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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.
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Last updated: February 2024
Watch our quick carpet cleaner buying guide video to help you know what to consider:
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.
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.
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
The main things to consider when buying a carpet cleaner are:
Other handy features to consider are:
Are you trying to remove tough stains from your carpet without the machine? Read our expert guide on the best carpet stain removers.
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.
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.