Carpet cleaner reviews: How we test
We test how effective carpet cleaners are at removing everyday dirt
How Which? puts carpet cleaners to the test
We go to great lengths to design thorough and rigorous carpet cleaner tests, so our reviews will help you buy the best carpet cleaner for you.
As well as assessing cleaning performance, our carpet cleaner test program covers ease of use, energy consumption and noise to give you the inside track on what each model is like.
Our carpet cleaner scores are made up of 60% performance, 30% ease of use, 10% noise and energy use. Only the very best carpet cleaners are named Best Buys.
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Carpet cleaner features
When it comes to a carpet cleaner's features, we don't just take the manufacturer's word for it - our testers check the credentials of each machine on test.
They measure the length of the carpet cleaner's cord and nozzle, how much water the tank can hold without leaking and how much the machine weighs when the water tank is empty and full.
Instructions are marked for their clarity and testers see what they machine is like to use - how easy it is to assemble, fill and empty the water tank and push the cleaner around.
Carpet cleaning test
We test the performance of each machine on three pieces of soiled carpet. Once the carpet has been cleaned and dried the samples are assessed in the lab, with a machine called a spectrometer (which measures brightness), and by sight to see how clean they are.
Marks are deducted for uneven results, like stripes along the carpet.
We also measure how close to the edge of the room a carpet washer can clean – some models leave quite a gap.
Carpet drying
Some carpet washers are better than others at removing excess water once the floor’s been cleaned.
To check this our carpet samples are weighed before cleaning and then one hour, five hours and 24 hours afterwards to see how much water they're holding, and how long they take to dry.
We test whether carpet cleaners are any good at removing common stains like red wine
Stain removal test
While they're not designed for tackling tough stains, we check how well carpet washers cope with common spills.
Carpet samples are stained with 10ml of red wine, coffee and gravy and left to dry for 24 hours.
The carpet is then cleaned according the carpet cleaner manufacturer instructions and assessed to see how much of the stain has been removed.
Energy and noise
To find out whether a machine will be expensive to run, we measure how much energy each machine uses to clean a set amount of carpet.
A panel of three experts then checks how noisy the carpet cleaner is - and whether the noise is particularly intrusive or irritating.
- Our carpet cleaner reviews will help you choose the best carpet cleaner for you
- Check out our vacuum cleaner reviews
- Read our advice on choosing a new carpet
