The Best Carpet Cleaners For Removing Stubborn Stains
Upright and portable machines that lift ground-in dirt and spills from tired carpets.
Our quick verdict
Our pick of the best carpet cleaner is the BISSELL ProHeat Revolution, an upright with warm water and twin brush rolls that's easy to push round a whole house, with a quick mode for regular freshen-ups and a slower one for walkways and spills. For stairs, rugs and sofas, go for the BISSELL SpotClean Pro, the portable option that handles all three.
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Our Picks At A Glance
- Check price of BISSELL ProHeat Revolution
- Check price of Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner
Best Professional
Rug Doctor Deep Carpet CleanerHeavily soiled hallways and carpets that haven't been cleaned in years
- Check price of Vax Compact Power
- Check price of BISSELL SpotClean Pro
- Check price of Russell Hobbs Refresh & Clean
Best Budget
Russell Hobbs Refresh & CleanOccasional cleans of lightly soiled carpets and rugs on a tight budget
Uprights and portables do very different jobs, so the amount of carpet you've got and whether stairs are part of it come first. An upright covers a lounge fast but is awkward on steps, while a spot cleaner reaches stairs and sofas yet crawls across a full room. With plenty of both, we'd own one of each.
Suction is the next thing to pay for, as a wetter carpet takes longer to dry and can turn musty. We clean nylon and wool carpets between tenancies and guest stays, and the six here run from full-size uprights to a spot cleaner.
How We Tested These Carpet Cleaners
Carpets in rented homes take a beating. Between tenancies and guest stays, and after our own plastering and decorating jobs, ours pick up plenty of marks, and getting them back to a fresh condition is a regular part of the turnaround. Owning a carpet cleaner has saved us the cost of calling a professional many times over.
We've used a run of different machines on that work over the years, on both nylon and wool carpets. What still surprises us every time is how much dirty water ends up in the tank, and you can see it in the Rug Doctor photo below.
Every machine was judged on the same points:
- Cleaning power, judged on how much dirt came up
- Ease of use, from filling the tanks to emptying the dirty water
- Modes and tools for stairs, upholstery and stubborn marks
- Portability and manoeuvrability around furniture
- Warranty and value for money
The portable machine in the next photo is the SpotClean ProHeat, the heated version of the SpotClean Pro in our list, set up on a rug. Next to it is a purple upright working across a beige carpet.
The purple upright in two of these photos carries a PET badge and comes from our wider carpet cleaning, so we haven't tied it to a particular model in the list. Where we haven't used a machine for long enough to judge something ourselves, such as the drying time a brand quotes, we've said so and credited the figure to the manufacturer.
The Best Carpet Cleaners We Recommend
All six machines keep the clean and dirty water in separate tanks. We've noted where a model struggled on stairs or ran louder than the rest.
Best Overall
BISSELL ProHeat Revolution
Best for: Regular whole-room cleans on busy family carpets
Check Price On AmazonThe ProHeat Revolution is the upright we'd pick for most homes because it balances cleaning power against a weight you can push around a house without a struggle. Underneath sit two rotating brush rolls with six DirtLifter PowerBrushes on each, and they work the solution into the pile from several directions at once.
BISSELL's HeatWave system keeps the water in the tank warm while you clean, which helps loosen greasy marks. Express mode gives a room a quick freshen-up, and Deep Clean slows you down for proper passes over walkways and spill marks. The low-profile foot slides under beds and sofas, so there's less furniture to drag about. The clean and dirty tanks hold 3.7 litres each and sit together as one unit, and BISSELL includes sample bottles of its carpet shampoo to get you started.
What we like
- Two brush rolls with six DirtLifter PowerBrushes on each
- HeatWave system keeps the water warm during the clean
- Express and Deep Clean modes
- Separate 3.7 litre clean and dirty tanks
- Low-profile foot reaches under furniture
- Comes with sample bottles of carpet shampoo
What to know
- Costs noticeably more than the Vax Compact Power
- Too bulky for stairs without a separate spot cleaner
Our verdict
Most households will get the most from the ProHeat Revolution, as one machine handles both a quick freshen-up and a slow, thorough clean of a stained walkway without being a struggle to push around. Badly neglected carpets respond better to the Rug Doctor. For stairs and sofas, pair it with the SpotClean Pro.
