The 10 Best Carpet Steam Cleaner in 2023

Having carpet in your house can be a perfect example of a classic human dilemma of a love-hate relationship. It can be termed as something they value so much that they start to despise its existence. Though it does not particularly apply to a mere mundane object like the carpet, it’s pretty close to the ballpark. The reasons? You tell me! Most of the time, it is our little furry pets in the house or avian ones who cannot resist the charm of the rugs and frequently take their liberty to attain their natural calls on the carpet.

The reasons why you will start to hate it are endless. They will make your allergies get worse, have a constant lousy odor, and whatnot? Does it sound like a disaster? Well, not if you get a steam cleaner! Don’t believe me? You don’t have to! But steam cleaners are one of the best cleaners you can get for your carpet. It will clean it, get rid of all the dust and dirt, and best of all, it will sanitize the life out of all the germs and bacteria of your carpet!

Top Carpet Steam Cleaner Buying Guide

The best carpet steam cleaner will have a few features that will compel you to buy it without a second thought. What are those features? Let’s discuss this in detail.

Portable

You will have carpets and rugs all over your house, so you will have to carry or at least drag it around the house. If you live in a duplex, you have stairs to take and might actually have carpeted stairs. A portable, lightweight carpet cleaner will be the apt choice for you to clean every single stair one by one. You can carry it without any struggle and concentrate on the dirt embedded on the carpet more.

Corded

You don’t know how long you will need the steam cleaner to clean the carpets. If you are doing one or two in one session, cordless ones will work just fine. But we prefer corded ones as they will not limit your work hours. If a carpet is too dirty, you can wash it as long as you want and will not have to stop cleaning and get back to charge the steam cleaner.

Quick Steaming

Make sure to buy steam cleaners that steam up quickly. That will save your time further. It should be as convenient and quick as pouring water into the water tank, installing it in the cleaner machine, and plugging it in. And the moment it’s plugged in, the cleaner starts heating the water and produces steam within 20-30 seconds.

Powerful Steam

You must expect powerful steam that doesn’t cross the fine line of harshness and tolerance. Also, not every time you need potent vapor. So better to get a steam cleaner that allows you to use steam in different modes. Sometimes mild and sometimes very powerful.

Quick Drying

A steam cleaner is known to clean the carpet thoroughly. Thus the carpet remains damp for extra hours. If it has a quick-drying feature, then you can save yourself from waiting those extra hours and worrying about dirt gathering up and adhering to the wet carpet and also the moisture weakening the carpet within.

Sanitizing

Most of the steam cleaner kills germs and bacteria and sanitizes the carpets. But you must choose one that kills 98-99% germs and bacteria from the carpet. Some steam cleaners can eliminate 99.99%. Those are even better. Only cleaning a dirt spot is never enough for ensuring a safe ambiance, especially when you have pets and kids in your house. The steam cleaner must kill all the harmful factors and put a stop to growing ones. While sanitizing, the steam cleaners use water, yet cleans it, brings its original color back, and proffers a fresh smell. Choose the steam cleaner that does it all that we just mentioned.

Tools and Attachments

One does not need very many tools and attachments to clean the carpet. A good-sized tool with a soft textured pad is enough to clean it. But if it comes with extra tools like a crevice tool, small round brushes, a nozzle, an extra-long cord, and a hose to reach the furthest corner without struggle, you must prefer buying that unit.

What is the best carpet steam cleaner, and How it works?

When it comes to the best carpet steamer, we have a favorite. As our discussion suggests, it is the Bissell 3624 Spot Cleans Carpet Steamer. The main reason for it to be so good as a carpet cleaner is that it is very light and can be carried anywhere. Also, it is corded so you can c

lean your carpet as long as you want to. No break, no time to waste, just continuous carpet cleaning, be it in the hall, the stairs, and carpets in the bedrooms upstairs.

How it works

Bissell 3624 is basically a combo of moisture, suction, and heat. You have a water tank at the back to fill with hot water and a cleaning solution. So, first, fill it with hot water and pour a cap full of cleaning solution in it.

