The best carpet cleaner for every home

Woman cleaning carpet with a steam cleaner

by Adejumoke Ilori |
Updated on

Investing in the best carpet cleaner is a great way to keep your home clean, especially if your environment has lots of little feet or paws running around. And although a vacuum cleaner does wonders by removing dust and dirt, a carpet cleaner is a great asset for when you want to get rid of those tough stains that a vacuum cleaner cannot get out.

Carpet cleaners aren't just for random imperfections either – they're especially good at eliminating in-built grime and the hidden animal fur, and a vital “life saver” during spring-cleaning days. You may also find a handheld steamer useful for freshening up carpets and fabrics in your home, but there is no beating your own carpet cleaner for messes that only toddlers seem to be capable of making!

Best at a glance:

Best carpet cleaner overall: Swan Dirtmaster Pro Carpet Cleaner, £149.99
Best quick-dry carpet cleaner: Vax Rapid Power Plus Carpet Cleaner, £219
Best lightweight carpet cleaner: Russell Hobbs RHCC5001 Lightweight 600w Carpet Washer & Cleaner, £79.99
Best carpet cleaner for allergies: Kärcher SE 4001 Spray Extraction Cleaner, £199
Best spot wash carpet cleaner: Vax SpotWash Duo Spot Vacuum Cleaner, £139.99

Let’s be honest, many of us leave the muck to build up until it’s time to call in a professional (yikes!), which then costs us a lot of money. But why spend the money on that when purchasing your very own carpet cleaner works out much more economically, allowing parents to do high-quality deep-cleaning all by yourself, without having to break the bank.

From Vax Platinum SmartWash, Russell Hobbs RHCC5001 Carpet Cleaner to Vax Rapid Power Plus Carpet Cleaner, and taking into consideration size, design, price, its function and abilities, here we have chosen the best ones for you.

Best carpet cleaner overall

The Swan DirtMaster Pro Carpet Cleaner takes carpet cleaning to a whole other level. With large capacity tanks for clean and dirty water, it ensures you can clean for longer without the need to empty and refill. It also has a wider cleaning nozzle to help loosen and lift ground-in dirt and odours.**

This product is currently being tested by one of our Commercial Content Writers.**

Pros

  • Freshens and cleans
  • Comes with cleaning solution
  • Wide cleaning nozzle

Cons

  • Some found it does use the solution quite quick

Best quick dry carpet cleaner

Say bye to those stressful cleaning days, because with the stretch hose and wash tool, you can successfully clean above floors, including fabric, stairs and car interiors. The Vax Rapid Power Plus Carpet Cleaner deep cleans your carpets and leaves them dry in as little as one hour, leaving your home dry and smelling fresh.

One review said: "I recently had the pleasure of using the Vax Rapid Power Plus Carpet Cleaner, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations in every way. As a pet owner, keeping my carpets clean and fresh is a constant challenge, but this powerful cleaning machine made the task incredibly easy and efficient. First and foremost, the cleaning performance of the Vax Rapid Power Plus is outstanding. The powerful suction, combined with the rotating brush bar, effortlessly lifts embedded dirt, stains, and pet hair from my carpets. Even heavily soiled areas were no match for this machine's deep cleaning capabilities. I was amazed at how effectively it restored the original vibrancy and softness of my carpets.

Pros

  • Deep cleans your carpets and leaves your carpets dry in as little as 1 hour
  • Large tank capacity - for a longer clean without needing to refill

Cons

  • It might be a little heavy

Best lightweight carpet cleaner

The Russell Hobbs Lightweight Carpet Washer & Cleaner really is super lightweight, making it easy to move around your home. Despite it's small dirt tank capacity, it has a small but mighty power cord that lets you clean even more, without having to change plug sockets.

One review said: "I was very impressed in the performance of this carpet cleaner. The two carpets, so far cleaned, have surpassed my expectations despite being their first clean in two years. I still have the main down stair carpets to clean which, no doubt, will take two attempts but expectations run high. I would like to add that Russell Hobbs customer care is excellent."

Pros

  • Lightweight and easy to move around your home
  • Long power cord

Cons

  • It doesn't have a large tank capacity

Best carpet cleaner for allergies

This Kärcher SE Spray Extraction Cleaner, which features a range of accessories, deep-cleans carpets, furniture, mattresses, and car seats. This cleaner is perfect for those that suffer from allergies, and households with pets, and it has a three in one carrying handle.

One review said: "The first impression is that it needs quite a lot of assembly before use, which is an opportunity to get that process wrong. Once constructed it works well. You do however need to go over heavily soiled areas a few times to bring them up clean. My advice is to be sparing with the spray trigger."

Pros

  • An easy to fill and empty water tank
  • The multi-purpose handle enables comfortable carrying

Cons

  • It does need constructing

Best carpet cleaner with extra large tank

This cleaner will have your carpets dry in less than an hour. Not only is it powerful, but the Vax Rapid Power Revive Upright Carpet Cleaner has a massive tank capacity, allowing you to clean for longer. It also brings out and removes any hidden dirt from deep in the carpets, leaving you feel happy with your environment.