Best Professional
Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner
Best for: Heavily soiled hallways and carpets that haven't been cleaned in years
Check Price On AmazonThe Rug Doctor is the heaviest-duty machine in this list and the one we'd bring out for a carpet that's been neglected for a long time. It's the same name you'll know from supermarket hire machines, built for owners who'd rather have one on hand than book a hire every time.
Its dual cross-action brushes scrub the fibres from both sides, and the Super Boost Spray lets you push more solution into a stained walkway when a normal pass isn't enough. You can see what that shifts in our photo, where the dirty tank is already brown on a pale grey carpet. Rug Doctor says the suction pulls out more moisture than standard machines, which matters in winter when a damp carpet takes an age to dry. It arrives ready to use, with lift-out tanks and a removable tool caddy.
What we like
- Dual cross-action brushes clean both sides of the fibres
- Super Boost Spray for heavily soiled patches
- Strong suction that Rug Doctor says leaves carpets drier
- No assembly needed out of the box
- Lift-out tanks and a removable tool caddy
What to know
- The most expensive machine in our roundup
Our verdict
The Rug Doctor earns its place if your carpets are badly marked or you're cleaning several properties, as we are. It costs the most here, so for a regular clean of a carpet that's already in decent shape, the BISSELL ProHeat Revolution does the job for less. Buyers who only tackle the odd spill are better served by the SpotClean Pro.
Best Value
Vax Compact Power
Best for: Smaller homes and flats dealing with everyday spills and pet marks
Check Price On AmazonThe Compact Power is the lightest upright in Vax's carpet cleaner range at 5.7kg, which makes it easy to lift out of a cupboard and carry between rooms. It's a good fit for a flat or a small house where you're dealing with everyday stains and pet accidents rather than years of ground-in dirt.
The narrow floor head gets into tight spots around beds and door frames, and the Aquaspin brush bar works the solution into the pile as you go. Like the bigger machines, it keeps clean and dirty water in separate tanks so you're never pushing murky water back into the carpet. It doesn't have the suction of the premium uprights, but it copes well with light to medium dirt. We found it awkward on carpeted stairs, so plan on a separate spot cleaner if you've got a staircase to do.
What we like
- Light 5.7kg body that's easy to carry between rooms
- Narrow floor head for tight spaces
- Aquaspin brush bar scrubs as you push
- Twin tanks keep clean and dirty water apart
What to know
- Hard work on carpeted stairs in our testing
- Less suction than the Rug Doctor and BISSELL ProHeat Revolution
Our verdict
Choose the Vax Compact Power for a smaller home where light weight and a fair price matter more than raw power. It's the best value upright in this list. If your carpets are heavily soiled, step up to the BISSELL ProHeat Revolution or the Rug Doctor, and if stairs are the main job, the BISSELL SpotClean Pro is the better buy.
Best Portable
BISSELL SpotClean Pro
Best for: Stairs, rugs, upholstery and car seats
Check Price On AmazonA portable spot cleaner fills the gaps an upright can't reach, and the SpotClean Pro is the one we'd buy. You carry the whole unit by its handle, set it on a step or beside a sofa and work the spill with the hand tool on the end of its 1.5 metre hose.
Plenty of cheaper portable machines share a single tank, but the SpotClean Pro keeps clean and dirty water separate, so you're not emptying it every few minutes. Its suction genuinely impressed us during testing, especially for a machine you can carry in one hand. Our photo shows the SpotClean ProHeat, the heated version of the same machine, on a patterned rug. The one drawback we noticed is the noise, as it ran distinctly louder than the other cleaners we used.
What we like
- Strong suction for its compact size
- Separate clean and dirty water tanks
- Comes with a set of cleaning tools
- 1.5 metre flexible hose for stairs and upholstery
- Carry handle makes it easy to take room to room
What to know
- Ran louder than the other machines we tested
- Too slow for cleaning a whole room
Our verdict
The SpotClean Pro is worth paying more for than BISSELL's smaller portable models because of its extra cleaning power and separate tanks. Buy it for stairs, rugs, sofas and car interiors, or as a partner to an upright. For full rooms, it's too slow, so pick the BISSELL ProHeat Revolution or the Vax Compact Power instead.
