We chose the Bissell JetScrub Pet Upright Carpet Cleaner as the best overall because it’s a good value for the price, relatively compact, easy to use, and, most importantly, tough on stains.These are our top picks for the best carpet cleaners for pets. What really stood out with this carpet cleaner are the size and features. A retractable handle and slim profile make this machine easy to store. Our tester thought the JetScrub was a great value for its effectiveness at stain removal, compact size, and moderate price. The total time to put this cleaner together out of the box was less than six minutes, and while the directions were a little unclear, our testers noted that it was simple to put together and “the parts snap together well.” The decibel level is somewhat high, although our testers noted it was about what you’d expect from a vacuum. Price at time of publish: $250 Product Details: Weight: 12.34 pounds | Surface Types: Carpet, upholstery | Cord Length: Not listed | Capacity: 60 ounces | Decibel Level: 92.1 decibels Keep in Mind: The tool doesn’t have as much power as corded models. This lightweight cleaner easily removed the coffee and wine stains from carpet in about 10 passes. The dirt did leave a faint stain, and about 70% of the chocolate stain was removed. The Bissell Pet Stain Eraser required no assembly and took less than two minutes to get up and running. Don’t worry about rushing to the sink to fill up the tank after a pet mess—just add cleaning solution and this cordless cleaner is ready to get to work. At one of our lowest tested decibel levels, our testers loved how quiet this affordable stain remover was, and if you have pets or children who are startled by loud noises, having a quiet machine is a huge plus. Our testers’ favorite thing about this pet mess carpet cleaner is that it’s cordless and, therefore, easy to take to places that don’t have an accessible outlet. Price at time of publish: $134 Product Details: Weight: 3.3 pounds | Surface Types: Upholstery, carpet | Cord Length: Cordless | Capacity: 8 ounces | Decibel Level: 70 decibels Keep in Mind: There’s not great storage for attachments. Price at time of publish: $443 Product Details: Weight: 41 pounds empty | Surface Types: Carpet, upholstery | Cord Length: 25 feet | Capacity: 48 ounces | Decibel Level: 91 decibels Keep in Mind: The directions are a bit hard to follow, and the machine leaks occasionally. The 15-foot cord gave our tester plenty of length for most tasks, as did the hose. A stain trapper and tough stain tool attach to the hose for extra deep cleaning, and a handy hydro-rinse self-cleaning tool makes it easy to get built-up gunk out of the hose and tank. This appliance was easily the most portable that we tested, and easy to carry with one hand Setup was a little cumbersome, taking about 10 minutes to get the machine out of the box and assembled. Our testers noted they needed a screwdriver to put the machine together, and the directions were a bit “tricky” to follow. One of our testers’ favorite things about this portable carpet cleaner for pets was how quiet it was, noting that it had a muffled sound—nothing obnoxious. Price at time of publish: $120 Product Details: Weight: 9.65 pounds | Surface Types: Upholstery, carpet | Cord Length: 15 feet | Capacity: 48 ounces | Decibel Level: 70 decibels Keep in Mind: It was slightly tricky to fill the tank with water in a sink. This machine effectively treated all of the stains in our testing session, completely removing the coffee stain after the first pass and making chocolate, wine, and dirt stains disappear from the carpet after three passes. Our testers noted, however, that pretreating is essential to successful stain removal with this machine. The Pet Portable cleaner’s compact size makes it ideal for spot cleaning. A retractable handle lets you release and roll the machine like a suitcase, so you can easily wheel it around the house or to the car for convenient stain treatment. Our testers noted that the hose isn’t as long as some of the other models they tested, but they didn’t think the shorter hose length was a dealbreaker, necessarily. Setting up the spot cleaner takes less than three minutes out of the box, and there’s no assembly required, so you can get to the task at hand right away. With this machine, you’ll need to use a pre-treatment solution and wait five minutes, but after that, it’s smooth sailing. The water tank is a little tricky to fill in a sink, so you may want a buddy to help you. Since the tank is rounded and can’t stand on its own, one of our testers held the tank steady while another added water and soap. Our testers also noted that this machine is on the loud side and difficult to talk over, so you may want to put your pet in another room while using it. Price at time of publish: $157 Product Details: Weight: 18.34 pounds | Surface Types: Carpet, upholstery | Cord Length: 28 feet | Capacity: 1 gallon | Decibel Level: 90 decibels The ergonomic handle allows for comfortable one-handed carrying and multitasking, freeing up the other hand to use the cleaning hose. The Hoover CleanSlate’s small, lightweight design makes it a great choice for anyone looking for an effective spot cleaner that is easy to store and can tackle hard-to-reach stains. No assembly is needed, and our tester took