Restore Your Carpets to Like-New and Extend Their Lifetime With These Carpet Cleaners

If you have pets, kids or a spill-prone partner, you likely already know the virtues of having a carpet cleaner. Not only do these devices make your carpets look like new, but they also extend the life of your flooring. If you don’t own one yet, you have probably rented a carpet cleaner and know just how expensive that can be. For the price of less than four-day rentals or a single, professional carpet cleaning service, you can own one of the best carpet cleaners for yourself. 

Many people are quite intimidated by the process of buying a carpet cleaner. It wasn’t that long ago that these machines only came in professional-grade sizes. But, more recently, companies like BISSELL and Hoover have begun producing consumer-grade carpet cleaners that can clean most home carpets as well as a professional cleaning service or rental. 

When picking out the best carpet cleaner for you, it’s important to note that there are several different types of carpet cleaner on the market. These include:

• Upright Carpet Cleaners – These are the most popular consumer carpet cleaners at the moment. They look like bulkier vacuums, but they have systems built in which use carpet cleaning solutions to effectively scrub your floors.
• Carpet Spot Cleaners – The proverbial new kid on the blot, carpet spot cleaners are portable machines that you pick up and carry to the small area you want to clean. These are cheaper than upright carpet cleaners and are ideal for households that frequently need to clean only a small area of fabric or carpeting.
• Steam Cleaners – Rather than using a carpet cleaning solution, steam carpet cleaners rely on the power of hot water to sanitize your carpets. These machines are the most multifunctional, as they can be used to clean more than just your carpet.
• Professional Carpet Cleaners – If you own a business or frequently need to clean a lot of carpets, you may want a professional-standard carpet cleaner. These are certainly bigger and heavier than other types of carpet cleaners, but they are much more powerful.

If you’re ready to stop renting carpet cleaners, keep reading. We’ve rounded up the best carpet cleaners of all types and sizes below.

1. Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner Machine

BEST OVERALL

For years, Hoover and BISSELL have been duking it out to take the top spot in the carpet cleaner category. While both produce admirable machines, we’re giving the award to Hoover and their Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner Machine. This powerful machine will take care of all your carpet cleaning needs and then some. The patented Spinscrub brush system works wonders in picking up the toughest dirt thanks to the 360-degree brushes included. Plus, the heated cleaning system allows for faster drying, giving you clean carpets that you can walk on quicker than most other carpet cleaning systems. Finally, the eight-inch hose provides you with the power to clean hard-to-reach areas, like stairs and upholstery. For people who often have dirty carpets, there’s no better machine than the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe.

Buy: Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner Machine $129.99

2. BISSELL Turboclean Powerbrush Carpet Cleaner Machine

CONTENDER

As one of the most popular carpet cleaning options on the market right now, the BISSELL Turboclean Powerbrush Carpet Cleaner Machine has plenty to offer. Not only is this machine easy to use, compact and quick to set up, it also boasts incredible suction power and a patented rotating Dirtlifter Powerbrush. Furthermore, the Edge Sweep bristles help to ensure you can clean all the carpets in your house, from wall to wall. This carpet cleaner also features a collapsible handle and weighs just 12 pounds, making it one of the lighter upright options available.

Buy: BISSELL Turboclean Powerbrush Carpet Cleaner Machine $89.99

3. BISSELL Spot Clean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner

QUALITY PICK

The BISSELL Spot Clean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner is one of the most powerful spot cleaners on the market today. This carpet cleaner differs from upright versions in that you’ll have to carry it from room to room, but that makes it great for small jobs that don’t require you to clean the entire carpet. Plus, spot cleaners are easier to store. This particular cleaner boasts amazing suction and scrubbing action. It comes with both a six-inch stair tool and a three-inch tough stain tool as well as a sample of BISSELL’s Pro Max cleaning solution.

Buy: BISSELL Spot Clean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner $159.99

4. Hoover PowerDash GO Portable Spot Cleaner

BEST SPOT CLEANER

While the BISSELL spot cleaner made it into our top three, the Hoover PowerDash GO Portable Spot Cleaner isn’t far behind. This lightweight and portable carpet cleaner includes both the Spot & Stain Pet Tool for lifting away stubborn stains as well as the Rubber Nub Pet Tool for really digging deep into your carpets and upholstery. In addition, this spot cleaner still relies on a dual-tank system, which keeps the clean water and solution separate from the dirty water, allowing for easier clean-up when everything is said and done.

Buy: Hoover PowerDash GO Portable Spot Cleaner $89.98

5. Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner Machine

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT

The Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner Machine would be Goldilocks’ favorite carpet cleaner. It’s not too small (like a spot cleaner) and it’s not too heavy (like a traditional upright cleaner). Instead, this vacuum-style cleaner weighs just 12 pounds and boasts a compact upright design. Thanks to these specs, this cleaner is capable of cleaning smaller areas yet still boasts a rotating, antimicrobial brush and Heatforce technology for faster drying. As Hoover says, getting cleaner carpets is “no big deal” with the PowerDash at hand.

Buy: Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner Machine $99.00

6. BISSELL Pet Stain Eraser PowerBrush

BEST HANDHELD

As the most compact carpet cleaner on our list, you might expect the BISSELL Pet Stain Eraser PowerBrush to be less effective than the competition. That couldn’t be further from the truth. This powerful carpet cleaner is handheld and cordless, yet it still features a rotating DirtLifter Powerbrush for instant stain removal. Plus, any ready-to-use carpet cleaning solution can be stored directly in the machine, so it’s ready to grab and go at a moment’s notice. You’ll be prepared for any unexpected stains with this in the closet.

Buy: BISSELL Pet Stain Eraser PowerBrush $119.99

7. McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner

BEST STEAMER

Where most carpet cleaners use a combination of water and carpet cleaning solutions to deliver like-new carpets, many people are turning to steam cleaners for sprucing up their homes. That’s because these devices can do much more than just clean carpets. They can also shine up appliances, outdoor furniture and countertops. For carpet cleaning, we recommend the McCulloch Mc1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner. As an added bonus, this cleaner doesn’t rely on harsh chemicals, using the sanitizing power of warm steam instead.

Buy: McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner $139.99

8. Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner Machine

BEST VACUUM-STYLE

The Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner Machine includes all the best carpet cleaning technologies in one lean machine. This carpet cleaner gets the “automatic” designation because it transitions from washing to drying instantly when you switch from pushing to pulling. When washing, the cleaner relies on FlexForce Pet Brushes to pull away stains, and when drying, the cleaner uses HeatForce to ensure you can walk on your carpets without causing further stains almost right away. Perhaps our favorite accessory on this device, however, is the Spot Chaser Pretreat Wand, which allows you to spray stubborn stains before you clean them with the larger machine.

Buy: Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner Machine $299.99

9. Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner

BEST PROFESSIONAL GRADE

If you’re used to renting a carpet cleaner from the local hardware store or you want a carpet cleaner for a place of business, you might enjoy the idea of having a professional-grade carpet cleaner. The Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner boasts a triple action system, which sprays, scrubs and extracts all in one pass. In addition, this carpet cleaner is CRI Gold Rated by the Carpet & Rug Institute for water and soil removal. However, this power comes at a cost; the cleaner weighs 39 pounds. On the other hand, Rug Doctor does provide a two-year consumer warranty should anything malfunction.

Buy: Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner $528.10

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