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We tested 73 carpet and upholstery cleaners and found the best options for all households with furry friends.
The Hoover ONEPWR SmartWash made a significant difference in the discoloration and odor from stains.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
No matter how well-trained your animals areand how manypet hair cleaning toolsyou haveaccidents can happen.
Try totreat stains or messes immediatelyto avoid long-term staining and damage, saysKathy Cohoonfrom Two Maids and a Mop.
Quite simply, this means youll need to work quickly.
Credit: Target
One way to do that is touse a carpet cleaner.
For more on how we tested carpet cleaners, readour testing processbelow.
This is best used for smaller stains rather than a full carpet cleaning.
The Bissell Little Green Max was one of the most effective stain removers we tested, and worked especially well on dirt.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
We found it to be perfect forunexpected pet messesand spot cleans.
At 8.2 pounds, its manageable to carry with one hand.
It alsoleft the carpet mostly dryafter use.
There are some nice additional features that make the Bissell a top pick.
Its biggest drawback is the 32-ounce capacity; for larger stains, youll need to frequently refill the tank.
It didnt work as well on the dirt stains.
At 8.5 pounds, its easy to carry, and the tank didnt need refilling during our tests.
The water tank unclicks with the push of a button and fits underneath a faucet for quick refills.
This battery-powered option has a more limited run time than other corded upright models in its class.
With a whopping 80-ounce water tank, this upright carpet cleaner is a powerhouse fordeep cleaning.
But perhaps its most unique asset is its automatic cleaning power.
We found it incredibly easy to use, with a good brush roll and a relatively small footprint.
The width of the brush roll allowed for better cleaning over a large area, too.
Using the power boost also dwindles the battery faster, shortening the time you have to clean.
However, if youre looking toclean your upholsterythoroughly, theShark StainStrikeris another great option.
We followed the manufacturers guidelines to set up each carpet cleaner and fill it with a cleaning solution.
Note that adding water to the tank will increase the overall weight of the machine.
We paid particular attention to portability and ease of use during our tests.
With upholstery, the biggest challenge is usuallycleaning between couch cushionsand in other crevices.
TheShark StainStrikerstood out for its embedded crevice cleaner.
Weve noted cord length, when available, for all of our picks.
Our top two options have 12- and 15-foot cords.
Thats the biggest upside to a cordless carpet cleaner.
We note the capacity of all the cleaners we tested.
However, if youre dealing with ongoing large messes, you might need a larger tank.
During the Shark was the only one that didnt need to be emptied or refilled mid-clean.
We found all three options comparable to a running vacuum, noise-wise.
At its incredibly high price, it didnt make the cut.
It also had a nice array of attachments.
Your Questions, Answered
How often should you shampoo your carpets if you have pets?
How do you get old pet stains out of carpet?
Its possible, with a little pre-treating.
Pretreatment actually helps freshen a set-in stain, which dries out and loses moisture, becoming harder to remove.
Think of pretreating your carpet likepretreating laundry stains," he adds.
It might take a few rounds of the same step to achieve complete stain removal.
you’ve got the option to also pretreat before using a carpet cleaner to enhance effectivenss.
Credit: Amazon
What is the best carpet cleaner for people with pets?
Leftover staining from heavily pigmented messes is probably less of a concern when it comes to pet waste.
After these considerations, we recommend theBissell Little Green Max.
The Shark StainStriker left the carpet even fresher than it had been before we started the test.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
What Is BHG Recommends?
Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed ourBHG Recommends seal of approval.
In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.
Credit: The Home Depot
The Hoover Onepwr SmartWash uses a boost mode to work on tough, embedded stains.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
We tested six stains per cleaner, both dried and fresh.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
The Hoover Onepwr SmartWash has a water tank with an 80-ounce capacity.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
The Shark StainStriker Portable Carpet Cleaner includes four attachments to use on stains of varying sizes.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
We created two stains on a chair cushion to test with a DIY solution and each of the carpet cleaners to compare how well they lifted the stains.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
