We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.
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Wine, juice, pet stains, and any number of other liquids (and solids, for that matter) can quickly turn your spotless carpet into a big mess. Spot cleaners help you tackle stains and allow you to keep your carpets looking their very best.
Spot cleaners come in different sizes, have varying abilities, and include assorted attachments. You need to take a close look at your most pressing needs to decide which one is right for you. What kind of stains are you likely to clean? Do you have kids who frequently spill juice or food? Do you have limited mobility? All of these questions can help you narrow your search.
Our top pick is the compact and lightweight Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, which is tough on stubborn stains and odors.
Best of the Best
Clean Tank Capacity: 38 oz | Weight: 8.5 lb | Cord Length: 12’ | Accessories: Crevice tool, 3.5” reversible bristle tool and pet tool
The Shark Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner delivers excellent cleaning power for even your toughest stains. It comes with a dual-activated solution that offers deeper stain cleaning for carpets, area rugs, furniture and other upholstery without requiring any pre-mixing. The machine’s powerful suction can extract embedded dirt and liquids from carpeting, upholstery and other fibers to fully remove even the most stubborn stains.
Pet owners will also appreciate how well it handles pet messes. It includes a specially designed pet tool that collects liquids, pet hair and other debris into an easy-to-empty chamber. It’s also highly effective at removing foul odors, so if your pet has an accident, you can clean the spot without leaving a urine smell behind. It also includes a bristle tool ideal for removing stubborn stains and a crevice tool for cleaning hard-to-reach areas.
We also appreciate how convenient the Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner is to use. It weighs just 8.5 pounds, so it’s easy to carry to any mess in your home. It has a 12-foot cord and a 4-foot hose, allowing you to clean a large area without having to switch outlets. The clean-water tank is also larger, so you don’t have to stop in the middle of cleaning to refill it.
Best Bang for the Buck
Clean Tank Capacity: 48 oz | Weight: 9.7 lb | Cord Length: 15’ | Accessories: 3” tough stain tool and spraying crevice tool
The Bissell Little Green Multipurpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner is ideal for those who have larger areas to clean. Its 48-ounce clean-water tank is the largest on our list, so you can clean plenty of stains without needing to refill. It also has a 15-foot cord and a 4.5-foot hose, which, in our tests, made it very easy to maneuver around a room without worrying about where the outlets are.
Despite its large-capacity tank and extra maneuverability, it still weighs under 10 pounds and has a convenient carrying handle to bring the cleaner to any stain. It’s ideal for cleaning various surfaces around your home, including carpeting, rugs, upholstery, stairs and car interiors. “It definitely gets the surface very wet,” our tester said. “I didn’t find the drying time to be too terribly long, but it could be a problem if you’re cleaning upholstered furniture and need to keep children or pets off it while it dries.”
Its spray and suction are powerful enough to remove stains and odors, even those associated with pets. “It cleaned a range of stains really well, needing just one or two passes to remove most,” our tester said. The large tough-stain tool makes it easy to scrub stubborn messes, while the spraying crevice tool can clean tight spots, such as the space between cushions on the sofa or the back edge of stairs.
The Bissell Little Green is easy to maintain, too. It has dual tanks, so the clean water and dirty water are separated. Both are easy to remove, which makes filling the machine with water and cleaning solution and emptying the extracted dirty water afterward very straightforward.
Best for Carpeting
Clean Tank Capacity: 40 oz | Weight: 7 lb | Cord Length: 12’ | Accessories: HairPro mini stain eliminator, 3.5” stain eliminator, hair extractor and pet mess extractor
At just 7 pounds, the Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet Portable Spot, Stain, & Odor Eliminator is the lightest on our list. It’s extremely easy to carry all over your home, including up and down stairs, so you can clean any stains wherever they happen. It’s compact, too, making storing it easier even in smaller homes. However, despite its compact, lightweight design, it still has a 40-ounce capacity that provides plenty of clean water to remove stains.
The Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet is particularly effective for homes with carpeting because of its HairPro technology. It can pull embedded liquids, dirt, debris and even hair from carpet fibers without becoming clogged or tangled. It doesn’t lose suction as you’re cleaning, either, so you can remove multiple stains from your carpet without slowing down.
You’ll especially love this spot cleaner if you have pets. In addition to its anti-clog design, it has an extractor tool with fins along the surface that can grip both dry and wet hair embedded in carpet fibers. The hair is pulled into a special pet-hair collection cup, which is extremely easy to empty.
