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Best carpet stain removers 2025, tested and reviewed
The best carpet stain removers can be a lifesaver. Many of us have been there, and witnessed that moment when time slows down and a glass of red wine tumbles and splashes across your light carpet.
We've tested products from well-known carpet cleaner brands such as Dyson, 1001, Rug Doctor, Vanish, Dr. Beckmann and more to see how easily they tackle tough stains such as red wine, turmeric-packed curry, black coffee and tomato ketchup.
We found two standout Best Buys that got rid of stains in a flash, one of which is a Great Value buy that clean carpets quickly for less.
We also tested how the carpet stain removers you can buy fared against home remedies for getting rid of carpets stains, including hydrogen peroxide, bicarbonate of soda and Fairy washing-up liquid.
How our tests find you the best
Cleaning stains
No one wants to spend all day repeatedly scrubbing their carpet. That’s why we clean over 50 stains to find removers that will shift stains in one go!
Smell
Fed up stinky stain removers? We sniff out the most pleasant smelling products so your carpets will be fresh and stain-free.
Ease of use
From how hard you need to scrub to how long you have to wait between cleans - we take everything into consideration so you don’t have to.
The best carpet stain removers
Only logged-in Which? members can view the carpet stain removers test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Carpet stain remover | Price | Score | Effectiveness of dried red wine stains | Effectiveness on dried curry stains | Effectiveness on dried ketchup stains | Odour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableFull Access first month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time. Already a member? Log in | 97% | |||||
| 96% | ||||||
| 76% | ||||||
| 75% | ||||||
| 74% | ||||||
| 73% | ||||||
| 73% | ||||||
| 73% | ||||||
| 71% | ||||||
| 70% | ||||||
| 70% |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations
Unlock tableFull Access first month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time.
Already a member? Log in
Date tested: February 2025. Page last checked: April 2025. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
*Combined average on odour results across the cleaning of curry, ketchup and red wine.
The carpet stain removers we tested
All the carpet stain removers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best carpet stain removers from our tests
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
1001 Carpet Stain Remover
Need to know Massage the foam into the stained area from the outside towards the centre with a damp colourfast cloth or sponge. Vacuum the treated area again when dry. It doesn't come with a brush or cloth.
Astonish Specialist Carpet & Upholstery Spray
Need to know Spray and clean. It doesn't come with a brush or cloth.
Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover
Need to know Before first use, unscrew the brush head and pierce a small 2mm hole in the seal. Screw on the brush, remove loose dirt, apply the foam to the stain, leave for three minutes, dab off residues with a damp cloth, and rinse the brush. It has a built-in brush.
Ecover Stain Remover
Need to know Apply liquid to stain sparingly. Work in liquid with the built-in brush.
Ecozone Carpet Shampoo
Need to know Dilute the solution up to 1:10 for spot cleaning stains. For larger areas or to use with a carpet cleaner machine, dilute up to 1:8. It doesn't come with a brush or cloth.
See our reviews of the best cleaning sprays, including bathroom, kitchen and all-purpose cleaning sprays
HG Stain Spray Extra Strong
Need to know Spray the stains with HG stain remover spray and leave to work for a few minutes. Wipe off the released dirt with a clean and absorbent cloth. It doesn't come with a brush or cloth.
OzKleen Carpet Power Stain Remover
Need to know Spray Carpet Power directly onto stain. Leave for a few minutes and then gently work from outer stain to centre with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. It doesn't come with a brush or cloth.
Rug Doctor Oxy Power Stain Remover
Need to know Shake the spray bottle well and generously apply. Wait for three to five minutes. Gently blot the stain away. It doesn't come with a brush or cloth.
Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner
Need to know Shake the can well and spray the foam solution onto the stain. Wait a few seconds before cleaning. It has a built-in brush.
The Pink Stuff The Miracle Foaming Carpet & Upholstery Stain Remover
Need to know Spray on a stained or soiled area and leave to work for five minutes. Blot excess from the fabric or carpet using a clean colourfast cloth. Once dry, vacuum the carpet. Some packages are sold with cloths and gloves.
Vanish Gold Oxi Action Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner
Need to know Spray on stain and leave for a maximum of five minutes. Blot the stain and remove excess product using a clean cloth. It doesn't come with a brush or cloth.
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How we test carpet stain removers
For all of the carpet stain remover products and home remedies, we follow a strict set of tests.
For these tests, we take 50 x 50cm carpet tiles and split them into zones. Each zone is used for a stain – one of each type of stain for each product and home remedy being examined.
