The Best Pet Carpet Cleaners

If you are on this page, chances are you love pets just as much as we do. But, let's face it — they're messy as all get-out. Whether you're housebreaking a puppy or have a cat that likes to mark their territory, we'd strongly suggest purchasing a pet carpet cleaner. These miraculous machines dig up debris and neutralize odors, so your home smells nice and fresh. We've found quite the selection, so take a look. You'll be glad you did.

What to Look For

When looking for the best pet carpet cleaner machine, consider the following features: a powerful suction motor that can remove pet hair and dirt, a decent water tank capacity for less-frequent refills, adjustable cleaning settings for different floor types, and a long power cord for extended reach. For example, Bissell’s Pro carpet cleaner works well on regular and shaggy carpeting. It scrubs thoroughly, so you’ll likely remove stains and grime with just one pass. If you’d like something more portable, consider Bissell’s handheld PowerBrush. Read on to learn more about our favorite picks.

Bissell Pro Heat 2X Revolution Pet Pro

Only the best

This industrious carpet cleaner is designed with pet owners; it effortlessly removes the most stubborn and potent stains and odors.
Top Pick

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The Bissell Pro Heat 2X Revolution Pet Pro is a powerful carpet cleaning system that is engineered to tackle the toughest pet stains and odors. It features 12 rows of rotating their patented Dual DirtLifter PowerBrushes that deliver professional-grade cleaning to remove deep stains, caked dirt, and stubborn odors. It also has an Express Clean Mode that when you need your carpet dry sooner rather than later. We especially love the CleanShot pre-treater, which shoots out a potent spray of cleaning solution. Even better, this carpet cleaner is surprisingly lightweight and easy to steer around furniture. If that’s not all, it also includes a bonus 3-inch Tough Stain Tool and 2-in-1 Pet Upholstery Tool to help to remove pet hair, stains, and odors from the furniture. With all these features and accessories, we think the Bissell Pro Heat 2X Revolution Pet Pro is a great choice for pet owners in need of a powerful carpet cleaning system.

Pros:

  • Good for home and commercial use
  • 25 foot cord gives you enough length to move around the room
  • User friendly
  • Reliable for the longterm
  • Works well as a regular carpet cleaner if you don’t have pets

Cons:

  • Works best if you vacuum first

Hoover CleanSlate Plus Pet Carpet Cleaner

Everything you'll need

This carpet cleaner comes with plenty of accessories and flexible hose so you can reach hard to clean spots.
Runner Up

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The Hoover CleanSlate Upholstery Portable Cleaner FH14051 is the perfect tool for tackling the toughest messes. With powerful suction and a range of tools, this cleaner is perfect for removing urine stains, dried mud, and much more. Our favorite feature is the Dual Tank System which holds an impressive 40 ounces of cleaning solution. Depending on the carpet’s size, you won’t need to refill it so quickly. Additionally, the Hose Rinse Tool lets you flush the machine with water and remove any leftover gunk. As a bonus, the set also includes more industrious brushes designed for pet-related messes along with a handy accessory bag. Overall, this cleaner is quick and portable, making it the perfect tool for any job, large or small.

Pros:

  • Works on old stains
  • Flexible hose makes it great for cleaning cars
  • Also ideal for kid messes
  • Seems small, but cleans a surprisingly large amount of square footage
  • Should fit under most sinks

Cons:

  • Suction could be stronger

Hoover PowerDash Pet

Fits anywhere

Cleaning carpets is important, but where do you store the cleaner when you're done? Luckily, this slim model fits in the smallest of places.
Best Compact Design

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The Hoover PowerDash Pet carpet cleaner is ideal for pet owners and those looking to tackle high-traffic areas or small spaces. Featuring HeatForce power, this carpet cleaner helps deliver fast drying times. The lightweight design of the unit is both compact and easy to use while providing powerful cleaning results with its PowerSpin Pet brush roll feature. Additionally, the package includes a useful bonus trial-sized bottle of cleaning solution to further enhance your cleaning performance. We found that the Hoover PowerDash offers about twice the power when compared to other leading brands in the same category. But our favorite feature has to be its compact size. Whether it’s the laundry room or the hallway closet, this carpet cleaner takes up little space.

Pros:

  • Easy to assemble
  • Long power cord
  • Ideal for small homes and apartments
  • Removes an astonishing amount of dirt and grime for its size
  • Especially effective on area rugs

Cons:

  • Hard to clean the brush encasing

Rug Doctor X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner

Heavy duty

This industrial-strength carpet cleaning machine is perfect for multi-pet homes.
Best Commercial Grade

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The Rug Doctor X3 Commercial Carpet Cleaner is ideal for those who want to clean their carpets with professional-grade results. The powerful jets inject cleaning solution deep into the carpet fibers and break down dirt, grime and odors while its triple-action vibrating brush scrubs all sides of each fiber, releasing ingrained crud that other cleaner neglect to remove. It loosens entrenched messes from the deepest layers of fabric in any home, commercial or industrial environment. Plus, its enhanced vacuum motor boasts a suction power so strong that it reduces the drying time. But don’t worry — the carpet cleaner is also CRI Gold Rated, so you know it will be gentle on your carpets without compromising performance.

Pros:

  • Well built and reliable
  • Cleans any mess you throw at it
  • Convenient accessory bag
  • Big but easy to use for beginners
  • Generously-sized tanks

Cons:

  • Very heavy

Bissell Pet Stain Eraser PowerBrush

Cordless convenience

This may be compact, but don't let the size fool you — this little carpet cleaner eliminates stains and odors just as well as larger models.
Best Handheld

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With Bissell’s handheld pet stain cleaner, you can easily access hard-to-reach areas along stairs, upholstery, and car interiors, making it perfect for all those little “oopsies” Fido may have left behind. The brush rotates in a fast motion that scrubs away at stubborn spots. It even comes with the potent OXY cleaning formula, no mixing required. And since it’s cordless, you can take this little guy anywhere. What’s more —every purchase also supports homeless pets through donations towards the BISSELL Pet Foundation.

Pros:

  • Super convenient and lightweight
  • Brush does a good job of scrubbing away stains
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble
  • Works well on car mats and car seats

Cons:

  • Battery life is not that impressive

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a pet carpet cleaner and a regular carpet cleaner?

A pet carpet cleaner is specifically designed to tackle the challenges of pet messes like odors and stains. It usually includes specialized attachments for deep cleaning and also tends to offer more clearing cycle options than a regular carpet cleaner, which typically only offers one or two-cycle settings. Pet carpet cleaners sometimes come with antibacterial solutions that help deodorize carpets while they clean, whereas a regular carpet cleaner will just clean up dirt, debris, and any other surface-level grime without providing extra odor benefits.

Is a pet carpet cleaner worth it?

The value of a pet carpet cleaner varies greatly depending on its features, capabilities, and cost. Generally speaking, if you own multiple pets and want to keep your carpets as clean as possible, then it might be worth investing in one.

About the Author

Jonathan has been a pet lover since his first cat at the age of six. Since then, he's been lucky enough to have many furry friends in his life — from cats, dogs, fish, and everything in between. His goal is to help you find the products you need to make pet ownership all the more fulfilling.

Why Trust Us

Since 2008, CatTime has provided millions of cat owners with all the information they need to keep their pets happy and healthy. Our experts know exactly what it takes to raise our furry friends and our goal is to help all owners, new or experienced, care for their cats with all the right food, toys, equipment, and accessories.