Best Carpet Shampooers Reviews & Editorial Ratings

It’s an indisputable fact that carpets accumulate dirt, debris, unsightly stains, and pet hairs over time. As well as losing its clean, fresh look, it also starts to double up as a safe haven for the growth bacteria and other disease-causing elements. Which is all the more reason to invest in a quality, easy-to-use, durable, and reliable carpet shampooer. A carpet shampooer is an ideal choice for giving the carpets and various other surfaces a deep and thorough cleaning using a formidable combination of lukewarm water, detergent, heavy-duty brushes, and suction power. Doing this once a week or so leaves the carpet spotless, daisy fresh, and looking like new again by removing stuck-on stains and dirt, grime, and the like.

Our Top 3 Picks

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To help you choose a suitable product, we’ve put together reviews 10 of the market’s best carpet shampooers. We’ve put in the hard work and time to do research these so you can rest assured they are the crème-de-la-crème of the industry. That’s not to say they are expensive, though. So, let’s get started, shall we?

The Best Carpet Shampooers

1. Bissell Big Green 86T3

Just so you know, we didn’t use abracadabra to pick out our top 10 picks. Like the rest of them, our first pick, Bissell Big Green cleaner, has several nifty features that deservingly earn it the 1st position. Some of the features that set it apart in a fiercely competitive field are high-performance motors, an exceptionally large brush for diligently and effectively pulling out stuck-on dirt and an exceptionally powerful suction. The carpet shampooer also comes with two large tanks for holding water. Because of their sizes, you'll encounter fewer interruptions while cleaning.

It has the capacity every dirt, stain, deeply embedded dirt, stuck-on dirt, and even pesky dirt that it comes across, thanks to its deep and thorough cleaning prowess. The extra-large dirtlifter powerbrush does an amazing job scrubbing and loosening all types of dirt from the carpet, especially the ground-in, embedded dirt. Additionally, it gets rid of coloured stains such as coffee, cola, and red wine. In the next step, the heavy-duty, powerful suction steps in, quickly and efficiently lifting and extracting dirt, debris, and other materials, leaving it ultra-clean and smelling fresh.

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As mentioned earlier, it comes with two large tanks that separately hold dirty and clean water. Their large sizes minimize the number of trips you'll be making to the sink to refill and empty dirty water, meaning that your cleaning chores will be lasting a fraction of the time it would take with traditional methods of cleaning.

To make every cleaning chore fun and easy, the carpet shampooer features a 9-foot hose that allows for easy and quick spraying and scrubbing pesky spots and tough stains in hard-to-reach or awkward spots. As a result, reaching the upholstery, stairs, and other surfaces won’t be as challenging. The tough and rugged construction of the carpet shampooer significantly contributes to its effortless performance. Its construction with long-lasting, high-end materials gives it a robust, anti-tip silhouette. To protect your carpets against future stains, the carpet shampooer conveniently comes with a 2X Professional Deep Cleaning Formula.

This Bissell cleaner is renowned for its effective cleaning, ease of use, and durable construction. Plus, it comes with a generous 60-month warranty so you can purchase confidently and with peace of mind.

Pros

Cleans powerfully

Time and effort-saving performance

Large tank for convenience

Easy to manoeuvre

Cons

Heavy

Costly

2. Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Pet Pack

Like our first choice, Rug Doctor Mighty is a top-of-the-line shampooer capable of doing it all. Compared to the cheap, off-brand models out there, this product gives carpets a thorough, efficient, and deep cleaning. It cleans deeply embedded and stuck-on dirt with considerably fewer passes compared to its competitors. If your busy life leaves you little time for cleaning chores, it’s an energy- and time-saver that comes highly recommended. The tool relies on a tried and tested 3-step cleaning process that goes from spraying, scrubbing, and extracting to rid your carpet of stains, odours, and other debris. Continue reading for an in-depth review of this workhorse.

It's every homeowner's dream to come home to fresh and clean carpets and Rug Doctor Mighty promises and delivers just that. Like our first choice, it features a high-performance and enhanced vacuum motor for quickly and efficiently sucking up and extracting all types of dirt, dust, debris, and filth from the carpet right into the recovery tank. With just a few passes, depending on the size of your carpet, it’ll be left with a refreshed and clean look. It’s a versatile choice too, thanks to the inclusion of a heavy-duty handheld upholstery tool. Besides the carpet, it’s also a perfect choice for dislodging dirt and stains off the chairs, stairs, couches, mattresses, pet beds, car mats and seats, and several more surfaces.

