9 best portable carpet cleaners for your home
Easily remove the most stubborn stains on rugs, carpets and upholstery with our roundup of the best portable carpet cleaners.
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A knocked-over glass of red wine, a spilt bowl of soup, a splatter of tomato sauce, kids with pens, even pet stains — accidents like these are inevitable. But that’s where portable carpet cleaners come to the rescue, working quickly and easily to remove all evidence of your worst spills and stains.
WHAT IS A PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER?
While vacuums remove dust and debris, a portable carpet cleaner is used to remove stains and spills on carpets, rugs and upholstery.
They are more compact compared to an upright carpet cleaner (which is best suited for deep cleaning an entire room or large rug), making them perfect for tackling small messes. Because of their petite size, you’re able to use them in all kinds of tiny spaces like the stairs, car seats, your couch and under furniture. It’s perfect for solving the majority of everyday accidents.
General speaking, portable carpet cleaners work by filling the tank with hot tap water and cleaning solution, then spraying the mixture onto the affected area and scrubbing to lift the stain. The suction from the machine then draws the dirt and liquid out and deposits this into a separate tank.
Here, we’ve rounded up the best portable carpet cleaners that suit a range of budgets and specific types of situations.
TOP-RATED PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER
Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner 1400B, Amazon, $429.59
A few seconds into your search for the best portable carpet cleaner, you’ll quickly realise Bissell is the dominating brand that has a machine fit for every budget, purpose and lifestyle. Of course, several Bissell portable carpet cleaners have made it into this roundup but it’s their OG Little Green machine that consumers just can’t get enough of. As evident from the 26,600 (and counting) five-star reviews on Amazon alone, this is the pick you don’t need to think twice about if you want a reliable, powerful and compact cleaner that’ll lift away messes, big and small, from carpets, upholstery, car interiors, mattresses and more. It has two removable tanks: one for freshwater and cleaning solution, and another for capturing dirty water. What especially gives this pick its gold status is its durability and simplicity to assemble. Plus, after reading plenty of reviews, it’s even made cleaning “fun” and “addictive” for some (no, we’re not joking).
BEST OVERALL PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER
Bissell SpotClean Carpet Cleaner, The Good Guys, $249
While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Bissell’s Little Green number, this SpotClean is a favourite of ours for several reasons. Not only does it look more modern but it weighs slightly less at just 3.86kg yet has roughly the same tank capacity (1.09 litres) and a long 4.5m cord length. Reviewers have raved about how simple it is to spot clean a variety of different surfaces.
One person summed it up, saying: “My car smells new, my couches get the odd touch up also keeping the armrest fresh, and any spills on carpets the Bissell works a treat for a quick rescue. It’s easy to transport around, instructions go well, simple set up and easy to clean.”
Surprising how much dirt it pulls out of material. Have used it on car seats, carpet and lounge and works well on all.”
And last but definitely not least, it’s also more affordable than the Little Green, which definitely gets a big tick of approval.
BEST BUDGET PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER
Vax Platinum SpotWasher, The Good Guys, $199
It’s pretty rare to find a portable carpet cleaner on the market that comes in under $100 (and if you do, there’s a very high chance it won’t exactly work wonders), which is why this one from Vax is the most affordable option without sacrificing on quality in the slightest. The unit weighs in at only 3.9kg, has a powerful 400W motor and features dual tank technology with a large 1.5 litre clean water tank and one litre dirty water tank. Bang for your buck, if you ask us.
BEST PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER FOR CARS
Black+Decker Spillbuster Cordless Carpet Cleaner, Amazon, $233.16
Weighing in at a mere 1.8kg, this cordless (we repeat: cordless!) Black+Decker cleaner features an extra wide mouth and powered rotating brush that can suck up solid and wet messes in your car like coffee, wine (no one’s judging), overnight oats or your pet’s muddy pawprints. It runs for 30 minutes on a single charge and unlike the majority of portable carpet cleaners, you can use any brand of cleaning solution. The tank and nozzle are also dishwasher–safe so it’s definitely one of the easiest to maintain, too.
