Having a pet in your life is an absolute joy—but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with a few less desirable side effects. Unexpected urine stains on rugs, inside dog crates and all over dog beds? No, thank you. That’s where the best carpet cleaners for pets come into play. These handy devices quickly scrub out messes and stains, leaving fresh, odor-less carpets in their wake. And they’re even—dare we say it?—fun to use. If you enjoy looking at “before” and “after” photos of messy-turned-tidy spaces, you’re going to love wielding one of the best carpet cleaners for pets on the market and turning your home into a magazine-ready space (the devices even pick up dog food stains). Your guests will hardly know you even have a pet.
The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro has a built-in spot-treater to remove stubborn ... [+] stains.
If you’re not already familiar with them, here’s what to know about the best carpet cleaners for pets on the market: For starters, they are quite different from vacuum cleaners. While vacuums focus on sucking up things like dirt, and there are even many vacuums for pet hair, carpet cleaners for pets actually wash your rugs. Yes, these handy devices utilize water along with a specialized cleaning solution to get all of those unsightly stains out of your rugs once and for all. Of course, that means they’re a bit more of an investment—most models will set you back at least $100—so you’re going to want to make sure you choose wisely.
Ahead, find our list of the best carpet cleaners for pets in 2022, which we narrowed down according to features, durability and overall value. Our goal: to make sure you never have to choose between having nice floors and keeping Fido around.
If you’ve got a pet that’s not the best at using the bathroom outside (or simply loves tracking mud indoors), you need a really powerful machine that can scoop up some serious gunk. That’s where the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max comes in. This super intense cleaner is designed to take out even the toughest pet stains and stenches, even promising to remove eau de skunk (yes, really). Enjoy 12 rows of dirt-lifting brushes, each of which promises to get deep into your carpets. There’s also an Express Clean Mode for when you need to get things clean and dry in 30 minutes and a built-in CleanShot pre-treater to help you fight those especially stubborn stains. A pet upholstery tool and tough stain tool keep you armed and ready for the next mess.
It’s rare to get a full-sized quality carpet cleaner for less than $200, but Hoover delivers with this model. It features a special PowerSpin Pet brush roll with antimicrobial-treated brushes to tackle odors, while the cleaner’s HeatForce helps you get dry carpets fast. This cleaner is also lightweight—just 12.5 pounds—making it easy to schlep from room to room. While some carpet cleaners are behemoths, this version is also more on the petite side, making for easy storage.
It’s rarely discussed, but carpet cleaners actually need to be cleaned, too, you know—and that’s where this machine shines. The Spillbuster opens fully so that you can get deep inside and wash and dry it between uses. What’s more, both the collection bowl and nozzle are dishwasher-safe. The handheld cleaner is also completely cordless, making it easy to spot-treat upholstery and select messes. It can even suck up wet and chunky messes with its wide nozzle before scrubbing out stains.
Need a machine that can tackle lots of carpeting at once? Meet the Hoover Power Scrub Elite. This two-tank cleaner offers a 25% larger capacity than the competition to help you clean for longer periods of time without needing to dump gunky water every half hour. The Power Scrub features strong suction and 360-degree brushes that get deep into your carpets to fish out any messes that may be lingering, and its Quick Clean Mode helps you get clean and dry carpets in just 45 minutes. There’s even “automatic detergent mixing,” so you don’t have to do any math before you get to work. An eight-foot hose and pet tool attachment help you get into hard-to-reach spots.
Don’t let the size of Bissell’s Little Green Pet Pro fool you: This device packs some serious power. The cleaner offers up impressive suction and scrubbing action to help work out even the most stubborn of pet stains. But its portability and small size make it easy to use on upholstery, your car and stairs. This handy device also has a Pet Stain Tool that’s specially designed to lift and remove pet messes, along with a Tough Stain Tool and Spraying Crevice Tool. At 14 by 10 inches and just 13 pounds, it’s easy enough to tote around your place.
The Rug Doctor is perfect for tackling stubborn stains head-on. Just tote your cleaner to the stain, set it down and let it do the rest. It delivers intense suction for deep cleaning and can handle upholstery and carpets alike. The device is specially formulated to scrub your carpets without damaging fibers, so you don’t have to stress about possibly replacing rugs that have been repeatedly cleaned. Small wheels and a retractable handle make it easy to move the device from room to room.
We believe the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro is a winning bet, but the best cleaner for you really depends on your personal needs. If you have a small pet who only has occasional “accidents,” a cleaner with a small capacity may be right for you. If, on the other hand, your pet tends to cause frequent stains, a portable, always-at-the-ready option is likely your best bet. You might even be best served by an upright cleaner with a large capacity tank. Typically, brands like Bissell and Hoover are known for their bestselling pet stain-fighting products.
Not too frequently—after all, if you clean your carpets too much, you risk damaging the fibers that make it up. That said, if you need to tackle a stain, you should absolutely use your carpet cleaner; just don’t reach for it when not necessary. It’s also best to vacuum your carpets once or twice a week, and then follow with a cleaner whenever stains arise.
To get pet urine out of your carpets, it’s best to blot up the excess moisture first using a paper towel or cloth. You can then follow with the use of one of the carpet cleaners we’ve shared here to really get out the resulting stain.