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Its ability to quickly and easily transform the look of your carpet from saggy and soggy to super clean is commendable. It boasts exceptional strong suction power, drastically cutting down drying time to just a few minutes. On the flipside though, it is considerably heavy and bulky, which makes it a little difficult to manoeuvre around obstacles such as furniture. Aside from this minor drawback, it works like a charm.

With its powerful cleaning and suction power, user-friendly and innovative design, considerably long cord, and high-capacity tank, Rug Doctor Mighty works quickly and smoothly. It’s a perfect choice for heavy-duty cleaning jobs.

Pros

Powerful suction

Long cord for wide reach

Large tank enhances convenience

Versatile

Cons

Has a single tank

Short hose

3. Hoover Power Scrub FH50150

The washer is another perfect and solid choice for homeowners looking for a high-performance shampooer. It boasts a wide cleaning path, large tanks, and an innovative design that take the time and effort away from the tough and challenging carpet cleaning projects. Despite being lightweight, it packs a punch and pulls all the stops to get the job done quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly. Compared to its competitors, it effortlessly balances an ingenious design, affordability, exceptional performance, and practicality.

As with all things Hoover, this heavy-duty carpet shampooer works exactly as advertised. It’s neither an overkill nor a flimsy choice that leaves much to be desired. The machine features a 360 degree brush that seamlessly works by giving the carpet fibres a thorough scrubbing from all angles, diligently and aggressively dislodging the toughest and peskiest stains, dirt, debris, and spills, leaving your carpet clean and smelling daisy fresh. The Dual IV nozzle, on the other hand, it guaranteed equal suction for cleaning the entire carpet.

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A unique selling point that separates it from the stiff competition is the heated cleaning. It uses heated air for quickly and effortlessly lifting and removing pesky stains from multiple surfaces, allowing them to dry up in no time at all. The ingenious design also enables you to work quickly and for longer as it features two large and separate tanks that separately hold dirty and clean water. Both tanks are easy to fill, clean or empty.

With regards to ease of use, it features a lightweight and compact design that, together with the 8-footupholstery and hose tool, make it highly portable and easy to use for accessing tough to reach spots. And thanks to the automatic detergent mixer, you’ll always get the cleaning formula right.

Capable of thoroughly cleaning a wide range of carpeted and fabric surfaces, the Hoover Power Scrub should be your go-to device. It lets you clean in a snap with its large tanks, spinscrub multiple brush system, automatic detergent mixing, and forced heated air.

Pros

Works quickly and efficiently

Cost-effective

Versatile

A cinch to use with its bells and whistles

Cons

Short warranty

Short hose

4. Hoover Smartwash Automatic, FH52000

If you’re looking for an option that effectively takes the hard work, time and effort away from keeping the carpets clean, fresh and looking like new, look no further than this product. Packed to the brim with several auxiliary features it makes carpet cleaning chores fun and something to look forward to.

It features a simple, easy-to-use design. To clean a surface, simply push it forward. To dry the surface you just cleaned, pull it backwards. Considering that it comes with a wide cleaning path and spares you the frustration of measuring solution and the hassle of figuring out the buttons to press, it enables you to complete carpet cleaning in a fraction of the time it takes conventional methods. With its automatic cleaning technology and flexforce powerbrush, it is your best bet for quickly and effortlessly removing deeply embedded dirt. The automatic cleaning technology pairs nicely with the auto clean motion sensing to eliminate guesswork. All forward pushes result in a thorough, deep cleaning while backward pulls treat your carpets to an almost instant drying.

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Consequently, the living room won't be off-limits to guests, pets, or children as you wait for the carpet to dry, as the case when you use simplistic, humdrum options out there. The carpet shampooer ups the ante by incorporating an automatic mix that accurately mixes and dispenses the cleaning solution for the ultimate cleaning experience.

A cinch to use, it comes with several features to make cleaning easy and quick. First off, it’s self-propelled and therefore quickly covers large swaths of flooring with minimal effort from you. You have total control over the cleaning speed. As a result, if you encounter tough and pesky stains, slower speeds are guaranteed to deliver the best result.

Also, given its small footprint and lightweight design, it manoeuvres around obstacles with remarkable ease and speed.

Overall, the Hoover cleaner is hands down one of the best carpet shampooers you can get on the market. Using it is hassle-free and quick.

Pros

Self-propelling

Comes with auto-cleaning technology

Cleanly optimally and intelligently

Exceptional extraction for fast drying time

Cons

Nothing significant

5. Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution, 1986

With the Bissell ProHeat cleaner always within an arm’s reach, dealing with the little and big surprises your pets behind become a lot easier. Given that this is a versatile option, its functions transcend cleaning pet stains. It's also a perfect choice for removing odours, deeply embedded and stuck-on dirt, debris, and other materials on your carpet. Further, it features a dual dirtlifter power brushes that work in tandem with an anti-bacterial carpet formula to rid the carpet of pungent and pesky urine stains. If you're wondering how this machine stacks up against its competitors, we invite you to continue reading.

