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Photography: Simon Hill
Hoover HF4 Hydro for £199: For UK residents living in flats or small homes with a combination of carpet and hard flooring, this space-saving cordless vacuum cleaner and mop from Hoover could be a smart choice. You get a standard cordless stick vacuum with about half an hour of battery life, but you can swap out the mopping head. It’s great for cleaning hard floors, with a shape that reaches into corners and two rotating pads for removing stains. But the water tank, contained within the head, is small, the vacuum only has moderate lifting power, and battery life drops to just 15 minutes in turbo mode.
Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner for $250: It’s bulky, but it has automatic cleaning and drying cycles: pushing it forward releases the solution and pulling it back starts the drying process. Once you’ve checked the entire area, you can turn on just the drying mode for an extra pass if the carpet needs it. The handle comes off with the click of a button, and you can use its separate tank with a cleaning solution to treat stains before vacuuming. A hose and a separate antimicrobial pet tool can clean stairs or any other hard-to-reach areas that need more effort. Some customer reviews say that it worked fine for a few months but then it shorted out. We’ll keep trying to see if we run into that problem. —Medea Giordano
Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner for $79: If you’ve made it to the cleaning side of TikTok, you’ve probably seen people cleaning their carpets and furniture with this Little Green machine. This also opens up the world of cleaning upholstery, not just carpets. It worked well and is easier to store and transport around the house than our top pick. But use the included hose cleaning tool frequently. These hoses can become unsightly. —Brenda Stolyar
Cleaners we like for hard floors
Photography: Simon Hill
Dream H14 Pro for $380: The Dreame H14 Pro is quite large, but I found it easy to maneuver and can lay flat to get under furniture. A convenient LED headlight helps you clearly see what you’re cleaning. A full load was enough to wash all my hard floors twice and the result was super shiny. What I love about this vacuum is that it effectively cleans dry or wet spills, so whether you’re cleaning up cat litter or a spilled bowl of cereal, it works. It’s best for cleaning recent spills, but can remove tough stains with repeated passes in Ultra mode. When you’re done, you can return it to the charging base and activate self-cleaning mode to sterilize the soft roller and dry it (although it’s noisy and time-consuming). No one wants to install an app or create an account just to use a vacuum, but it lets you choose modes and schedule self-cleaning, which could be useful if you want it to wait until you go out. —Simon Hill
Shark S5003D Genius Steam Mop for $100: This steam mop is ideal for cleaning hardwood, tile or laminate floors (not carpet). Simply fill the water tank, plug it in, and attach one of the mop pads. It has three heat levels and presses down to release a jet of steam for tough stains. It does not need detergent, is light, maneuverable and does not require much space. The pad’s clever design allows you to turn it over when one side is dirty, and the mechanism makes it easy to put on, with a button to remove the dirty pad, which is machine washable. (The box includes two pads). I use this mop regularly to clean laminate, composite, and ceramic floors, but you should be careful when using steam, especially on wood or vinyl floors. Try it on the lowest temperature before going over the entire floor. There are no special accessories or extras here and it is only suitable for use on hard floors. You should also empty the remaining water if you don’t plan to use it for a while, or the tank may go bad. —Simon Hill
Karcher SC 3 for $164: If your budget can stretch, this option is best if you want accessories and the option to steam clean harder-to-reach surfaces. and your hard floors. It is used for a complete cleaning of the kitchen or bathroom without the need for detergents or other products. It is also effective for cleaning glass and mirrors. It only comes with a microfiber cover and is not recommended for use on fabrics or carpets. —Simon Hill
Not recommended
Eufy E28 HydroJet Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Carpet Cleaner for $1,400: Overall, I love Eufy’s attractive, smart, multi-purpose robotic vacuums, and since I have two dogs and two kids, I expected to love a robotic vacuum that could also mop hardwood floors and had a detachable carpet cleaner. Unfortunately, the water injection system does not work. It has to be perfectly positioned to get water out of the portable carpet cleaner’s tank (I often had to tap it into place), and every time I mopped, it constantly dripped all over the kitchen floor. At least the carpet cleaner was effective. —Adrienne So
Things to consider when purchasing a carpet cleaner
There is a lot to think about when purchasing or using a carpet cleaner, such as how much space you will need for storage and whether you should rent or buy it. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Carpet cleaners are heavy and bulky.especially when it is full of water. They can be more difficult to maneuver than regular upright vacuum cleaners. They will also need plenty of storage space.
Immediately address spills that cause stains. Most homes only need to wash carpets once every six months to a year, but spot cleaners are ideal for dealing with immediate spills, plus they’re easier to store and use.
You probably don’t use a carpet cleaner often.So it’s okay to consider hiring professionals to take care of your entire home, especially if you have limited storage space. (It may also depend on how dirty and stained your carpets are.) Look for options to rent a machine from local businesses or retail stores like Home Depot. You will be able to get the benefits of a commercial cleaner without paying a fortune.
Clean your carpet before using a carpet cleaner. This may seem counterintuitive, but you don’t want dirt and hair to form wet clumps that block the cleanser. And if you haven’t washed your rugs in a while (or ever), prepare for an embarrassing amount of hairy clogs to fill your dirty water tank.
The carpet shampoo or detergent you use is important. Manufacturers often insist that you use their brand, and while other types may work fine, it may void your warranty (although I have no idea how they would know that). Most carpet cleaners come with some detergent.
Try, try and try again. It can be disappointing to turn on a carpet cleaner and find that it is unable to remove that old red wine or ground-up toothpaste stain. Don’t be discouraged. Sometimes several cleaning sessions can remove established stains and at least reduce them, if not eliminate them.
Drying your carpets can take a long time. Most carpet cleaners have different settings and absorb some of the water, but they all leave the carpets a little damp. Deeper cleanings tend to leave carpets wet, so think about how to speed up drying time. Use fans, turn on the heat, or clean the carpet in the spring and summer months when you can leave the windows open.
Protect your hearing. Of all the ways you can damage your hearing, cleaning carpets is perhaps the least fun, so protect your ears. Some of them are very loud, so wear earplugs while working.
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