Tanks and Tools

The dirty water you will get in a large quantity goes straight to the large tank at the front. You have two tools, a standard 6” stair tool and a 3” scrub tool to remove tough stains. The 6-inch one is large, cleans a carpet faster, and the 3-inch one has better suction power due to its compact size. Both have gentle but firm bristles, so the carpet will be well cleaned, but each fiber will be safe.

Start The Machine

So, what you do is plug in the long power cord, attach either of the tools to the hose nozzles, fill the tank with water and solution. Hold the tool handle a few inches away on the carpet or spot you want to clean and press the switch right on the handle. It releases the water plus solution on the stain or carpet. Then you have the hot water and steam of it that does its own trick to break the dirt into fine particles.

Push and Clean

When you have sparingly spread the solution, hold the tool with moderate force on the carpet, and the bristles along with the suction power will remove all the moisture and dirt and send it right into the dirty water tank. Make sure to push the tool, not the handle. It works better to clean the stain.

Our Recommended Top 10 Carpet Steam Cleaner Reviews in 2023

1. Bissell 3624 SpotCleans Carpet Steamer

Looks can be deceiving. The appearance of the machine is Bissell 3624 SpotCleans can seem a bit cumbersome, but it is a lightweight and portable steam cleaner. But most importantly It is a fantastic machine that is great at cleaning deep hidden dirt and various stains, including the pet ones. The water tank is made for holding massive amounts of water, up to 3 gallons! So you can clean for hours without even refilling once.

Bissell 3624 SpotCleans is a portable carpet cleaner that can do all the work that a heavy-duty cleaner does. Yet it is quite affordable.

Pros

• Easy to use and store as it is portable
• It looks like a cool futuristic gadget
• The whole house will be clean in just an hour as it works super-fast
• Sprays a lot of streams and cleans thoroughly

Cons

• The hose is wrapped weirdly, and that encourage breakage

2. Hoover PowerDash:

Hoover PowerDash is pocket dynamite for those who have a happening home full of pets and people. Having pet or little children in life is the best thing, but the thing is that it means you will have a hard time to clean your carpet. The Hoover powerDash can greatly help you to lessen your workload. It is very effective at Cleaning a large area with minimal effort. It has everything that the best steam cleaner for carpets should have, from a powerful motor to a quick drying of the carpet once you finish cleaning. But best of all, you don’t have to spend lots of money to get such an excellent carpet steam cleaner.

Hoover PowerDash is a big blessing for older adults or those who have a back problem like me. You don’t need to call over your nephew, John, for helping you out anymore. Hoover PowerDash is lightweight and easy to carry around; it lets people with back problems do all the shampooing of their carpet quickly on their own.

Pros

• Small and easy to restore
• very easy to assemble, and you can do it all by yourself!
• It is quite affordable yet far. More effective at cleaning and shampooing the carpet than many expensive cleaners

Cons

• It is a bit noisy

3. Rug Doctor Mighty Pro

 

Rug Doctor Mighty Pro is used primarily for commercial purposes if you can guess how powerful and effective it can be when used for cleaning the carpets in your home. It cleans from the very core and sucks out most of the filth that hidden deep within the fibers of the carpets. But most importantly, it has a massive tank capacity of 3.9 gallons! So you can do all the clean up your house need at once, without having to stop for a single time! It’s is one of the best steam cleaners for carpet you can get right now!

Rug Doctor Mighty Pro is an excellent choice if you want to use your carpet for a prolonged time. Because most of the heavy-duty steam or carpet cleaners will tear up the fibers as they have a rotating brush. But the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro has a brush that moves sideways, and thus it is easier on the fibers of the carpet.

Pros

• It is a heavy-duty steam cleaner that can serve a huge house
• Well-built body design and durable
• You will get a five years warranty with it
• Not only rugs and carpet, it’s excellent for cleaning the furniture as well.

Cons

• It’s a bit heavier than other carpet cleaners

4. BISSELL Little Green ProHeat

Stain on rugs and carpet makes your house look a mess and unhygienic to other people. If you disgust every time you pass the stain, yet you can not do anything about it can make you frustrated. But Bissell Little Green ProHeat is genuinely a handy little carpet cleaner that is best suited for cleaning all kinds of stains, be it et stain, red wine stain or anything is steam away from cleaning. Other than that, it doesn’t even need preheated water to be filled in as it can boil up the water on its own!