The package arrives with all the essential accessories you need to start cleaning right away. You get a professional pet urine eliminator, an oxy formula, 2-in-1 upholstery tool, cleanshot pretreater, and an EZ clean brush roll cover. With its powerful cleaning performance, it easily, effectively, and effortlessly gets rid of all dirt ranging from tracked-in mud, food spills, pet messes, and stains, among several others. The flawless performance of the carpet shampooer is wholly attributable to the Cleanshot Pretreater and the exclusive pet pro-clean-up system. The dry mode is perfect for vacuuming while the wet mode makes short and quick work of pet's stains and spots.

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Because it’s able to accurately dispense the required quantity of formula for cleaning, your carpets get to dry up quickly. Depending on the size of your carpet, it shouldn’t take more than an hour before completely drying. And to ensure you have access to hard-to-reach and tight spots, the carpet shampooer comes with a heavy-duty 25-foot power cord and an 8-foot hose.

For pet owners in search of a high-performance and reliable carpet shampooer for giving their carpets a thorough and deep cleaning, the Bissell ProHeat cleaner is your best bet. It powerfully lifts away deeply ingrained grime and quickly sucks it up, leaving your carpet free of fur, stains, and unpleasant odours.

Pros

Versatile

Comes with all the essential accessories

Flawless performance

Quick dry up time

Cons

Costly

6. BISSELL DeepClean Lift-Off Machine, 24A4

Do you need a cost-effective, reliable, and efficient way of getting rid of dirt, mud, stains, and unsightly spills on the carpets, stairs, and upholstery? If you answered affirmatively to that question, then the BISSELL DeepClean Lift-Off cleaner should be up your alley. It comes with several instrumental and signatures features to rid your carpets of the ugly matted and dingy look. With a large cleaning path and a highly portable design, it covers each and every nook and cranny of the floor and carpet, including tight and awkward spots around the house.

It combines the efficiency of a heatwave technology, the reliability of its dirtlifter powerbrushes, and a powerful suction to leave your carpet sparkling clean and spotless. The heatwave technology ensures the water is of the right temperature so that dislodging deeply embedded dirt, mud, and debris is efficient and quick. Couple that with the deep scrubbing dirtlifter powerbrush and powerful suction and you have a machine capable of reaching all carpet fibres and deep-seated dirt and stains.

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Like the vast majority of top-of-the-line shampooers, using the carpet shampooer takes little effort and time. It incorporates a large-capacity tank that reduces the frequency of visiting the sink. The spot cleaner detaches from the main unit with the touch of a button, enabling you to concentrate the cleaning power of the carpet shampooer to specific dirty and stained spots. It also gives you quick and easy access to hard-to-reach spots including the stairs, upholstery and au interiors, thanks to the 6-inch tool for set in stains, 3-inch tough stain for small areas, and spraying crevice tool for cleaning narrow spaces.

In addition to cleaning efficiently, the carpet shampooer is also cost-effective.

Pros

Has powerful, heavy-duty brushes

Gets rid of pet stains and urine

Ideal for deep cleaning

Budget-friendly

Cons

A little on the heavy side

7. Hoover Carpet Cleaner

Hoover has a way of pushing the boundaries of innovation and improving on already perfect machines. The Hoover machine, one of its flagship options, easily continues this tradition, providing the user with heart-stopping and performance all year round. It brings together several innovative features so you don't have to break a sweat when it's time to get the carpet clean and smelling daisy fresh again. With a high-performance 12-amp motor, two large-capacity tanks, and user-friendly design, you'll be hard-pressed to find an equally powerful and reliable option within its price range.

With a powerful 12-amp motor, its spinscrub brushes rotate considerably fast, quickly and efficiently lifting away dirt, grime, and other debris from the carpet and upholstery fibres from all angles. And just a tip of the iceberg. Additionally, the carpet shampooer features 3-speed brushroll control feature for high customizability. Off-model is perfect for picking up spills and the low mode is ideal for gently cleaning the carpet. The High setting, on the other hand, is reversed for removing the toughest stains, dirt, grime, and odours.