We buy all the carpet stain removers we test.
We regularly revisit the carpet stain removers on sale to see if there are any more popular products that need testing. If there are, we test them.
Types of stain used
- coffee
- curry
- red wine
- tomato ketchup.
Fresh stains are cleaned within five minutes of application, while dried stains are left overnight. Each stain is assessed on the following factors:
- Cleaning This is the most important test. Each product and home remedy is given four chances to remove the stain. After each clean, the zone is examined to see how visible the stain is. The cleaned stains are also checked once dry to see if any reappear.
- Ease of use We record how much elbow grease and repeat applications are needed to clean off the stain with each of the products and home remedies.
- Odour We smell each stain zone after it's cleaned. Each is ranked from least odorous to most.
The best carpet stain removers can remove the toughest stains in one attempt, whereas the worst will leave you exhausted from scrubbing, needing all four attempts and even then, the stain remains an eyesore.
Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
Best carpet stain remover home remedies
Wondering how to remove stains from a carpet when you don't have a bottle of the tested cleaners handy? Does vinegar and baking soda remove old stains from carpet?
As well as testing carpet stain removers you can buy in a bottle or can, we also subjected popular home remedies you might find when you search online for 'best carpet stain removers' to the same strict tests.
Washing-up liquid and water
We used Fairy Platinum Quick Wash washing-up liquid and warm tap water. We put one squirt of soap (about a teaspoon) in 100ml of warm water.
Our verdict This worked every time and was the best of the home remedies we tested. Although it needed a lot of elbow grease, it outdid many of the products on test too.
The soap smell was much nicer than the fragrance of the commercial products. It also dried the quickest (but still took more than 12 hours).
If you don't have the correct spray to hand and you've got a fresh stain that needs tackling, this is definitely the home remedy to go for.
Hydrogen peroxide
We used a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution neat, applying two tablespoons to the stain.
Our verdict This works, but the smell is awful and lingers, so much so that you need to wash it out with soap and water.
We didn't notice any bleaching from it on our light-grey carpet tiles.
White wine
White wine shifts red wine stains, or that's what the received wisdom says anyway. We set out to see if this was true.
We used La Vieille Ferme white wine.
Our verdict It took two helpings of white wine to remove both the dried and fresh red wine stains. The white wine didn't need much in the way of scrubbing between pouring. It was like it got rid of the stain on its own.
But the wine smell left behind then needed dealing with.
If you don't have a cleaning product in the cupboard, then we'd say go for the white wine. However, to save yourself the job of an extra clean to remove the smell, use soap for cleaning and save the wine for drinking.
Vinegar
We used distilled vinegar neat, applying three tablespoons to the stain.
Our verdict Like most of the home remedies we tried, vinegar works, but also like most of the home remedies, the smell left behind then needed cleaning up.
Save yourself the hassle of a second clean to get rid of the smell and just stick to soap and water or one of our Best Buys.
Bicarbonate of soda
We tried two different bicarb mixes for these tests. One with warm water and one with vinegar. With both mixes we sprinkled the bicarbonate of soda over the stain, fully covering it. Then we poured over the liquid until the stains were drenched.
Our verdict If you ever did the volcano experiment at school you know how this goes. It's very visually impressive. That said, don't use bicarbonate of soda to clean red wine stains. When we tried it, it appeared to react with the wine stain and we were left with a large patch of carpet with a blue tinge.
It did, however, work on the curry stains, proving slightly more effective with vinegar. The downside to using vinegar is the smell, so you'll need to clean the scent out afterwards.
How to remove stains from carpet
As lead researcher for our carpet stain removers testing, I've spent hours scrubbing away at coffee, curry, red wine and tomato ketchup stains. More than 50 carpet stains and some serious elbow grease later, here's what I've learned about shifting tough stains:
- Apply the carpet stain remover to the stain and not your sponge or cloth, especially for old stains. Then use your cleaning tool (I found a sponge to be the most effective) to work the stain remover deep into the fibres of the carpet.
- Let the carpet spray sit on the stain for a while as it needs time to work into it. For dried-on stains that you weren't able to tackle straight away, let it sit for five minutes before you start scrubbing. Fresh stains may only need a minute or two.
- If it's more of a liquid stain, wait for it to dry a little or you risk smearing the stain.
- Scrub from the outside of the stain into the centre to avoid spreading the stain even more.
- Check the stain the next day. Your carpet may look clean but some stains have a tendency to reappear once the spray has completely dried. You may find that really tough stains need a couple of reapplications to shift them.