Carpet cleaner reviews: Features explained
Most carpet cleaners are upright and look similar to traditional vacuum cleaners
There are two main types of carpet cleaner, so it’s important to choose the right one to meet your needs.
A carpet washer will clean your carpets using warm water and detergent, whereas a multi-function cleaner – sometimes known as a wet and dry vacuum - can vacuum as well as wash.
Carpet washers
How they work
Warm water and detergent are sprayed on to the carpet. Brushes on the bottom of the machine then scrub the carpet and a vacuum sucks away the dirty water.
Brushes and rollers
Brushes on the bottom of the cleaner help push water and detergent deep into the pile of the carpet and help to pick up dirt.
If your budget allows look for models with a motor-powered brush, which helps loosen ground-in dirt. These either rotate or move from side to side.
Hoses and nozzles
Better carpet washers come with an extendable hose and nozzles to clean upholstery and along the edges of a room. Some have motorised brushes (see above). Nozzle attachments are also great at sucking up spills.
Hard floor cleaning
Many machines can be used on hard floors such as lino and tiles. You can search for this feature in our main carpet washer reviews.
Upright and cylinder designs
Most carpet washers are upright and look similar to traditional upright vacuum cleaners. But you can find cylinder models too – we've tested both types.
Multi-function cleaners
Multi-function wet and dry cleaners come in a cylinder design
How they work
All multi-function machines we’ve tested are cylinder models – this means that you pull the tank across the floor and clean the carpet with the extendable hose and cleaning head.
An attachment to the hose sprays the carpet with water and detergent. This kind of cleaner doesn’t come with powered brushes so carpets are cleaned by dragging the cleaning head over the area being treated.
Dirty water is sucked back into the tank using the vacuum function.
Hard floor cleaning
A couple of the multi-function machines we’ve tested have a hard floor attachment, making them suitable for tile or lino floors.
Dry vacuuming
Multi-function cleaners can also be used as a normal vacuum. This is handy if cupboard space is tight, although in general performance isn’t as good as a standalone vacuum cleaner.
Switching between washing and vacuuming
In most cases switching between the wet and dry mode on a multi-function machine takes time. Some machines have removable water tanks, others need you to remove the dust bag and attach a water pipe before you can wash your carpets.
Carpet cleaner features to consider
Cleaning area
The wider the machine’s cleaning area the more of your carpet will be cleaned with each sweep.
Some machines have thick plastic sides which means cleaning brushes can't reach up to the skirting board. We measure how close to the edge of a room each cleaner can reach in our tests.
Carpet cleaner brushes help loosen dirt and grime
Machine weight
If you’ll be using your machine upstairs you need to make sure it’ll be comfortable to carry. Some machines let you remove the water tank, which reduces the weight. You can filter our reviews by weight.
Cord length
If you’ll be cleaning large rooms, check the length of the washer’s cord will meet your needs. Our reviews include the cord length, so you can compare suitable models.
Detergent dosing
Some machines require you to measure out detergent, then add it to the water tank. Others have a separate tank for detergent and add it to the water automatically while washing.
Storage space
You’ll save space with a multi-function cleaner, as you won’t need a separate vacuum. But choose your model carefully, as vacuuming performance generally won’t match that of a decent stand-alone vac.
- Check out our carpet cleaner reviews
- Find out more about carpet stain removers
- Read our guide on the best vacuum cleaner brands