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Like several other Hoover shampooers, this model has two large capacity tanks, one for clean water and the other for dirty water. Both are easy to clean, fill, and empty. If you encounter dirt and grime in hard-to-reach spaces, you can easily use the provided SpinScrub powered hand tool which ensures you evenly cover each nook and cranny of the carpet, stairs, and upholstery. You’ll also benefit from the heated drying that will leave every surface you clean and ready for use. To top it all off, the carpet shampooer comes with an 8-foot stretch hose for reaching all those hard-to-reach and tight spaces.

Boasting all the bells and whistles a hampooer can possibly have, this machine will quickly prove to a worthy investment the first time you try it out. For future cleaning projects, you’ll find yourself subconsciously reaching out for it.

Pros

Boasts exceptional cleaning prowess

Versatile

Has two separate tanks

Easy maintenance

Cons

Short 12-month warranty

8. BISSELL PowerLifter PowerBrush Upright Shampooer

For the value-conscious homeowners looking for the best bang for their buck, let’s introduce you to BISSELL PowerLifter cleaner with all essential features and a few premium ones you'd be hard pressed to find in a budget-friendly model such as this one. It overshadows several pricey models in performance and convenience and is remarkably portable and easy to manoeuvre around obstacles, thanks to a paltry weight of 16 pounds. Further, it works smoothly and flawlessly because of its 2-in-1 tank design, 4-row dual rotating dirtlifter PowerBrushes, detachable nozzle, and lint screen.

Only a handful of options out there can hold a candle to it in terms of performance. The vast majority, including some expensive ones, pale into insignificance. To prove its mettle, the machine sports 4-row rotating power brushes capable of penetrating deep to reach the furthest fibres of the carpet, effectively loosening tracked-in dirt, stains, grime, debris, and spills. This deep cleaning action is quickly followed by powerful suction that does an amazing job lifting away all the dislodged dirt.

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To make your work easy, it features a 2-in-1 tank design that ensures dirty and clean water don’t mix while cleaning. And because the tanks are adequately large and the machine boasts an 11-inch cleaning that that’ll require few passes, you can comfortably cover a mid-sized room without making frequent trips to the sink. A handy measuring cup means your detergent is always the right amount. The easy-to-use link screen catches large debris while the detachable nozzle eases clean-up after a deep cleaning.

An additional feature is the ease of manoeuvrability. Because it weighs just 21.3 pounds and has dimensions of 19 by 11 by 44 inches, moving with it from one room to another is a cinch. The handles are comfortable and offer a firm grip, allowing you to work for hours on end without experiencing fatigue or hand strain.

Considering its pared-down design and litany of performance features, the BISSELL PowerLifter works great. While it’s not versatile enough to clean the upholstery or stairs, it does a great job with carpets.

Pros

Offers the best bang for the buck

Lightweight and manoeuvrable

Works smoothly and flawlessly

2-in-1 tank design

A cinch to use

Cons

Not ideal for cleaning tight or hard-to-reach spots

9. Bissell 3624

On the off-chance that our first 8 picks don’t cut it for you, take a serious look at this Bissell 3624. It’s a workhorse whose consistent performance will win you over the second you try it out. Boasting a 22-inch power cord, a 5.7-amp high-performance motor, a 4-feet hose, and 3/4-gallon tank capacity, the performance of this carpet shampooer is guaranteed to drop your jaw. It effortlessly loosens and lifts away the toughest and peskiest dried-on stains, dirt, and grime. Also, considering its portability and ability to detach from the main unit, it’s versatile and will come in handy when you have to clean more than the carpet. It can also clean the stairs, furniture, the interior of the car, and other surfaces.

If you’re anything like us, the performance of this cost-effective and innovative shampooer will amaze you. It combines a special cleaning formula, warm water, and powerful suction to reach the furthest carpet fibre, cleaning it off the smallest deep-down spots, stains, grime, and dirt. It works smoothly, efficiently, and quickly.

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The machine’s superior scrubbing action means you won’t have to hold your breath every time your flurry friends re-enter the house after several hours of playing outside. However tough or stubborn the stains, embedded dirt or dirt is, the carpet shampooer will get rid of it without breaking a sweat.

Another unique feature is its versatility. Considering that it comes with a 5-foot-long hose, a 22-foot power cord, and a 6-inch stair tool, reaching confined or tight spaces will be a breeze. Consequently, all the dirt, stains, and grime on larger furniture, upholstery, stairs and even auto interiors won’t be spared.

For light- to medium-duty carpet cleaning, Bissell 3624 will invariably leave you with a smile on your face. It’s a perfect choice.