Durable & Rugged
Clean Tank Capacity: 40 oz | Weight: 13 lb | Cord Length: 15’ | Accessories: Wide path tool and tight spot tool
The Hoover CleanSlate Plus Carpet & Upholstery Spot Cleaner is the heaviest on our list, but it’s still easy to carry to any mess in your home because of its top handle. In our testing, we found that its weight gives the machine a sturdy, durable feel, so it can hold up to regular use. It also has a large-capacity clean water tank that holds 40 ounces, allowing you to clean larger stained areas without having to refill.
We like that its powerful suction can permanently remove even stubborn stains like wine, mud and pet accidents. The included wide-path tool is ideal for efficiently scrubbing large stains, while the tight-spot tool can easily get into hard-to-reach areas like corners and along baseboards. Said our tester: “The wide-path tool isn’t too large or bulky to prevent you from cleaning thoroughly in most situations, but its wide design allows you to clean more quickly.” The attached hose is 4.5 feet long, so it’s easy to maneuver the tools to thoroughly clean stained carpets and upholstery.
The Hoover Clean Slate Plus also scores points for being easy to clean and maintain. The dirty-water tank is removable, so you can empty it directly into the sink. Additionally, the tools have removable bristles for easy cleaning. The machine even comes with a hose rinse tool that allows you to quickly and thoroughly clean the hose after use.
Highly Portable
Clean Tank Capacity: 32 oz | Weight: 8.2 lb | Cord Length: 15’ | Accessories: Self-cleaning tough stain tool and specialized pet hair removal tool
The Bissell Little Green Max Pet is an ideal spot cleaner for cleaning hard-to-reach stains and messes. It has a lightweight, compact design with a wide-grip handle, so you can carry it wherever you need. It’s also easy to store, making it a perfect fit for smaller homes or those with limited storage space.
It’s highly effective at removing stubborn stains because of its triple-action cleaning system. It sprays the mess with the water and cleaning-solution mixture and then scrubs it to loosen dirt and debris. Afterward, its powerful suction pulls in all of the liquid and debris to thoroughly clean the area. The extracted liquid is pulled into the dirty-water tank to keep it separate from the cleaning solution, so it can then be easily discarded in the sink.
This spot cleaner also has a self-cleaning stain tool that can remove the toughest messes, including vomit, urine and blood. You never have to come in contact with the mess, though, because the tool flushes out any liquid and debris once you’re done cleaning. Pet owners will also love the pet-hair-removal tool, which has rubber bristles that can pull embedded hair and other debris from pet beds, upholstery, stairs and other surfaces.
Best for Pet Messes
Clean Tank Capacity: 38 oz | Weight: 8.5 lb | Cord Length: 15’ | Accessories: Crevice tool, 3.5” reversible bristle tool, 7” wide path tool and pet tool
If you’re housebreaking a new pet, the Shark StainStriker PX202BRN Carpet Cleaner Machine can definitely come in handy. It uses powerful suction to pull dirt and liquids out of your carpeting and upholstery, so it can remove urine, vomit and other pet messes. It is also highly effective at removing odors, allowing it to eliminate any foul smell left behind after your pet has an accident.
The Shark StainStriker PX202BRN comes with an impressive array of cleaning tools that let you clean various messes and in multiple locations. The wide-path tool allows you to clean larger stains or areas, while the crevice tool can get into tight areas for deep cleaning. The reversible bristle tool is ideal for scrubbing away tough stains, but the pet tool can collect debris and liquid from pet messes in a container that’s very easy to empty.
Both of the machine’s tanks are removable, so it’s easy to fill with clean water and then empty the dirty water from it after cleaning. It also comes with a dual-activated cleaning solution, which is safe for use on carpets, area rugs, furniture, other upholstery and more. You don’t need to premix the formulas, either, because the spot cleaner does the work itself.
Extraction machines, like the Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, the Bissell Little Green, the Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet, the Hoover Clean Slate Plus and the Bissell Little Green Max Pet, use suction, hot water and a cleaning solution to remove spots and stains. Most of these machines have two tanks, which allows you to empty the dirty tank without removing the clean one. Extraction machines are only meant for use on carpet and upholstery. Because they don’t have a heating element, there’s no risk of burning yourself with scalding water. Most manufacturers have their own cleaning solution, and each solution may not be safe for all fabrics.
Steam cleaners constitute a broad category that includes canister steam cleaners, vapor cleaners, carpet cleaners, portable spot cleaners, and upholstery steam cleaners. The internal heating element in these machines heats water to or close to the boiling point, then forces the resulting steam through a pressurized nozzle. The steam lifts stains, which can then be wiped away with a cloth. Steam cleaners don’t use suction or additional cleaners and have a wider variety of uses. They can be used on tile, slate, and other hard flooring or surfaces. However, because of the hot temperatures, these are far more likely to damage fabrics and upholstery and pose a scalding hazard.
