Compare our picks
Others have been tested
Photo: Simon Hill
Hoover HF4 Hydro for £199: For people in the UK who live in apartments or small homes with a mix of carpets and hard floors, this space-saving cordless vacuum and mop from Hoover could be a smart choice. You can get a standard cordless vacuum with about half an hour of battery life, but you can switch the head to a mop. It’s excellent for cleaning hard floors, with a shape that reaches right into corners and two rotating pads to remove stains. But the water tank, located inside the head, is small, the vacuum is only moderately powerful when raised, and battery life drops to just 15 minutes in turbo mode.
Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner, $250: It’s large, but has automatic cleaning and drying cycles – pushing it forward releases the solution and pulling it back to start the drying process. After the entire area is done, you can turn on the dry mode just to get an extra pass if the carpet needs it. The handle comes out with the click of a button, and you can use its separate reservoir with cleaning solution to treat stains before vacuuming. The hose and separate antimicrobial pet tool can clean stairs or any other hard-to-reach areas that need extra anointing. Some customer reviews say it worked well for a few months but then stopped. We’ll keep trying it to see if we encounter this issue. —Media Giordano
BISSELL Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner, $79: If you have landed on the cleaning side Tik TokYou may have seen people cleaning their carpets and furniture with this Little Green machine. This opens up the world of upholstery cleaning as well, not just carpets. It worked well and is easier to store and carry around your home than our top pick. But use the included hose cleaning tool frequently. These hoses can go bad. —Brenda Stolyar
Cleaners we love for hardwood floors
Photo: Simon Hill
Dreame H14 Pro, $380: The Dreame H14 Pro is quite large, but I found it easy to maneuver, and it lays flat to fit under furniture. The handy LED light helps you clearly see what you are cleaning. A full charge proved enough to clean all the hard floors twice, and the result was very shiny. What I love about this vacuum is that it effectively cleans up dry or wet spills, so whether you’re cleaning up cat litter or a spilled cereal bowl, it gets the job done. It’s best for cleaning up recent spills but can remove stubborn stains with repeated passes on ultra mode. When you’re done, you can put it back in the charging base and turn on the self-cleaning mode to sterilize and dry the soft roller (although it is loud and takes a long time). No one wants to install an app or create an account just to use a vacuum, but it does enable you to choose modes and schedule self-cleaning, which can be useful if you want to wait until you go out. —Simon Hill
Shark S5003D Genius Steam Mop, $100: This steam mop is great for cleaning hardwood, tile or hardwood floors (not carpet). Simply fill the water tank, plug it in, and attach one of the mop pads. It has three heat levels, and you can press down to release a blast of steam to remove stubborn stains. There is no need for any cleaner, it is light and easy to maneuver, and does not require a lot of space. The cushion’s clever design enables you to flip it over when one side gets dirty, and the mechanism makes it easy to install, with a button to detach the dirty cushion, which is machine washable. (You get two pads in the box.) I use this mop regularly to clean wood, composite, and tile floors, but you have to be careful with steam, especially on wood or vinyl floors. Test it on the lowest heat setting before going over the entire floor. There are no special accessories or additives here, and it is only suitable for use on hard floors. You’ll also need to empty any remaining water if you don’t plan to use it for a while, otherwise the tank could go bad. —Simon Hill
Karcher SC 3, $164: If your budget can stretch, this is a better option if you want accessories and the option to steam clean surfaces that are hard to reach. and Your hardwood floors. It is good for cleaning the entire kitchen or bathroom without the need for any cleaner or other products. It is effective for cleaning glass and mirrors as well. Only comes with one microfiber cover, not recommended for use on fabrics or carpets. —Simon Hill
Not recommended
Eufy E28 HydroJet Robot Vacuum with Carpet Cleaner, $1,400: I generally like Eufy’s attractive, smart, multi-purpose robot vacuums, and since I have two dogs and two kids, I expected to love a robot vacuum that can also mop hardwood floors and has a detachable carpet cleaner. Unfortunately, the water injection system is wonky. It had to be in the perfect position to get water from the portable carpet cleaner tank (I often had to hold it in place), and every time I wiped it, it kept leaking all over my kitchen floor. At least the carpet cleaner was effective. —Adrien Su
Things to consider when shopping for a carpet cleaner
There’s a lot to think about when shopping for or using a carpet cleaner, such as how much space you’ll need for storage and whether you should rent or buy it. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Carpet cleaners are heavy and bulkyEspecially when filled with water. They can be more difficult to maneuver than regular upright vacuums. They will also need a lot of storage space.
Treat stain-causing spills immediately. Most households only need to wash carpets once every six months to a year, but spot cleaners are ideal for tackling immediate spills, as well as being easy to store and use.
You probably won’t use carpet cleaner very oftenSo, it doesn’t hurt to consider hiring professionals to do your entire home, especially if you have limited storage space. (It can also depend on how dirty and stained the carpet is.) Look for machine rental options from local businesses or retail stores like Home Depot. You will be able to get the benefits of a commercial cleaner without paying a fortune.
Clean your carpet before using a carpet cleaner. This may seem counterintuitive, but you don’t want dirt and hair to form wet clumps that get in the way of the cleaner. And if you haven’t washed your carpets in a while (or at all), be prepared for an embarrassing amount of hairy clogs to fill your dirty water tank.
The carpet shampoo or carpet cleaner you use is important. Manufacturers often insist on using their brand, and while others may work fine, they may void your warranty (although I have no idea how they know that). Most carpet cleaners come with some detergent.
Try, try, and try again. It can be disappointing to run a carpet cleaner and find that it is unable to remove old red wine or ground-up toothpaste stains. Don’t lose heart. Multiple cleaning sessions can sometimes eliminate persistent stains and at least reduce them, if not eliminate them.
Drying your carpets can take a long time. Most carpet cleaners have different settings and will absorb some water, but they all leave carpets a bit damp. Deeper cleanings tend to leave carpets damp, so think about how you can speed up the drying time. Use fans, turn on the heat, or vacuum carpets in the spring and summer months when you can leave the windows open.
Protect your hearing. Of all the ways you can damage your hearing, carpet cleaner is probably the least fun, so protect your ears. Some of these sounds are quite loud, so Wear earplugs While you work.
Enjoy unlimited access to Wired. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe today.
https://media.wired.com/photos/68e9b87ec0302e94e78e3629/191:100/w_1280,c_limit/Update-%20The%20Best%20Carpet%20Cleaners.png
Source link