It is particularly well suited for a house that has to deal with liquid stains too often. So if you own lots of pets or live in a home that has gone through lots of abuse like having 3-year-old juice stains.

Pros

• You can easily assemble it by your own
• Quite lightweight and easy to carry around, so it doesn’t strain your back at all
• You can also use it for cleaning couches as well
• The hose is quite long and convenient to use

Cons

• Sometimes it pours the solution, and sometimes it will not come at all

5. BISSELLProHeat 2X

Are you frustrated with so-called deep cleaners that doesn’t deliver what they promised at all? Try BISSELLProHeat 2X If you want to learn just how effective a carpet cleaner can be. It gives way better cleaning and removal of pet stains as it is specifically made for picking up pet stains. Other than clean up of the pet stains, it is excellent at cleaning upholstery items as well as it comes a 7 ft long hose. The dual tanks make sure the dirty and cleans stay separated.

One of the biggest frustrations of all the other existing carpet cleaner is the cleaning and maintenance of the cleaner itself. but BISSELLProHeat 2X is pretty easy to clean.

Pros

• It’s not so heavy compared to other heavy-duty steam cleaners like the rug doctor
• Easy assembly and it will be ready to use in minutes
• You don’t need to wait more than 30 minutes to dry the carpet

Cons

• The price is a bit more than other entry-level carpet cleaner but it worth it to be honest

6. Dupray ONE Carpet Steam Cleaner

Now, this is what we call the best and absolutely the carpet steam cleaner, period. It has got everything an ideal steam cleaner for carpets, from aesthetic looks to the quick-dry up after clean up. But the best thing is that this steam cleaner can give you plenty of heat and steam for doing up to an hour of clean up. Also, the European made design of this Dupray ONE Steam Cleaner is what makes it stand out other than other steam cleaners out there. once you get this one, you won’t be able to get enough of its quick heat-up of the steam and excellent cleaning of any dirts and stains

Dupray ONE Steam Cleaner is not just an excellent steam cleaner for carpets; it is great at cleaning anything. so it’s an all-purpose steam cleaner for anyone who is looking for a great steam cleaner to take care of everything from the tiles to hardwood and even your kitchen as well.

Pros

• It is the best steam cleaner for carpets
• No chemical smell that makes you feel sick
• The full tank of water lasts for a long time, enables you to clean the house at once.

Cons

• A little pricey

7. LIGHT ‘N’ EASY All-In-One Steam Mop For Carpet

It is not easy to come by a steam cleaner that is not only able to perfectly clean the carpets, also other surfaces as well. But with this LIGHT ‘N’ EASY All-In-One Steam Mop, you can use it as an all-purpose steam cleaner at a very affordable price. It is not so heavy like other heavy-duty cleaners either as it weighs around 7 pounds. So it is easier to work with. But most importantly, it is very useful to clean any dirty floors with hideous stains, be it a hardwood floor or tiles. It has three different settings to clean, and also it comes with a very sleek designed nozzle that makes let you reach and clean any tiniest corner of the house.

It is a great steam cleaner for those who need to clean other surfaces other than the carpet. This handy little steam cleaner can serve the carpet and other floors equally well.

Pros

• It is a very compact and lightweight cleaning machine
• Quite Versatile as it cleans all kinds of floors
• Does not stain the back or fatigue hands

Cons

• Not a very deep cleaning machine

8. Hoover Power Scrub Elite

 

No doubt We all want a clean carpet, but very often, we pick a cleaner that will shorten the lives of our carpet. Because many carpet cleaners are harsh on the carpet fiber, and it ruins the lifespan of your carpet. But not Hoover Power Scrub Elite. It among one of the gentler carpet cleaner, but that does not mean that it is not effective. In fact, it has two different cleaning moods, one being regular, and the other is the deep cleaning mood. Also, many carpet cleaners are not so good at cleaning the edges. But the Hoover Power Scrub Elite is capable of cleaning the edges with great ease.