BEST COMPACT PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER
Hoover PowerDash GO Portable Spot Cleaner, Amazon, $226.08
If you want something more powerful than a cordless cleaner but don’t have the cupboard space for anything too bulky or heavy, this one from Hoover will have your back. It weighs just under three kg and is only 38cm tall, so you can neatly stash it away under your kitchen or laundry sink. It comes with a trial-sized solution so you may want to purchase the full-size one while you’re at it if you find yourself cleaning stains on the reg.
BEST PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER FOR PET STAINS
Bissell 2006F Stain Eraser Pet Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, Appliances Online, $160
We weren’t joking when we said Bissell makes a machine of every size imaginable — and they very well know having a pet is an absolute delight but cleaning up after them is a nightmare. Their completely cordless 2006F model features a specially made Circle Brush for focused cleaning on carpet and tough stains, as well as a Straight Brush for upholstery. As the Stain Eraser works to lift and remove any stains, it also lifts any odours for a fresher-smelling home for you and your fur babies. Another top pet cleaner contender is the Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner (available on Amazon), which is perfect if you prefer a larger and more powerful device.
BEST PROFESSIONAL PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER
Britex Carpet Cleaner BR-11, Catch, $1,500
Portable carpet cleaners are designed to clean patches or a small rug but they’re not intended to be used for entire rooms (unless you want to spend a few hours doing so). So, if you know you’ll be giving your home a thorough clean every now and then, your best bet is to invest a little more cash into a bigger and heavyweight (but not too heavy) machine like the BR-11. This popular DIY cleaning system that’s approved by the National Asthma Council Australia, utilises the highly effective method of hot water injection and super strong vacuum suction to remove 99 per cent of dirt from your carpet and upholstery while reducing dust mites, pollen, allergens and bad odours. Although the price tag may seem intimidating, just think about how much money you’ll be saving in the long run without needing to hire professional cleaning services over and over again.
BEST QUICK DRYING PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER
Wertheim SE2000 Extractor Carpet Shampooer, Catch, $179
The last thing you want is a carpet cleaner that leaves your rug, carpet or upholstery damp, which is a breeding ground for mould. That’s why the Wertheim SE2000 wins big brownie points — not only does it feature a powerful rotating brush bar that lifts and cleans the finest of carpet fibres but it also has an on-board extractor that swiftly removes moisture immediately after shampooing, therefore speeding up drying time.
WHAT IS THE BEST PORTABLE CARPET CLEANER?
The best portable carpet cleaner will depend on your individual needs and what you’ll be using it for. Below are key factors to consider when purchasing the best one for you:
• Size and weight: Portable carpet cleaners are all compact but you can get ones smaller than others. Think about the storage space you have, how big the spills you’ll be cleaning up and what weight is easy for you to carry around. Just keep in mind that the smaller the design, the smaller the motor will be. If you’re wanting to clean a large area, it would be more convenient to purchase a large carpet cleaner as these are more powerful and have a bigger tank capacity.
• Battery life: If you have a cordless design, you don’t want your device to only last a few minutes before it needs to be recharged. Ideally, you want a device that lasts at least 30 minutes on one charge.
• Nozzles and attachments: The best portable carpet cleaners will be able to remove the toughest stains like grease and dye. Ensure the main cleaning nozzle has stiff brushes as this works best to agitate stains. The suction power will also need to be powerful to pick up as much dirty cleaning solution as possible while also reducing drying time. If you’re unsure about a machine’s suction power, read consumer feedback for honest reviews.
• Simplicity: Portable carpet cleaners are designed to be easy to use and work quickly. Does it have separate water tanks for clean and dirty water? How easy is it to empty these tanks? Could you operate the machine easily without reading the manual? Do you want a corded or cordless design?
• Price: Everyone’s budget will differ but generally speaking, the more you pay for a portable carpet cleaner, the better the quality will be.
WHAT SOLUTION DO YOU USE FOR A CARPET CLEANER?
Your portable carpet cleaner should come with specific instructions on a safe solution you can use with your machine to clean stains and spills, or some will even come with their own pre-made solutions.
On the search for more genius cleaning appliances? Check out our rounded up of the best robot mops to take sweeping and mopping off your to-do list. Plus, the best handheld vacuums that make cleaning up faster and easier. You’ll also want to make sure you get the best price on every purchase by visiting news.com.au Coupons, where you’ll find all the best deals on top brands.
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