Best Heavy Duty
Vax Rapid Power Plus
Best for: Larger homes with stairs where fast drying matters
The Rapid Power Plus is the most fully kitted machine from Vax in this list, aimed at stubborn, heavy dirt. Five SpinScrub brushes rotate into the carpet to lift dirt from the base of the pile, and the 4.7 litre clean and dirty tanks let you get through more of a big room before refilling.
Vax says its Heat Blast feature leaves carpets dry within an hour, which is handy when a room has to be back in use the same day. A Quick Clean mode handles lighter refreshes. The 10.5 metre cleaning reach covers a good stretch of landing from one socket, and the kit includes crevice and antimicrobial tools, a motorised SpinScrub tool for stairs and a storage bag to keep it all together.
What we like
- Five SpinScrub brushes for deep agitation
- Large 4.7 litre clean and dirty tanks
- Heat Blast drying that Vax quotes at within an hour
- Motorised SpinScrub tool for stairs
- Quick Clean mode for light dirt
- 10.5 metre cleaning reach
- Tools come with a storage bag
What to know
- Premium price as the flagship of Vax's range
- Big tanks make it heavy once full
Our verdict
Larger homes with a staircase are where the Rapid Power Plus makes sense, because the motorised SpinScrub tool and long reach mean one machine covers the rooms and the stairs. The big tanks cut down on trips to the sink, and Vax's quoted drying time within an hour suits a household that can't keep off the carpet for long.
Best Budget
Russell Hobbs Refresh & Clean
Best for: Occasional cleans of lightly soiled carpets and rugs on a tight budget
Check Price On AmazonThe Refresh & Clean is one of the cheapest carpet cleaners we'd still recommend, and it gets the basics right. Clean and dirty water have their own tanks, which isn't a given at this price, and it's suitable for all types of carpet and rug.
It weighs 6kg, so it's easy enough to move around, and the 8 metre cleaning reach covers most rooms without swapping sockets. A 24cm wide jet spray wets a good stretch of carpet with each pass, and you can have it in black or white. Build quality is its weak point, so it's best treated as an occasional cleaner rather than one for weekly use in a busy house.
What we like
- Separate clean and dirty water tanks
- Manageable 6kg weight
- 8 metre cleaning reach
- 24cm wide jet spray
- Available in black or white
What to know
- Build quality could be sturdier
- Not up to heavily trafficked carpets
Our verdict
At the cheap end of the market, the Refresh & Clean gets the essentials right with separate tanks and a decent reach. It's fine for light to medium dirt in a few rooms a year. Anyone cleaning busy hallways or using a machine every month will be better off spending more on the BISSELL ProHeat Revolution.
How To Choose A Carpet Cleaner
The right machine depends on how much carpet you've got, how dirty it is and whether you need to tackle stairs and furniture too. These are the points we look at before buying one for a property.
Upright Or Portable Carpet Cleaner
An upright carpet cleaner is built for whole rooms. You push it like a vacuum, and its wide head and powered brushes cover a lounge or bedroom quickly. A portable spot cleaner is a small box with a hose and hand tool, made for stairs, rugs, sofas and spills. It's far too slow for a full room, but it reaches places an upright can't.
If you've got stairs and a lot of carpet, the best setup is an upright plus a portable. If most of your floors are hard and you've only got a couple of rugs, a portable on its own will do. For tiled and wooden floors, a steam mop for hard floors is the better partner.
Separate Clean And Dirty Tanks
Every machine in our list keeps clean and dirty water apart, and we wouldn't buy one that didn't. A shared tank means the solution gets dirtier as you work and needs emptying far sooner. Bigger tanks mean fewer trips to the sink, but they add weight once full, so a large tank suits a big house more than a small flat.
Brushes, Suction And Drying Time
The brushes do the scrubbing and the suction does the drying. Rotating or cross-action brushes reach deeper into the pile than a fixed head, which is why the Rug Doctor and BISSELL ProHeat Revolution are built around them. Strong suction leaves the carpet less wet, and that matters more than people expect. A carpet that stays damp for too long can smell musty, and dirt left in the base of the pile wicks back up to the surface as it dries.