no more than five minutes setting up the machine and unboxing it. However, filling the water tank was awkward as the tank couldn’t sit upright on its own. Our testers found the noise level “tolerable” at 92 decibels, although it may be too loud for an animal, so put your pets in a different room or expect them to hide while cleaning the couch. Price at time of publish: $130 Product Details: Weight: 9.4 pounds | Surface Types: Carpet, upholstery | Cord Length: 15 feet | Capacity: 40 ounces | Decibel Level: 92 decibels Keep in Mind: This cleaner runs louder and could scare your pets. You’ll need to use Bissell’s Pet Pro Oxy Urine Eliminator solution, and the Spot Clean Pet Pro, both of which are included with the machine as 8 ounce samples. According to the manufacturer, the solution targets and removes lingering smells. Mix with hot tap water (no need to heat beyond that) and start cleaning. The best feature of the Bissell Spot Clean Pet Pro (and the reason it made our list) is its compact, lightweight design. We love that it’s easily picked up with one hand so you can take it up and down the stairs—or stop on the stairs to clean up a mess. Price at the time of publish: $176 Product Details: Weight: 13 pounds | Surface Types: Carpet, upholstery | Cord Length: 20 feet | Capacity: 96 ounces | Decibel Level: 88 decibels Keep in Mind: It’s well-priced but may be too small for large cleaning jobs. Our testers found this upright cleaner easy to assemble, without too many parts that need to be put together. The cleaner uses a Power Spin brush to lift stains and dirt and heatforce technology to dry carpets quickly after cleaning. During testing, the coffee was easily removed with three wet and dry passes. Our testers had to treat the wine, chocolate, and dirt stains with additional passes of the brush tool after initial cleaning didn’t fully remove the spots. The one thing the testers mentioned they didn’t like was unclear instructions for attaching the hose. What stood out for us about this carpet cleaner is how lightweight it felt, and the list price, which was under $150. This feels relatively inexpensive for a wet and dry carpet cleaner. Price at time of publish: $108 Product Details: Weight: 13 pounds | Surface Types: Carpet, upholstery | Cord Length: 20 feet | Capacity: 76 ounces | Decibel Level: 94 decibels
Our Testing Process
We put all the machines we tested through their paces with multiple tests to address how well they’d tackle hard-to-clean pet stains. For every test, we used the manufacturer’s recommended detergent as directed.The testing team started off by timing how long it took to get each machine out of the box and assembled, noting the assembly process, and documenting how many steps it took to actually be ready to clean. We read the instructions to make sure they were helpful, and noted the difficulty of positioning the tank inside the machine. We filled the tank of each cleaner in a sink (as one would at home), to make sure they fit comfortably beneath the faucet, noting if any contortions were required. After filling the tanks, our testing team weighed all of the cleaners, carried the cleaners at least 10 feet and back and noted if it was cumbersome, tested if the cleaner could be carried one handed, noted whether or not the carpet cleaner had wheels and tested if the tank leaked while it was being carried. Our testing team also looked at the most important function—does the carpet cleaner really get the messiest messes clean? The team was unfortunately not able to bring their pets to the testing site, so instead they stained carpet with potting soil, chocolate, red wine, and coffee, and then cleaned the spills, noting how many passes it took to get the carpet clean and if the cleaner was easy to handle. After cleaning the stains, the testers emptied the dirty water and cleaned the tanks, following the manufacturer’s instructions. They noted if there were tools provided to help with cleaning and if the roll brush was easy to clean. Finally, knowing noise can be an issue, especially for our furry friends, the team used a decibel meter to measure how loud the carpet cleaners were when in use. Average decibel levels for carpet cleaning machines is 80 dB, which is the number the testers used as their benchmark.
What to Know About Carpet Cleaners for Pets Before Shopping
Weight
Weight—meaning how heavy a cleaner is—is a major consideration when shopping for a cleaning appliance, especially if you’re trying to clean up a mess under furniture, on stairs or in the car.Our testers noted weights and how heavy the carpet cleaners actually felt to help you make an informed decision.
Surface Types
All of our top picks for best portable carpet cleaners can tackle carpet and upholstery, which are the primary surfaces most people would use them on. When looking for a new cleaner, make sure to note what type of surfaces your pet is usually on and if the product you’re planning to purchase can tackle them.
Cord Length
When shopping for a carpet cleaner for pets, a key factor is how long the power cord is, as you are likely going to be dragging it around your home. As you’re shopping, consider if you’re going to use the machine in the car or in spaces that don’t have an outlet close. We’ve noted cord length, when available, for all of our picks.
