The Best Carpet Shampooers for Deep Cleaning Your Carpets

If you have wall-to-wall carpeting in your home, you know how quickly it can start looking dingy and dull from all the foot traffic and spills. Regular vacuuming just isn't enough to keep carpets truly fresh and clean. At some point, you need to break out a carpet shampooer to give your carpets a deep cleaning.

A good carpet shampooer uses spinning brushes and cleaning solutions to work the dirt, grime, and stains out of carpet fibers. The dirty water gets suctioned up into a separate tank, leaving you with clean, revitalized carpets. Using a carpet shampooer every 6-12 months is recommended for most households to keep carpets looking and smelling their best.

But with all the different best carpet shampooer models on the market, how do you choose the best one? This guide will cover everything you need to know about picking the ideal carpet shampooer for your home's carpet cleaning needs.

Types of Carpet Shampooers

There are two main types of carpet shampooers - rental units and units designed for homeowners to purchase:

Rental Carpet Shampooers: These are the big professional-grade machines you can rent from grocery stores or hardware stores for $20-40 per day. Rental units are very powerful and capable of cleaning extremely soiled carpets, but they are large, heavy, and challenging to maneuver.

Purchased Carpet Shampooers: These are smaller, lighter units designed for homeowners to buy and use themselves. They are easier to move around but may lack the muscle of rental units for extremely soiled carpets. However, most are sufficient for regular residential use in lightly to moderately soiled homes.

Within the purchased category, there are upright carpet shampooers that look like upright vacuum cleaners, as well as portable spot cleaners designed for small areas.

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Professional Car Upholstery Cleaning

What to Look for in a Purchased Carpet Shampooer

If you plan to buy your carpet shampooer rather than frequently renting, here are some of the key features to consider:

Tank Capacity: Larger tanks mean fewer water changes during use. Aim for at least a 0.75-gallon solution tank and 0.5-gallon recovery tank capacity.

Cleaning Path Width: A wider cleaning path of 10-12 inches will allow you to clean more carpet area with each pass compared to narrower 3-inch paths.

Brush System: Dual brushes that rotate in opposite directions provide a deeper clean than single brushes. Look for models with removable brushes for easy cleaning.

Suction Power: The stronger the suction, the better the machine will extract dirty water from carpets during cleaning. However, stronger suction usually means noisier operation.

Attachments: Upholstery tools, crevice tools, and other accessories expand your carpet shampooer's versatility for cleaning furniture, stairs, and tight spaces.

Weight & Maneuverability: Consider whether you'll need to carry the shampooer up and down stairs. Lighter units under 20 lbs with good wheels are easier to maneuver.

Heating: Some carpet shampooers heat the cleaning solution slightly for improved cleaning power on tough stains and odors.

Drying Time: Faster-drying carpet shampooers use stronger suction to extract more water during the cleaning process.

Our Top Picks for the Best Carpet Shampooers

After evaluating dozens of models, these three stand out as our top recommendations for the best carpet shampooer for home use:

Best Overall: Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Upright Carpet Cleaner

With dual rotating brushes, a 12-inch cleaning path, and tanks large enough to clean an entire home without frequent emptying, the Bissell ProHeat 2X delivers professional-grade cleaning for homeowners. Its innovative heat wave technology maintains consistent heat throughout the cleaning process, which is a major plus for tackling tough stains and odors. The only downside is that it's one of the heavier shampooers on the market at 25 lbs.

Best Budget Pick: Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner

For a fraction of the cost of full-sized shampooers, the Hoover PowerDash is a great compact and portable option. It's designed to handle small-scale jobs like cleaning high-traffic areas, treating stains, or freshening up area rugs. Its dual brush system and heated cleaning provide a solid clean for the price. Just note that its small tank sizes require frequent water changes for large cleaning jobs.

Best for Pets: Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro

If you frequently deal with tough pet stains, hair, and odors in your carpets, the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean is worth the investment. It has all the same great cleaning features as the standard ProHeat 2X but adds built-in professional pet tools like a 2-in-1 upholstery tool, tough stain brush, and hair basket for containing shed fur during cleaning. An antimicrobial pet hair basket filter also helps control odors leaving your carpets smelling fresh.

No matter which carpet shampooer you choose, you'll immediately notice the difference in how clean and revived your carpets look and feel after a deep cleaning session. Say goodbye to dingy, matted carpets for good!