Looking for the best carpet cleaner? Check out our guide below and you’ll be well-placed to select the correct one for your needs.
A carpet cleaner isn’t something you’ll use on a regular basis, but if you have a large home or a lot of carpet, it’s a game changer.
And one thing is certain: using the best carpet cleaner is significantly more effective than scouring with a bucket and sponge on your hands and knees.
Carpet cleaners aren’t only for removing stray stains; they’re also excellent at removing embedded filth and knotted-in animal hair on a larger scale, making them an indispensable tool for spring cleaning.
However, you shouldn’t anticipate miracles all of the time.
If your carpets appear generally clean and stain-free after a thorough vacuuming, you’re unlikely to notice much of a difference following a carpet-cleaning session.
You will, however, notice a difference if the dogs have been trampling through the lounge after a mud bath, or if your heavily trodden carpeting areas are beginning to look dingy.
Stains are also easily removed, but they must be addressed as soon as possible – no domestic carpet cleaner will be able to entirely remove a tenacious stain that has been there for months.
Thankfully, there are only about a half-dozen good carpet-cleaning brands to select from, so it shouldn’t be as difficult as picking a washing machine or refrigerator.
However, some makes and models do better than others.
How do you pick the best carpet cleaner for your needs?
How simple is it to use a carpet cleaner?
Let’s just say it’s not exactly rocket science.
True, you may wonder how on earth you’ll put it all together when you open the box of parts you just received (most carpet cleaners take some type of assembly), but once you get beyond that, you’ll find it practically as simple to operate as a vacuum cleaner.
Just keep in mind that carpet cleaning isn’t like vacuuming; everything must be done carefully and deliberately, with an inch or so of overlap to avoid streaks.
Never use more than four shampooing strokes on a single stretch of carpet to avoid over-wetting it, and test-clean a small hidden spot of carpet first in case the detergent produces discoloration.
When it’s dry, run your foot over the carpet to make sure all of the pile is facing the same way, or it’ll appear strange.
Domestic machines, such as the ones listed below, have small water tanks (typically approximately 3.5 litres), which are quickly depleted, and you’ll be back at the tap for another refill in no time.
The majority of residential carpet cleaners employ a two-tank system, one for the clean water/detergent mix and the other for the dirty water/detergent combination.
Per tank, they should be able to clean roughly 10 square feet of carpet.
Is it truly necessary for me to hire a carpet cleaner?
Domestic carpet cleaners are substantially larger than vacuum cleaners, making storage a challenge.
However, whether you actually need one depends completely on how much carpet you have in your home and whether you have pets or children who are clumsy.
Odd spot stains can be removed the old-fashioned way, on your hands and knees with a scrubbing brush, a bucket of hot water, and a specialised carpet-cleaning detergent, but if you have cream carpets, two dogs, and two dirty sprogs, a domestic model will save you a lot of time and effort.
Is there a cheaper alternative to hiring a carpet cleaner?
Consider renting a carpet cleaner if you only plan to use it once in a blue moon.
HSS Hire, Rug Doctor, and Homebase, for example, rent out various models for roughly £22 per day plus £10 for detergent.
However, if you need your entire house cleaned, or if you have a heavily stained carpet or a tenacious spot, you should hire a professional carpet cleaning service.
Professional cleaning equipment costing more than £2,000 are almost always used by these businesses (the average household model costs around £250).
The machines themselves not only have substantially larger water tanks (35 litres against 3.5 litres), but the individuals who operate them are also quite knowledgeable.
Professionals will know how to identify the type of stain, use the optimum chemical detergent for the job, and determine whether the stain is indeed removed.
Professional businesses charge roughly £65 for an average-sized bedroom, as a rough ballpark number.
Can I clean my wooden flooring with a carpet cleaner?
It’s not a good idea, especially if you have laminated floors.
Because of the amount of water used during the operation, it will seep into the cracks and expand the floorboards, permanently warping them.
They’re fine on tiled and vinyl floors, though a basic squeegee mop will do the job just as well and with significantly less effort.