Open windows and keep the heating on after a clean to help it along. In a room that's prone to condensation, a dehumidifier for damp rooms speeds things up.
Weight And Cleaning Reach
Check the weight if you'll be carrying the machine upstairs or storing it in a high cupboard, and remember it gets heavier once the clean tank is full. The cable and hose length decide how much ground you can cover from one socket, and a longer reach saves stopping every few metres to plug in somewhere else.
Carpet Type And Cleaning Solution
Most synthetic carpets are fine with any of these machines. Wool carpets need a bit more care, so use a solution that says it's safe for wool, keep the water from getting too hot and avoid soaking the backing. Always test a hidden corner first, and use the solution the manufacturer recommends for your machine. Some marks need more than a cleaner, and our guide to getting paint out of carpet covers emulsion and gloss spills.
Carpet Cleaning Questions We Get Asked
Is it worth buying a carpet cleaner instead of hiring one?
Buying a carpet cleaner is worth it if you'll clean your carpets more than once or twice a year, have pets or children, or look after more than one property. A professional clean or a few hire sessions soon add up to the price of a decent machine. If you only clean carpets before moving house, hiring a machine for the weekend makes more sense.
How long does carpet take to dry after using a carpet cleaner?
Carpet drying time after a machine clean depends on the suction of the cleaner, how much water you used, the carpet thickness and the room's airflow. Machines with strong suction or heated drying leave carpets damp rather than wet. Opening windows, running the heating and keeping off the carpet until it's dry all help, and avoid putting furniture back while the pile is still damp.
Should you vacuum before using a carpet cleaner?
Yes, always vacuum thoroughly before using a carpet cleaner. Loose dirt, hair and grit turn to sludge once they're wet, clog the brushes and make the machine work harder. A good vacuum first means the cleaner can concentrate on the ground-in dirt and stains in the pile, and you'll get far cleaner results from the same amount of water.
Can you use a carpet cleaner on a wool carpet?
You can use a carpet cleaner on a wool carpet as long as you choose a solution marked safe for wool and avoid overwetting it. Wool can shrink, discolour or smell if the backing gets soaked, so make quick passes and let the suction pull as much water out as possible. Test the solution on a hidden corner first and check the carpet maker's care guidance.
Which carpet cleaner would you pick if stairs are the main job?
The BISSELL SpotClean Pro is the one we'd buy for stairs. You carry it by the handle, set it on a step and work with the hand tool on its 1.5 metre hose. In a larger home, the Vax Rapid Power Plus covers stairs with its motorised SpinScrub tool. The Vax Compact Power was awkward on carpeted stairs in our testing.
Is the Rug Doctor worth paying more for than the BISSELL ProHeat Revolution?
Only if your carpets are in a bad way, or you're cleaning several properties like we do. The Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner is the dearest machine here, and its extra scrubbing and suction show most on carpets nobody has cleaned in years. Keeping a reasonably clean carpet fresh is a lighter job, and the BISSELL ProHeat Revolution handles it for less money.
Is the BISSELL SpotClean Pro noisy?
It's the loudest of the machines we've used, and that was the only real complaint we had about it. The upside is suction that impressed us for something you can carry in one hand. For short jobs on stairs, rugs and sofas the noise is easy to live with, and you won't be running it for long, since a whole room is a job for an upright.
Do I need a portable carpet cleaner as well as an upright?
That depends on your floors. A house with stairs and carpet in most rooms is best served by both, with the upright doing the rooms and the portable handling stairs, sofas and spills. Where most floors are hard and there are only a couple of rugs to keep fresh, a portable on its own is enough.
Our Pick Of The Best Carpet Cleaners
The BISSELL ProHeat Revolution is the carpet cleaner we'd buy for most homes, with the brushes and heated water to deal with busy family carpets and a weight that's easy to live with. For carpets in poor condition, the Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner has more scrubbing power and suction, though it costs the most.
On a budget, the Vax Compact Power is the best value upright, and the BISSELL SpotClean Pro is the one to add for stairs and upholstery. If you're replacing a carpet that's beyond saving, our guide on removing old carpet yourself shows how we strip a room.
Richard has spent years renovating properties and turning them into rentals and Airbnbs. Like a lot of people he started out as a beginner, and these days there isn't much DIY he won't take on.