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Rachel Shubin is a freelance journalist who is passionate about telling stories. Along with writing reviews for LifeSavvy, she writes a book column for Cape May Magazine and is a reporter for the Cape May Star & Wave Newspaper. When Rachel is not writing, she can be found advocating for mental health awareness and animal rescue, reading novels, exploring Cape May, or working on her polymer clay jewelry business, Piper + Pearl Co. Read more...

Stacy is a freelance writer. She has created a variety of web and print copy, from lifestyle and dating advice to small business reviews and short stories. She has a degree in business and marketing and has worked for several years as a social media manager. Through writing creative fiction, satire, and advertisements, she developed a passion for the written word. She enjoys cooking and painting in her free time. Read more...

Ellie Miller is a full-time copy editor and occasional writer for LifeSavvy’s reviews articles. With years of experience in substantive and copy editing, proofreading, and publishing, she has edited thousands of online articles, as well as memoirs, scientific essays, book chapters, and workplace training documents. She hopes you’ll find some new favorite products here on LifeSavvy like she has. Read more...

Life is messy, so if your home has carpet, it's a wise investment to get a carpet cleaner. This is especially true if you have pets and people who are hard on your floors and upholstery. Here are some reliable carpet cleaners to keep your floors looking pristine.

Buying Guide for Carpet Cleaners Our Picks for the Best Carpet Cleaners Final Thoughts

Why buy a carpet cleaner?

To get your carpets fully clean and sanitized, a carpet cleaner is a must-have cleaning tool. It uses a cleaning solution and water to get deep into the fibers of your carpet or upholstery to sanitize and clean better than a traditional vacuum. Most carpet cleaners also use heat for a more thorough cleaning experience. And most newer carpet cleaners are much easier to use than the old clunky ones your parents may have had.

What should you consider in a carpet cleaner?

How well do carpet cleaners dry your carpet?

It all depends on the carpet cleaner. Most will clean your carpet, then suck up most of the water, leaving your carpet damp but not fully dry. Others have the ability to get your carpet nearly completely dry after you clean it. It’s best to stay off the area and let it fully dry before walking on it. A fan can help speed up the drying process.

This is a powerful carpet cleaner with a dual nozzle and plenty of heat to deep clean and speed up drying time.

Pros: Weighing 19 pounds, this carpet cleaner is easy to pick up and get to work. The brush system deep cleans carpets using brushes that rotate 360 degrees for a fuller clean. It has a dual nozzle, which cleans surfaces with even suction as well as a heat force, speeding up drying time to lift up even the toughest of stains. Tools include an 8-foot hose to deep clean hard-to-reach areas, a stair and upholstery tool, a crevice tool, and a sample of carpet cleaning solution. Plus, the smart tank system and quick pour spout make it easy to empty and fill with no additional mess.

Cons: This carpet cleaner leaks a bit, especially the first time you use it.

Bottom Line: This is a quality carpet cleaner that’s built to last. It has two tanks that are both easy to fill and clean. And despite some mild leakage, your carpet will dry pretty quickly after using this cleaner.

This full-sized carpet cleaner comes with an antibacterial cleaning solution to help tackle tough pet stains in your carpets.

Pros: This carpet cleaner is built for pet-friendly homes. It’s lightweight, so it’s easy for just about anyone to use. It has powerful cleaning brushes to remove deep stains and clean every fiber of your carpet. With this carpet cleaner, your floors can be dry in as little as 30 minutes. Also, you get a powerful upholstery tool with this carpet cleaner, perfect for lifting stains out of furniture and car interiors. Additionally, this model comes with an oxygen-fueled cleaner to get tough odors out of carpets.

Cons: The suction on this carpet cleaner is not as powerful as in some other models.

Bottom Line: Pet owners, this is an excellent carpet cleaner for you. The scrub brushes are powerful, great for pulling deep stains and smelly messes out of your floors. While the suction isn’t the strongest, it still gets the job done beautifully.

This handy and portable carpet and upholstery cleaner focuses on cleaning the dirtiest of pet stains from multiple types of surfaces.

Pros: For those who need a portable and cord-free vacuum, the Bissell Pet Stain vacuum is a great choice. This vacuum stores the cleaning formula in the machine and is always ready for easy use. Just spray, scrub, and suction to remove away pet stains and messes from carpet, upholstery, stairs, rugs, auto interiors, etc. This vacuum removes stains like urine, feces, vomit, dirt, mud, blood, grass, tomato sauce, red wine, makeup, and more with ease. And the battery lasts on this cleaner, so you don’t have to worry about constantly spending money on new batteries.

Cons: The tank is very small, so it’s not ideal for large messes. Also, the brushes do not spin.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a wonderful handheld carpet cleaner. It has excellent suction to remove stains and cleaner from your carpet. And while the brushes aren’t motorized, they still scrub well with a little elbow grease.

Clean it all from low-pile carpets to car interiors with this portable and quiet carpet cleaner.

Pros: This multifunctional carpet cleaner offers both dry vacuuming and deep cleaning functionality. It has a deep tank for big cleaning jobs. And it offers a HEPA filter for trapping allergens away. It’s portable and quiet, so you can use it just about anywhere without disturbing the peace of others. Also, it comes with tons of accessories to provide you with a perfect clean in many different places, including hard-to-reach areas. Plus, the suction power is fantastic, so you know you’re getting a good, thorough clean.

Cons: This carpet cleaner is a bit heavy. And the instructions aren’t user-friendly.

Bottom Line: For low-pile rugs and upholstery, this carpet cleaner works really well. It’s a bit bulky, but if you’re able to deal with the size, it may be worth the investment, especially since it’s essentially two necessary cleaning tools in one.

This powerful carpet cleaner eliminates the guesswork and allows you to clean your carpets without breaking a sweat.

Pros: This is a simple, user-friendly carpet cleaner that makes shampooing your carpets as easy as running a standard upright vacuum. It has no trigger and requires no spraying, mixing, or measuring. It comes with a sample bottle of solution, an extra-long hose, a convenient accessory bag, a silicone drying mat, and a two-in-one upholstery tool. This machine is compatible with several types of cleaning solutions, including eco-friendly options. It sucks up pet hair without any issues, and it’s easy to clean when the job is done.

Cons: It doesn’t do a great job drying the carpets, so you may want to use a fan to speed up the process.

Bottom Line: This is as close to a professional carpet cleaner as you can get for the price. And it’s super easy to use. Plus, this carpet cleaner will last a long time and without clogs or leaks as long as you take good care of it.

Carpet cleaners make your home so much cleaner than just vacuuming or quick spot treatments. Many machines come with cleaning solution and accessories to clean your upholstery, too. If you want to have a carpet cleaner on hand to keep your carpet looking new, these cleaners are solid options.

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