The best carpet cleaners to buy
- SpinScrub technology tackles tough stains, delivering a deep clean
- Leaves your carpets dry in as little as 1 hour.*
- Extra large tank for a longer clean
- Extra long reach for convenient stair cleaning
- 2 year guarantee**
- Tackle everyday stains and pet messes with Aquaspin brushbar
- Vax's lightest carpet washer weighing only 5.7 kg
- Narrow floor head is elegant for reaching small spaces
- The twin tanks ensure clean and dirty water is kept separate
- Compact design for easy storage
- Effectively tackles everyday spills and stains
- With duplicate 2-in1 tools included, tackle pet messes and tougher cleaning with one attachment, and quick clean ups and refreshes with the other
- Includes an Everyday 2-in1 Tool for quick clean ups and refreshes
- Also includes a Messy Clean Up 2-in-1 Tool, ideal for cleaning up after pets, helping to avoid cross contamination
- Both tools come with 2 interchangeable cleaning attachments: 1 Multipurpose attachment for carpets and soft surfaces and 1 Hard Floor Scrub attachment for sealed hard floors and tiles
- The New Super Boost Spray function empowers you to customize your clean to the unique needs in cleaning high traffic heavily soiled areas
- The Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner uses Dual Cross action Brushes - designed to deep clean every side of the carpet fibers
- maneuverable and convenient,
- easy filling and rinsing tanks, larger opening lids, built in detergent measuring cap
- separate hand tool caddy, Cleaning Path:30.5cm
- Deep cleans you carpets and leaves your carpets dry in as little as 1 hour*
- Spin scrub technology TM - patented technology for a deep thorough clean
- Above floor cleaning - ideal for cleaning stairs, upholstery, car seats.
- Large tank capacity - for a longer clean without needing to refill
- Edge to edge cleaning- cleaning right up to the edge of your carpets
- Which? Best Buy - Carpet Cleaners, July 2019
- Lightweight and easy to manoeuver, with a low profile foot. Hose length: 2.1 m
- Clean shot stain pre-treated tackles tough stains
- Carpets dry in about 30 minutes*
- 2 rotating brush rolls with 12 rows of Dirt Lifter power brushes
- Remove stains like a pro: This professional-style spot cleaner uses water, formula and powerful suction to clean and protect soft surfaces
- Clean anywhere, anytime: spray, scrub and lift spots and stains from carpets, rugs, upholstery, stairs, auto interiors and more
- Large, seperate clean and dirty water tanks result in greater cleaning capabilities with less trips to the sinks
- Includes a large stain & upholstery and a tough stain tool
- Comes with a sample size bottle of Wash and Protect Professional
- EVERYDAY CLEANING: Transform your home with the Vytronix P800W Carpet Cleaner. Powerful, lightweight and easy to use, this carpet cleaner makes cleaning spills and removing stains a breeze
- PRISTINE CARPETS: Get yourself out of a messy situation! With kids and pets running around, spills are bound to happen. With its static brush bar and 5 rows of bristles, this carpet cleaner lifts and eradicates everything from stains to dust, dirt and allergens. The twin tank technology helps keep clean and dirty water separate
- REFRESH & DEEP CLEAN: Keep your carpets looking like they’ve just been fitted. Simply run the carpet cleaner over your rugs daily or add the Carpet Fresh Classic shampoo for a deeper clean. Make dull carpets and outdated-looking rooms a thing of the past! Product dimensions are 115 x 27 x 44cm
- LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN: With its powerful 800W motor and lightweight 5.6kg design, the P800CW is perfect for every household. The carpet cleaner is easy to use and the large 3 litre water tank means less stopping and starting to empty or refill - making cleaning quick and less of a chore
- POWERFULLY SIMPLE: We like to keep it simple. How? By creating home appliances that get the job done, brilliantly. No frills, no gimmicks and no features you’ll never use. We can’t do your housework for you, but we can certainly make it easier
- Dual rotating brushbars lift tough, deep down dirt from your carpets
- Narrow floor head gets into awkward areas
- Twin Tank technology keeps clean and dirty water separate, Cleaning width: 30 cm
- Lightweight at 5.8 kg; Cord: 8m
- 1 year guarantee
- Deep cleans you carpets and leaves your carpets dry in as little as 1 hour
- Spin scrub technology TM - patented technology for a deep thorough clean
- Above floor cleaning - ideal for cleaning stairs, upholstery, car seats.
- Large tank capacity - for a longer clean without needing to refill
- Edge to edge cleaning- cleaning right up to the edge of your carpets
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