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After a new round of testing, the Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner is our top pick, and the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner is our budget pick.
Imagine six mud-covered, diaperless toddlers and an adult in a white-carpeted room. Serve the kids sugary drinks, peanut-butter-and-Nutella sandwiches, and chocolate ice cream with caramel syrup. For good measure, give the tots some colorful slime to play with, hand the beleaguered parent a bottle of red wine, and then step away for a couple of hours.
We simulated this not-inconceivable scenario to test how well carpet cleaners tackle the worst gunk, grime, and goo imaginable. The bad news: We had to throw out the carpet. The good news: Our picks—the Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner and the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner—cleaned up most of the stains they were confronted with in our testing.
Since 2014, we’ve tested carpet cleaners—most recently six models from Bissell, Hoover, and Tineco, priced from $100 to $500.
We compared how our test models tackled common household stains, including dirt, urine, wine, soda, and ice cream.
We examined how easy and comfortable it was to operate and maneuver each model, considering button placement and tank design.
We measured how long it took each carpet to dry post-cleaning and whether the fibers looked roughed up or revitalized.
This model operated more smoothly, tackled common household stains better, and left the carpet drier than all of its competitors.
May be out of stock
The Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner cleaned our soiled test carpet more thoroughly—and left it drier and more revitalized—than any other model we tested. It took ground-in dirt in stride, and it tackled chocolate ice cream and caramel syrup better than any of its competitors.
With its smooth construction and intuitive design, the Tineco Carpet One is easy to operate and comfortable to maneuver. Unlike some other models we tested, this model doesn’t require you to hold and release a spray trigger during cleaning.
It’s also considerably quieter than most machines, emitting a hum rather than a deafening roar.
Helpful voice prompts warn you if technical errors occur, and they remind you to refill or empty the tanks. An LED display shows cleaning progress and the carpet’s dryness level—a useful feature that the competitors lack.
Budget pick Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet CleanerGood cleaner, less convenient This model cleans nearly as well as our top pick, and it costs less. But it’s more awkward to use, and it didn’t leave the carpet as dry and refreshed.Buying Options$227 $197 from Amazon You save $30 (13%)$227 $197 from Kohl's (select colors)$227 $197 from Bissell You save $30 (13%)$226 from Best Buy
This model cleans nearly as well as our top pick, and it costs less. But it’s more awkward to use, and it didn’t leave the carpet as dry and refreshed.
In our tests, the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner performed almost as well as our top pick, getting rid of many common household stains, such as urine, soil, and peanut butter. When confronted with chocolate ice cream and caramel syrup, it lagged behind our pick, but this cleaner beat all contenders on red wine.
However, compared with our top pick, this cleaner left our test carpet damper and less refreshed.
At 17½ pounds, the ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet model is lighter than our top pick, but it looks and feels clunkier. Its power and mode switches are awkwardly placed. And its trigger—which you have to hold and release to control solution spraying and extraction—feels cumbersome. This machine is also noisier.
This model operated more smoothly, tackled common household stains better, and left the carpet drier than all of its competitors.
May be out of stock
This model cleans nearly as well as our top pick, and it costs less. But it’s more awkward to use, and it didn’t leave the carpet as dry and refreshed.
Staff writer Sabine Heinlein has been a journalist for more than two decades. She obsesses over things like how to remove cat drool from velvet couches and hairballs from heirloom rugs.
For this guide, we’ve done the following:
If you like ice cream and are clumsy (like me!), or you have children, pets, and lots of rugs or carpeting, a carpet cleaner can be a game changer.
“There’s no carpet that’s 100% stain-proof,” said Jeffrey Iqbal, the manager at Carpet City in Queens, New York, where we bought our test carpet. By engaging in certain habits—such as not wearing shoes in the house, vacuuming regularly, and cleaning up spills promptly (either by hand or with a portable carpet cleaner)—you can cut down on how often you have to clean your rugs and carpets. Eventually, however, you will need a carpet cleaner to tackle set-in stains, clinging odors, and widespread dinginess.
Deep-cleaning carpets and rugs can also improve the health and safety of those who live in your home. Rugs and carpets trap air pollution. “Once they reach a certain level [of dirtiness], they’re no longer trapping those particles,” said Ali Hafezi Mashhadi, vice president of Babash Rug Services. “They release them back into the air once you walk on them.”
Before you choose a carpet cleaner, look at your carpet label(s) to make sure the carpets can handle the water-based extraction-cleaning method most of these cleaners use.
Also known as carpet shampooers, most carpet cleaners spray warm water mixed with cleaning solution on the carpet. When you pass the machine back and forth, a motorized brush massages and agitates the stain, suction extracts dirt and water, and airflow funnels it into the dirty-water tank. Many carpet cleaners also have heating elements that keep the cleaning solution warm and help dry the carpet.
