Best carpet cleaners 2024: Which? Best Buys and expert buying advice

Expert tips on how to choose the best carpet cleaner for lifting muck and leaving carpets fresh and bright again.
Hardeep ChannaResearcher & writer
Lifestyle-5

A good-quality carpet cleaner can give your carpets a new lease of life and keep them looking spic and span. 

But as well as making sure you get one that does the job right, it's also worth thinking about whether it's the right fit for your home. Some are large and bulky, and will be a struggle to carry upstairs or store, others have features that aim to make regular cleaning easier, or tackle tough everyday spills.

They can cost hundreds of pounds, so use our guide to see our top recommendations and get the lowdown on the useful features to look out for.


For a cheaper alternative, find out which carpet stain removers removed tough stains including red wine, chocolate and curry in our tests.


The best carpet cleaners for 2024

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    • best buy
    • Deep refresh
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    • best buy
    • Deep refresh
    • Drying carpets
    • Ease of use
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Last updated: February 2024

Video: how to buy the best carpet cleaner

Watch our quick carpet cleaner buying guide video to help you know what to consider:

Types of carpet cleaner

Carpet Cleaners

These spray water and detergent on your carpets, scrub them and then suck dirty water back up into the machine. Some also have attachments for cleaning hard floors. They aren't designed to pick up debris and loose dirt, so you'll need to vacuum carpets first before cleaning for the best results.

Multi-function, or two-in-one cleaners

These usually have a dry vacuuming function as well as a washing mode, so you don't need to get out two gadgets when it's time to do the cleaning. You'll save on storage space too. 

However, they don't tend to vacuum as effectively as a standalone vacuum cleaner. Some just spray water onto carpets and don't do any scrubbing either, which means they can be less good at washing carpets too.

See our pick of the best vacuum cleaners.

How much do I need to spend on a carpet cleaner?

Carpet cleaners typically cost between £75 and £350, and our tests show that it's worth spending more than the bare minimum to ensure you get a model you can rely on.

Most carpet cleaners we've tested that cost less than £125 have failed to make an impact in our lab tests.

Spending more doesn't guarantee pristine carpets though. We've tested pricey carpet cleaners costing hundreds of pounds that do an awful job of lifting grime and leave carpets grubby.

To avoid disappointment and to get the best for your budget, check our carpet cleaner reviews to find out which carpet cleaners we recommend

What are the most useful carpet cleaner features?

The main things to consider when buying a carpet cleaner are:

  1. Weight - some models are really heavy and large. If you're short on storage space, or have lots of stairs, look for a lightweight and compact model.
  2. Type of carpet - how often you should wash your carpets depends on the type. Check the manufacturer's instructions to ensure a carpet cleaner is suitable.
  3. How dirty your carpets get - high traffic households, such as those with pets, smokers or children, may need more frequent cleaning.

Other handy features to consider are:

  • Quick-dry mode - this setting uses less water for a lighter clean and faster drying times, typically within an hour. It's good if you want to do regular light cleans to keep on top of grime.
  • Auto-mix - some carpet cleaners mix the water and detergent automatically, saving you time.
  • Crevice tool - for cleaning in narrow spaces and tight corners.
  • Detergent spray - used to pre-treat tough stains before washing.
  • Dry vacuuming - a feature of multi-function cleaners, to pick up debris before washing.
  • Handheld scrub brush - for cleaning stairs, upholstery and other carpeted surfaces.
  • Water tank heater - to increase the effectiveness of washing by keeping the water warm.

Are you trying to remove tough stains from your carpet without the machine? Read our expert guide on the best carpet stain removers.

Carpet cleaner hire - sometimes the cheapest option

If you'd prefer not to shell out on a carpet cleaner to keep, or simply want to try before you buy, you can hire one instead.

The Rug Doctor Wide Track Machine is one of the rentable models and costs around £30 to hire for 48 hours (correct as of February 2024).

For an additional £11, you can buy a litre of Rug Doctor carpet detergent, which they say is enough to clean up to two rooms as well as protect them against future spills. Note, the company insists that you should avoid other branded detergents when using their products. 

The Rug Doctor is available to hire from stores across the UK including Asda, Homebase, B&Q, Morrisons, Johnsons Cleaners, Tesco, the Co-operative and the Range.

See how well the rental Rug Doctor and other Rug Doctor carpet cleaners do in our Rug Doctor carpet cleaner reviews.

Can carpet cleaners be used on hard floors?

Some carpet cleaners can be used on hard floors, but make sure you check the specification before you buy if you want one that can be used on multiple surfaces.

It's important not to use carpet washers or multi-function machines on unsealed laminate or wooden floors though, as these surfaces can be damaged by the water.

Now find the perfect carpet cleaner for you by checking out our carpet cleaner reviews.