Having a large water tank means you won’t have to refill the spot cleaner as often. With a 48-ounce capacity, the Bissell Little Green has the largest water tank among our top picks, making it ideal for cleaning larger areas.
However, a large, full tank is heavier and harder to carry around than a small one. For those with limited strength, arthritis, or other health issues that limit mobility, a smaller tank means a lighter machine that’s easier to carry.
All steam cleaners and extraction machines come with a hose and an upholstery-cleaning tool. Some might include an additional carpet or upholstery tool in a different width to clean stairs. Models with an extendable hose or greater reach give you more versatility when cleaning stairs or large pieces of furniture.
The Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, the Bissell Little Green and the Hoover Clean Slate Plus all come with a crevice tool perfect for cleaning stains in hard-to-reach spots. The Bissell Little Green and the Bissell Little Green Max Pet both have a tough-stain tool with bristles designed to tackle your most stubborn messes. Pet owners will appreciate the pet tools included with the the Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, the Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet and the Bissell Little Green Max Pet, which are designed to pull embedded pet hair from carpeting and upholstery and/or remove pet accidents, vomit and other messes.
Cleaning out the machine after each use can be one of the more difficult challenges. Some machines have removable tanks or tanks with a wide opening, which makes them easier to clean. The Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, the Bissell Little Green, the Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet, the Hoover Clean Slate Plus and the Bissell Little Green Max Pet all have removable clean water and dirty water tanks for easy filling, emptying and cleaning. You need to be careful when removing tanks to empty or clean them because the contents can easily spill. The last thing you want is dirty water on your newly cleaned carpet.
Suction only applies to extraction machines, but it’s one of the most important factors. Without adequate suction, you risk leaving too much water on your carpet and damaging it. In general, spot cleaners with higher wattage have a more powerful motor and better suction.
The most portable spot cleaners are handheld extraction models with a power brush. However, the water tanks on these cleaners only hold around 12 ounces, so the cleaning ability is limited. If you want more cleaning power as well as portability, models with wheels are easier to move around, especially for anyone with mobility or strength issues. The Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner has a 450-watt motor, making it the most powerful option on our list.
Many hands-free spot cleaners have power brushes that automatically turn and scrub during the cleaning cycle. These work better than scrubbing manually with an attachment.
Depending on brand and features, you can expect to pay from under $50 to $150 for a spot cleaner.
For under $50, you can find a handheld spot cleaner that works for the smallest of stains. These are best for people who don’t expect frequent spills, so if you have pets or children, you might need something bigger and more powerful.
Between $50 and $100 are spot cleaners with three- to four-foot hoses and 37- to 40-ounce tanks. Some of these models might have heating elements to maintain the temperature of the clean water for better stain removal. The Bissell Little Green and the Bissell Little Green Max Pet both fall in this price range.
In the $100 to $170 range are machines with longer hoses, hands-free cleaning, and sometimes power brushes. Models specifically designed to tackle pet stains are in this category. The Shark Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, the Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet and the Hoover Clean Slate Plus are in this price range.
Look for a self-cleaning model. A self-cleaning feature is rare but valuable on a spot cleaner. Some models have a self-cleaning hose that flushes out dirt, debris, and bacteria after each use. While you still want to base your decision on the spot cleaner’s ability to clean, any model with this feature is definitely worth considering.
Choose a long cord and hose for hard-to-reach areas. A long cord (up to 15 feet) and hose (up to 5 feet) can make it much easier to clean stains on stairs and inside vehicles. These also enable you to clean a larger area without moving the cord from outlet to outlet.
Don’t neglect the water tank. Water tanks that lock in place help prevent spills when moving the spot cleaner. You’ll also need to take care when cleaning the tank to get as much debris out as possible. And to prevent mildew, make sure the tank is completely dry before re-attaching it.
A. Steam cleaners are far more likely to damage fabric and upholstery due to the high temperature of the steam. Plus, these machines don’t remove stains all that well. Extraction machines can still damage upholstery with water or the cleaning formula, but it happens much less often. Test any machine on a small, hidden area first.
A. Most spot cleaners come with at least a small sample of cleaning solution. While it doesn’t take much cleaning solution to remove a typical stain, you’ll have to keep a regular supply if you anticipate having a lot of stains to clean.
A. While spot cleaners might be able to remove surface dirt and some aspects of an old stain, they aren’t intended for use on embedded stains that reach into the carpet pad or sofa batting.