Carpet cleaners are sometimes called “carpet steamers,” but most models don’t actually use steam. The Bissell HydroSteam was the only residential carpet cleaner we found that used steam, in addition to water, to target sticky goo, like slime and caramel, according to Bissell engineer Ryan Alt.
You can rent a Rug Doctor carpet cleaner from Home Depot or Walmart (usually for around $40 a day). But rental carpet cleaners tend to be heftier than the models we recommend.
Whether you buy or rent a carpet cleaner, know that you’re unlikely to match the cleaning power of a professional carpet-cleaning service. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends that you have your carpets professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months; this gets carpets cleaner than any store-bought or rented machine and decreases the risk of accidentally ruining rugs. If you have an heirloom rug, it is always wiser to take it to a professional, Ali Hafezi Mashhadi said. “Do not wash silk rugs with those machines!” he warned.
In our most recent round of testing, we tried six carpet cleaners. Here’s how we evaluated them:
Cleaning performance: We divided a 12-by-9-foot white polyester carpet into six columns (one for each carpet cleaner) and six rows (for one or two substances each). Then we soiled it with a carpet’s worst enemies: oils (chocolate ice cream, caramel syrup), dyes (Gatorade, Coke, and Fanta), tannins (red wine), and bodily fluids (urine). Using a spoon and a scouring brush, we worked yard dirt, Nutella, slime, and peanut butter deep into the fibers.
We let the muck dry over a weekend, and then we ran each carpet cleaner up and down one stain column, taking as many passes as necessary to clean the carpet as much as possible. After a 24-hour drying time, we compared the results, paying attention to the severity of any leftover stains and the carpet’s texture and appearance.
A decent carpet cleaner removes soil and most common household stains without much effort, but only an excellent one conquers the toughest stains. All of the carpet cleaners we tested got rid of Coke, urine, and blue Gatorade stains. But their performances varied when they faced chocolate ice cream with caramel syrup and peanut butter and Nutella. (Also, bad news for thirsty parents of thirsty children: None of the machines were able to entirely remove red wine or bright-orange Fanta.)
We also noted when a machine smeared a substance, making it bleed into an even larger area.
Drying time and carpet appearance: A good carpet cleaner should not leave the carpet saturated with water and soap. Depending on the carpet’s thickness and material, and on room temperature, it should fully dry within two to 12 hours. Some cleaners feature a dry mode, which, in addition to extracting water, blows warm air on the carpet to speed drying.
We allowed the test area to dry for two hours and then felt how damp the carpet remained, rechecking periodically. After 20 hours, we checked the dryness and visually inspected the carpet, looking for fibers that were refreshed and even, rather than chewed up.
Comfort and maneuverability: We noted whether the machine’s wheels rolled smoothly, its weight was distributed evenly, and whether it could easily move into corners, around obstacles, and over thresholds. We assessed whether the handle was comfortable to hold for an entire cleaning session, as well as whether the machine felt heavy or awkward to use. (Most models now weigh less than 20 pounds, with water adding another 4 to 8 pounds.)
Finally, we used the SPLnFFT app to measure each machine’s noise level.
Design and operation: We paid attention to how convenient it was to fill and clean the tanks; how easy it was to find and press power buttons; and whether we had to hold and release a trigger to operate the machine (this can be uncomfortable during long cleaning sessions).
We checked whether the machines’ hoses and hand tools easily and securely snapped on and off, and we considered how easy it was to remove and replace brush rolls on the cleaner head.
When applicable, we assessed the model’s digital display and tried to connect the machine to Wi-Fi.
Leakiness: Leakiness is a common complaint with carpet cleaners, and all of the models we tested leaked to some degree. We observed how much each model leaked when it was shut off.
Cleaning attachments: We tested their hoses and attachable cleaning tools on our white carpet’s peanut-butter-and-Nutella stains.
Gentleness and versatility: Despite warnings from experts, we decided to test our pick, the Tineco Carpet One Smart, on heirloom wool rugs.
This model operated more smoothly, tackled common household stains better, and left the carpet drier than all of its competitors.
May be out of stock
With its nifty design, smooth operation, and superior cleaning (and drying) ability, the Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner was the clear winner.
It’s an excellent cleaner. The Tineco Carpet One Smart effortlessly removed Coke, blue Gatorade, and urine. It took this machine fewer passes to remove ground-in yard dirt than it took competitors. This model also excelled in tackling the oily, sticky stains that thwarted most competitors. This was the only carpet cleaner we tested that almost entirely cleaned up chocolate ice cream with caramel syrup and peanut butter (though it did take many passes on its Max mode).
The only foes this machine couldn’t vanquish were red wine and the neon slime we ground into the carpet. (Hardly any of the carpet cleaners we tested could handle every parent’s worst nightmare.)