One review said: "I got this just before Christmas, as I had to do some intense cleaning on my carpets. Let me just say, this piece of equipment did not disappoint, effective and efficient to say the least."

Pros

  • Safety cut out indicator when tank is full
  • Adjustable floor head for carpet cleaning

Cons

  • Quite heavy

Best spot wash carpet cleaner

With dedicated tools that will be able to handle pet messes and harsher stains, the Vax SpotWash Duo Spot Vacuum Cleaner cleans up effectively and leaves carpets feeling refreshed. As it targets everyday stains, the powerful suction and deep cleaning tools will give your home a sparkle. 

One review said: "I bought this in September and never got around to using it until today. I'm absolutely thrilled with it. It has dealt with a filthy sofa (2 young boys and a cat means lots of mud stains) today, which is looking brilliant after an hour of working on it. It's very powerful for such a small unit. Would recommend, as it is so easy to use."

Pros

  • Designed with a dedicated Messy Clean Up Tool solely for pet mess or tougher tasks
  • Includes spot washer cleaning solutiion
  • Designed for quick cleans

Cons

  • Not designed for large areas

Best carpet cleaner

This carpet cleaner packs up into a compact unit, making it perfect if you don’t have much storage. Setting it up is pretty easy, and with a responsive and clear control, the water tank that doesn’t spill when being detached or unattached. 

One review said: "I was a bit nervous after reading the reviews, as most looked like the stains were fresh so I wasn't sure if it would be able to get out years of stains, but it did wonders! You have to put work and scrub hard but don't lose faith, keep going. The stains come out."

Pros

  • Packs up into a compact unit
  • Glides easily across all our floor types

Cons

  • One reviews said it is only effective on settee's and staircase carpets

Best compact carpet cleaner

Pets and children (and adults) can sometimes leave the house a mess with food stains, mud and general wear, but with the Vax SpotlessGo Cordless Spot Washer, it is strong enough to easily deal with everyday stains around the home. It features a variety of tools, so you can clean different surfaces too.

One review said: "Really good little cleaner. Being cordless, I can just grab and go, providing the battery is charged. Found the suction was good when I removed the attachment. I was able to clean the carpet tiles of a small room in stages, but it's really meant for small spills/accidents. It would be nice to have a slightly longer hose, storage on the machine for the attachments and a spare battery but not worth knocking any stars off for."

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • No storage on the machine for attachments

Best StainStriker carpet cleaner

This Shark CarpertXpert StainStriker Upright Carpet Cleaner rapidly removes sturdy stains and spots anywhere within your home, with its built-in StainStriker. Featuring a long-reach flexible hose and interchangeable attachments, it's perfect for getting rid of stains on beds, rugs, carpets, stairs, sofas, upholstery, car interiors and more.

One review said: "Wow - I have just received this today and I was sceptical about buying it but it has exceeded all expectations and is certainly the best carpet shampooer I have had and I have had a few over the years. Obviously I wanted to have a go with it as soon as possible to make sure it was working ok and it has done a grand job. I am over the moon with it and it picks up cat hairs so well which the other cleaner did not."

Pros

  • Gives an 8x deeper clean than a regular vacuum
  • Includes plenty of tools for cleaning

Cons

  • No indicator light for when tank is full

Best carpet cleaner with built in heate

The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution carpet cleaner is a powerful, reliable and achieves positive results very quickly. It helps get rid of bad odours that are causing bacteria and leaves your carpet dry in about an hour. 
One review said: "I have used it extensively for the whole house. Very noisy, but I expect that from all carpet washers. Does the job in cleaning the carpet. Lightweight. Easy to manoeuvre, use, assemble. to fill the compartment containing the detergent, and to pour out the dirty liquid from other compartments."

Pros

  • Built in heater for quick drying
  • Large capacity tanks

Cons

  • Some mentioned it's noisy

FAQs

Will I have to clear all the furniture out of the room?

No, don’t panic. Remove small or fragile items but working around larger pieces of furniture. Cover your chairs and table legs, while working and removing them once the carpets are finally dry.

How long will my carpet take to dry?

Well, that depends on the amount of soiling within the carpet, the length of pile and the temperature both inside and outside.

Should I clean the carpet until water is clear?

You should continue to use the carpet cleaner until the water runs clear. This will ensure that all dirt is removed. It could take a couple of goes to get the water clear, but it depends on how frequently you deep clean your carpets.

Will hot water extraction (steam cleaning) damage my carpet?

No, not at all. Hot water extraction is the preferred method, it is generally considered the best method of removing embedded dirt and other contaminants.

Mummy to a little girl, Adejumoke Ilori is Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby. With a BA hon in Creative Writing, she has worked for digital platforms, where she has empowered women from the inside and out, by sharing real life stories based on relationships, loving yourself and mummyhood.

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