildew buildup over time.

While portability is the main draw, it has its disadvantages. The clean water tank only holds 16 ounces and the small head makes it tedious for cleaning larger areas.

Full Bissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner Review

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If you want a carpet cleaner with a user-friendly cleaning and drying system, this Hoover model is the right choice. The carpet cleaner has a sensor for quick washing and drying that's operated by simply pushing the unit forward for washing and pulling it backward for drying.

This lets you clean a portion of your carpet and dry it in quick succession. Another feature we appreciate is the dry boost button that generates hot air for even more effective drying.

While the cleaning and drying mechanism is the standout feature, we also like the automatic solution dispenser. Simply snap in the solution container and the machine mixes the cleaning liquid with water for the correct ratio every time.

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During our in-person testing of the Tineco carpet cleaner, two things became abundantly clear: the carpet in our office is horrifyingly dirty, and the power drying feature is a complete game changer.

We used the Tineco cleaning formula without any kind of spot treatment beforehand, deliberately rolling it back and forth in straight lines. The results were a tank full of the murkiest water, accumulated fibers, and dirt I have ever seen with my own two eyes, but we also experienced distinctly cleaner carpets.

I particularly liked the power-pushing design that lets you push and pull the device across the carpet while barely lifting a finger. This didn't play a huge role given the relatively small size of the carpet I cleaned, but it would certainly play a much larger factor in rooms where I would be pushing it back and forth for an extended period of time.

Beyond this, the drying feature completely changed how easy the whole process is. Instead of cleaning and then spending a massive chunk of time simply waiting for the carpet to dry, I was able to go over the carpet again using the PowerDry feature and it was literally dry to the touch seconds afterward. The only drawback is that the dirty water tank isn't the largest (0.45 gallons), so it did require us to empty it pretty frequently.

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Many carpet cleaners are quite heavy, weighing upwards of 18 pounds. The Hoover PowerDash is one of the lightest full-size models available, weighing just over 12.5 pounds. It’s also much smaller than other full-size options so it's a smart choice for homes low on storage space.

The simple design has a 0.5-gallon water tank and a separate compartment for dirty water, and its antimicrobial brush roll helps lift pet hair out of rugs while protecting against odors. This carpet cleaner uses hot air to help rugs dry faster and comes with a nozzle clean-out tool to make maintenance a breeze.

While its weight is certainly a plus, it does shed it by removing extra features like an attachable hand tool for upholstery cleaning and spot stains.

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If you have large carpeted rooms that are subject to spills and tracked dirt, opt for a commercial-grade carpet cleaner like the X3 from Rug Doctor. It boasts a 2.5 gallon clean water tank that covers a lot of ground without needing to be refilled midway through the clean.

Its powerful suction not only lifts up dirt and stains better than standard models, it also improves drying times. By pulling up more of the moisture left behind from the initial wash, drying times are lower than your standard full-size model.

The X3 also comes with an attachable hose and handheld tool for cleaning carpeted stairs and upholstery. It's likely more than most need, though you won't find a better option that delivers a professional cleaning job but is designed for home use.

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If pet hair, muddy paw prints or mystery stains are a regular presence in your household, Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus is one of the most capable upright cleaners we’ve used. It uses dual DirtLifter brushes to agitate carpet fibers and pull out embedded dirt, while maintaining water temperature during cleaning for more efficient stain removal.

We especially love the CleanShot pretreatment feature, which lets you target stubborn spots before running the main cleaner over them. Express Clean Mode is another excellent feature for households with pets or kids, since it helps carpets dry in about 30 minutes and you don’t have to wait long before getting back to your normal routine. The only slight nuisance that our tester noticed was that this pick is slightly louder than other upright cleaners they’ve used in the past.

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For homeowners who want near-professional results, and want a little more oomph compared to the Little Green option on our list, Bissell’s Big Green is one of the most powerful machines available for residential use. The large water tanks allow extended cleaning sessions without constant refilling, which we found especially useful for people tackling large carpeted areas.

It also has a dynamic extra-large brush with eight rows of bristles to remove even the most stubborn dirt embedded in carpet fibers. A nine-foot hose and six-inch tough stain tool allowed us to clean hard-to-reach areas, while an adjustable handle makes cleaning wall-to-wall carpet more comfortable. However, the trade-off is weight. This is a heavy machine that requires more storage space and effort to move.

Full Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner Review

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