It has four useful cleaning modes. The Tineco Carpet One Smart’s four cleaning modes—which can be set using a button on the machine’s handle or via the app—eliminate some of the guesswork. Auto mode automatically adjusts cleaning power to soil severity, while Max mode gives the machine an extra boost. Attachment mode allows you to use a hose tool attached to the main cleaning head, and it effectively removes Nutella and peanut butter.
In Dry mode, which extracts water while blowing air, this cleaner dried the carpet faster than any other machine we tried. The Tineco Carpet One Smart also left the carpet smoother and more revitalized than its competitors.
It’s comfortable, convenient, and easy to operate. The Tineco Carpet One Smart was faster and easier to assemble than any of its competitors—it took us less than five minutes to set it up and start cleaning. The machine’s weight (around 22 pounds) is about average, but its smooth wheels and user-friendly design made it easier to push and pull than any other model we tested. It rolled over thresholds and around obstacles more nimbly than its competitors. In addition, its brush roll automatically shuts off when the handle is pushed fully upright, protecting the carpet from damage.
While most other models have a bulky, 1-gallon water tank, the Tineco Carpet One Smart has a half-gallon tank—providing plenty of water for a small cleaning session while reducing heft. The clean- and dirty-water tanks have carrying handles, making them easier to empty, refill, and scrub than competitors’ tanks. (And the caps are attached to the tanks, so they won’t get misplaced.)
The Tineco Carpet One Smart was significantly quieter than other models we tried: While cleaning, it emitted a low hum rather than a deafening roar.
It’s helpfully high-tech. The Tineco Carpet One Smart’s LED screen displays the cleaning mode, Wi-Fi connectivity status, and maintenance reminders. The screen’s dirt-monitoring loop, which changes from red to blue as soil is removed from the carpet, was particularly handy when we were cleaning dark or patterned rugs. The screen also indicates the carpet’s dryness level when the cleaner is operating Dry mode.
The Tineco Carpet One Smart also has voice prompts to alert you when the machine is powering down or malfunctioning, or when the water tank needs to be emptied or a brush roll untangled. We found these prompts helpful if a bit too chatty; the voice feature can be disabled.
This model cleans nearly as well as our top pick, and it costs less. But it’s more awkward to use, and it didn’t leave the carpet as dry and refreshed.
The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner isn’t quite as stellar as our top pick, but it still outperformed most carpet cleaners we tested. It’s a good option if you want to save money and are willing to give up some cleaning performance and convenience.
It’s a great cleaner, especially for red wine. In our tests, this model removed urine, Coke, blue Gatorade, yard dirt, and peanut butter as well as our top pick. (It outperformed some pricier Bissell models in cleaning up peanut butter and Nutella). Notably, it was the only machine we tested that removed most of the red wine stain. But it lagged behind our top pick when confronted with chocolate ice cream and caramel syrup, leaving a significant stain.
It’s a decent (but slower) dryer. The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet dried our test carpet faster and more fully than most other models we tested. But it took significantly longer than our top pick.
It left the cleaned carpet in decently smooth and revitalized condition. Though the carpet appeared roughed up in some areas, the carpet fiber smoothed out when vacuumed and walked on.
It’s light (but a bit clunky). Despite its unwieldy appearance, the ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet is, at 17½ pounds, one of the lightest models we tested. We didn’t have much trouble passing it over bumps in the carpet or moving it from hard surfaces to rugs. But its wheels don’t maneuver quite as smoothly as those of our top pick, and its handle isn’t as comfortable to hold.
It has three moderately useful cleaning modes. The Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution Pet has three cleaning modes: Max, Deep Clean, and Express. We weren’t able to tell the difference between Max and Deep Clean (according to the manual, Deep Clean is “for best cleaning performance,” and Max Clean is “for the dirtiest carpets”). The Express Clean mode, which uses less water, provides a lighter clean and a shorter dry time. (Ryan Alt, a product development engineer at Bissell, told us this mode is designed to give the carpet “a nice little refresh.”)
It can be used as a spot cleaner. This model comes with an 8-foot hose, a pet tool, and a 6-inch stair tool to remove small stains from couches, mattresses, and car interiors. By comparison, the Tineco Carpet One Smart comes with just one tool, and its hose is a foot shorter (this didn’t impact cleaning performance in our testing).
But it can be uncomfortable and awkward to operate. The model’s power and mode switches are inconveniently located on opposite sides of the machine, instead of close to the handle or on the back of the carpet cleaner.
The ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet requires you to hold and release its trigger, depending on whether you want to spray cleaning solution or extract dirty water, and this can be tiresome. And this machine doesn’t shut off automatically when the handle is placed upright, like our top pick does.