Pros

Portable with long power cord

Easy to use

Boasts powerful suction

Generous 24-month warranty

Cons

Weak hose

10. BISSELL DeepClean Deluxe Pet Cleaner and Shampooer

With a laundry list of impressive features, the BISSELL shampooer is sure to tickle the fancy of pet owners the world over. While it shares several features with its cousins we reviewed earlier, it comes with a few of its own that sets it apart. It takes things up a notch by incorporating a 3-inch cleaning tool to enable you to reach tight, awkward or hard-to-reach areas such as the stairs and upholstery.

The shampooer further features Bissell’s trademark Dual DirtLifter PowerBrush to give your carpet fibres a thorough and careful deep cleaning while the heatwave technology ensures the carpet dries up in a relatively short period. For pet owners, the Trapper Tool is a godsend. It makes it remarkably easy and quick to remove all the messes your furry friends leave behind for you to clean. The powerful suction power, on the other hand, takes the hard work, time and frustration from clean along walls and baseboards. These features and several more work seamlessly together to leave your carpet sparkling clean, smelling daisy fresh, and looking refreshed. You won't have to think twice before hosting close family members and friends.

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Borrowing from the ingenious design of its bigger cousins, it comes with two high-capacity tanks for separately holding clean and dirty water.It hold up to 1.25 gallons and together with the 22-foot power cord, enable you to clean for extended periods with minimal interruptions. However, because its weight comes to about 32.7 pounds, it can be a little problematic to move around the room or from one room to another. Apart from that minor drawback, has several other features that offset that disadvantage.

In all, like our previous picks, the BISSELL DeepClean shampooer is indeed deserving of a spot on our list. It cleans deeply and thoroughly to free your carpet of unpleasant odours, debris, stuck-on dirt, grime, stains, and pet hairs and messes. And it has a generous 36-month warranty to boot.

Pros

Ideal for pet owners

Powerful suction

Perfect for stuck-on stains

Versatile cleaning

Cons

Short power cord compromises portability

A tad heavy

Criteria for Choosing the Best Carpet Shampooers

Performance

This refers to the shampooer’s ability to get the job done quickly, efficiently, and easily. A high-quality, high-performance product is, of course, capable of removing the toughest and peskiest stains, dirt, and debris a lot faster and more efficiently than its weaker counterparts.

Powerful suction also goes hand in glove with a powerful water jet and heavy-duty brushes. Bring these features together and you have a shampooer capable of leaving your carpet spotlessly clean, odour-free, and dry very quickly. You won’t have to wait for several minutes before reusing the carpet, during which case there is the likelihood of the moist encouraging the growth of mold. Keep in mind that a wide cleaning path also equates to fewer passes and quick performance.

Convenience

Consider how easy it is to use the shampooer before committing your money. A lightweight carpet shampooer with comfortable, ergonomically designed hands, for instance, is easy to manoeuvre and the various obstacles that dot a typical living room or bedroom.

Accessing hard-to-reach or tight spots is also easy if the shampooer has a detachable nozzle. A carpet shampooer with a wide cleaning path, as mentioned earlier, makes short and quick work of big and onerous tasks. Another significant consideration is the capacity of the tanks. If you have to clean a large carpet and do so quickly and with minimal interruptions, it’d help that you invest in a carpet shampooer with a large capacity tank. The design significantly minimizes trips to the sink for filling or emptying the tank.

Accessories

A product that comes with or is compatible with a range of attachments is guaranteed to be more versatile and flexible compared to one that has a few. A model with stain removal tools and a stair tool, for instance, comes in handy when you have to clean hard-to-reach spots such as the stairs.

Upholstery tools, on the other hand, gives you quick and easy access to, well, above-carpet surfaces. The last feature to give some serious consideration is the responsiveness and ease of reaching customer support and whether the carpet shampooer features a generously long warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I naturally clean a mold-stained carpet?

A: carpet shampooers are not very effective with mold-stained carpets. A more effective route would be to use a paste of warm water and baking soda. Liberally and generously apply on the affected area and leave for an hour before rinsing it off.

Q: How do I maintain my shampooer?

A: The maintenance procedure is pretty forward. Make a point of religiously cleaning everything, including the water tank to get rid of dirt and debris. Let it air dry properly before storing it in a moisture-free area.

Conclusion

Without proper guidance and information, selecting the most suitable product for domestic use can be a daunting task. The market is filled to the brim with shampooers of different types, sizes, and shapes which can complicate the selection process. The aim of this buying guide has been to diligently walk you through the various factors to consider and 10 of the best options on the market.

Going forward choosing a high-quality carpet shampooer that performs exceptionally and to your heart’s content should be a breeze. If it’s still not, close your eyes and use abracadabra to pick out one from among other choices. You’ll never regret it.

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