Capacity
As you take your cleaner all over your house, you won’t want to keep coming back to a drain to dump out the dirty water. We note the capacity of all the cleaners we tested, and it’s important to remember if you’re going to use the cleaner for quick spot cleanups, you may not need that much capacity. However, if you’re dealing with ongoing large messes, you might need a larger tank.
Decibel Level
If you’ve ever had a loud vacuum or any kind of appliance, you know the struggle with finding the right machine that cleans well but doesn’t terrify your animal companions. For our testing, we looked for machines that were below 80 decibels, as this is the average noise level for carpet cleaning machines.
Other Carpet Cleaners for Pets We Tested
Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner
Our testers found the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner bulky and hard to use. The base was so large we couldn’t tell if we were actually going over the stains during testing. Another strike against this machine, which did clean well, was that it ran very loud.
WeClean C1 Carpet Upholstery Cleaner Machine Portable Spot Cleaner Stain Remover
Our testers liked the lightweight “no frills” WeClean C1 Carpet Upholstery Cleaner Machine Portable Spot Cleaner Stain Remover that was easy to carry up and down stairs, and they noted emptying the tank was also simple. However, for the price, the WeClean didn’t get rid of stains at an acceptable level.
Kirby Avalir 2
While our testers liked the idea of an “all-in-one” vacuum and carpet cleaner, getting the Kirby Avalir 2 set up to actually clean was time consuming, confusing, and ultimately messy. When filling the tank, we ended up with water everywhere.
Your Questions, Answered
How often should you shampoo your carpets if you have pets?
Roughly every six months, say our experts, but of course, it’s situationally dependent—how much of a mess are your pets making? “We recommend refreshing your carpets every six months, but it’s great to add additional deep cleans if you notice your carpets accumulating dinge or taking the brunt of dirty paws and other messes pets leave behind,” Jay Kellis, Chemist, Staff Development at Bissell, told us.Kathy Cohoon from Two Maids and a Mop notes it’s important to keep on top of spot cleaning any messes as well, saying, “While shampooing will help elongate a carpet’s looks over time and give a good deep clean, the key to keeping carpets fresh with pets around is vacuuming often and spot treating any pet-related stains.”
How do you get dog and cat urine smells out of carpet?
There are, not surprisingly, a lot of ways to treat urine smells, and it’s important to get them out quickly so your pet doesn’t continue to urinate in the same spot.“For a stain that’s producing an odor, like pet urine, we suggest using an enzyme cleaner,” Kellis says. “The enzyme action found in these cleaners is like that of healthy probiotics found in some types of yogurt that help ‘eat’ the microscopic particles that make up the stain. Once the spray is released from the bottle, the probiotics are activated and begin working. If kept moist, they’ll continue to multiply and remove the material until it’s gone. That’s why we recommend keeping a moist towel on the stain and giving it plenty of time to work to ensure that the stain is thoroughly removed.”Cohoon’s methods are similar, but she uses a homemade mix to get the smell out. “Blot the spot with paper towels to absorb as much of the urine as possible,” Cohoon says. “Use equal parts white vinegar and warm water to treat the spot. Dab dry with a soft cloth, making sure to switch the cloth out often so as to not use a dirty cloth. Repeat as needed and allow to air dry. Once fully dry, sprinkle the area with baking soda and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Vacuum up baking soda and repeat if needed.”And simply get the air moving in your home, Cohoon says. “Don’t forget to circulate the air with fans, open windows, or an air purifier to help move the smell out of your home.”
How do you get old pet stains out of carpet?
It’s possible, with a little pre-treating, Kellis says.“While pretreating is important for any stain, it’s especially important to do when you’re tackling older, set-in stains,” he says. “Pretreatment actually helps freshen a set-in stain, which dries out and loses moisture, becoming harder to remove. Think of pretreating your carpet like pretreating laundry stains. With older stains, just spray your pretreatment, let it sit for five minutes, and then use a moist towel on the stain. It might take a few rounds of the same step to achieve complete stain removal.”
Who We Are
Tanya Edwards is an award-winning writer and editor with bylines at Better Homes & Gardens and other publications. She’s passionate about keeping a clean house, even with a big chunky cat, and loves to learn about the best products to do so. For this story, Tanya worked with data from the testing team and cleaning experts Jay Kellis, Chemist, Staff Development at Bissell and Kathy Cohoon from Two Maids and a Mop.
What Is BHG Recommends?
Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they’re worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn’t an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products and we let you know that we got it for free to remain as transparent as possible about our picks. Looking for more products that have earned our BHG Recommends seal of approval? Check out our picks for everything from picnic blankets to humidifiers.