Its tank is inconvenient. The tank’s screw caps aren’t attached, so they can easily be misplaced. The clean-water tank has an uneven bottom and slanted opening, which we found harder to align with the faucet.
It’s noisy. Most carpet cleaners make noise, but this machine’s sound was particularly grating when compared with that of the Tineco Carpet One Smart. (And it’s certain to drown out any serious talk about slime you may want to have with your child.)
It’s leaky. After shutoff, this machine leaked more than the Tineco Carpet One Smart but less than some of its competitors.
Two brands dominate the carpet-cleaner category: Bissell and Hoover. In our testing, most of these machines worked well on common household stains like soil, urine, and most sodas. But they struggled with tougher challenges like peanut butter, chocolate ice cream, and caramel syrup.
In addition to the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet, our budget pick, we tested the Revolution HydroSteam Pet and the ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus.
The Revolution Hydrosteam Pet was the only one that got rid of at least some of the dried-on slime (a common problem in US households, according to Bissell engineer Ryan Alt). This model came in second on chocolate ice cream and caramel, but it made wine stains bleed, exacerbating the problem.
In our tests, the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus didn’t perform any better than our budget pick, but it’s usually about $100 more.
We tested Hoover’s SmartWash PET Complete Automatic and the PowerDash Pet Advanced carpet cleaners. Neither of these cleaned better than our picks, and both left the carpet wetter than their competitors did.
Rinse and dry the tanks: Read the manual carefully. Manufacturers usually recommend emptying both tanks after each use, which is annoying because you may end up wasting precious formula. But tanks tend to leak, and mineral buildup will be a lot worse if you don’t clean and dry them.
Rinse the brush heads, nozzles, suction gate, and filter after each use: After removing fiber clumps and hair tangles from inside the cleaner head, run those parts, as well as the filter, under warm water. Let them dry completely before reassembling.
Vacuum often: To avoid having to break out your carpet cleaner too often, make sure to vacuum your floors and furniture at least once a week. Avoid wearing shoes in the house, and clean your dogs’ paws before letting them in. Routine vacuuming can make the difference between cleaning your carpets twice a year and once every other year.
Avoid using certain substances in carpeted areas: If you share your home with small children or clumsy, irresponsible adults, ban Fanta, red wine, caramel syrup, slime, and red Gatorade from carpeted areas. In our tests, none of the cleaners were able to remove the slime, wine, and Fanta, and they all struggled with the syrup and red Gatorade.
Maybe. Professional rug cleaners use special chemicals and machines to minimize bleeding and cut down on drying time. Like most carpet-cleaner manufacturers, professionals advise against using a home carpet cleaner on heirloom rugs. Though it’s possible to clean some wool rugs with home carpet cleaners, a simple spot test doesn’t guarantee colorfastness. Rug makers often use different types of yarn and dye within the same rug, said Ali Hafezi Mashhadi of Babash Rug Services.
I decided to take the risk and clean my Nepalese, Afghan, and Iranian wool rugs with our top pick, the Tineco Carpet One Smart Carpet Cleaner. Here’s how I did it.
After drying for less than three hours, the rugs looked significantly brighter and smelled fresher than before.
Tyler Wells Lynch wrote an earlier version of this guide. This article was edited by Courtney Schley and Ingrid Skjong.
Upright carpet cleaners are not to be confused with portable carpet and upholstery (or spot) cleaners, which work in a similar fashion (by dispensing and extracting solution) but are designed for contained spills. Portable spot cleaners are smaller and mostly lack motorized brushes.
Steam mops, on the other hand, are designed for bare floors, while steam cleaners remove greasy dirt and stubborn stains from solid surfaces.
Ryan Alt, senior product development engineer at Bissell, Zoom interview, April 11, 2023
Ali Hafezi Mashhadi, vice president of Babash Rug Services, Canoga Park, California, phone interview, April 27, 2023
Jeffrey Iqbal, manager at Carpet City, Queens, New York, in-person interview, April 17, 2023
Sabine Heinlein is a staff writer at Wirecutter. Her work has previously been published by The New York Times, The Guardian, Psychology Today, and many other publications. When she is not following her dream of an immaculate home and a flood-proof basement, she is taking care of her menagerie and creating magical animal quilts.
A spot cleaner like the Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner 1400B can help you tackle spills, splats, and other messes on your carpet or upholstery.
For a dependable, versatile, and affordable cleaner, we prefer a bagless upright, but we have recommendations for other types of vacuums as well.
by Liam McCabe and Sabine Heinlein
While any vacuum can clean bare floors, some models make the task a little easier. The most versatile option of these is the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 .
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is our top pick for most carpets. If you have shag rugs, though, consider the Miele C2 Electro+ , which is designed for them.
Countdown Clock Timer Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).