Hoover Power Scrub Elite is an affordable deep carpet cleaner for those who live with several pets. It provides deep cleaning of pet stains very quickly and even faster dries up.

Pros

• The spin scrub system deeply cleans the carpet
• The automatic detergent mixing system does everything accordingly
• The two separate tanks make sure that the water is cleaner and takes
• A large water tank capacity lets you clean without refilling for a longer time

Cons

• Some models are reported to leak waters

9. Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe

Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe is arguably the most popular steam cleaners for carpets. Every other house owner seems to own it. And that too, for good reasons. Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe is an excellent steam cleaner for a house that needs frequent cleaning of their carpet, stairs, and upholstery. To keep the family safe. Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe is durable, easy to work with. it can cover a huge area at once as it has rotating brush head and the hose is quite long as well.

Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe is a budget-friendly steam cleaner. It can save you from stinky pet stains with its quick and effective clean up to go.

Pros

• Separate tank system keeps the dirty water at the bay
• No trouble in pushing or pulling wherever you like as it is quite lightweight
• Ease of storing
• Comes with a 2-year warranty

Cons

• Not suitable for a whole house cleanup

10. McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Carpet Steam Cleaner

 

McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner is one of the McCulloch MC1275 you can find in a budget. It is a great steam cleaner that will blow your mind with the excellent cleanup. If your life has become hell because of all the bugs and allergens on the carpet, you must give it a try. It will take out every single carpet and their eggs hidden deep into the as it provides nonstop water steam up to 45 minutes.

It’s a rare combination of an affordable but heavy-duty steam cleaner that works better than many expensive carpet cleaners out there.

Pros

• The longer hose and makes the job easier
• Heats up in less than 10 minutes
• You can use it on anything that needs a deep cleaning, it’s a cleaning freak best-kept secret

Cons

• Some users found that some of the models doesn’t get the water hot enough

How to steam clean carpet DIY

If you have carpets in the house, only then you identify how quickly they get dirty and how frequently you need to clean them. And frequent cleaning needs very simple, mild, and affordable products. You cannot call a whole cleaning service to wipe a stain on your small-sized carpet, right? It’s not worth it; rather, it’s better that you buy another one with the money you will need to pay for that service. But then the stain is unavoidable too. Ever been in catch 22 situations? You are in one now for sure.

So, as a solution, to bring you out of that situation, nothing can be better than DIY products or tricks in cleaning an almost clean, soon to be dirty carpet every time, without spending a lot, ruining it with a frequent wash with harsh chemicals or heavy-duty carpet cleaners.

Heads up – Clean The Carpet Pronto

Whenever you have spilled the drink, overstepped on the carpet with dirty shoes, or stained the rug in any other way, make sure you do the needful immediately when the dirt or stain is still saturated. Never let the grit set in the carpet.

The Simple Products

To do it all by yourself, we mean, to steam clean the carpet all by yourself, at home without legit machines and carpet cleaners or shampoos, you will need hot water, sometimes too hot, white distilled vinegar, castile soap, and club soda. You might not need all three every time, but they all work to clean your dirty carpet. 

The Tools

• Microfiber towels or cloths
• Soft scrub pad or brush
• Carpet Brush
• Lint Brush

Step #1 – Clean The Dust, Hair, Lint, And Fur

Before you rinse the carpet, be it the whole carpet or just a spot cleaning, it is very important to remove the loose particles. No matter where you live or how cleanliness freak you are, dust and hair are everywhere. If it’s a carpet, lint on it is a given, and if you have pet, pet hair, pet fur will be as common as dust particles. You should never use the wet substance on a dusty carpet full of lint, hair, and pet fur and turn those into ground-in dirt. So, use a carpet brush and a lint brush to clean the dirt from your carpet. If your target is only on a specific spot, you do not need to clean the whole carpet. In that case, just brush the dirt off around that particular area.

Step #2 – Aim to Clean

You are either cleaning the entire carpet or just a spot. The whole carpet cleaning after a thorough dusting is mostly for disinfecting or giving it a fresh look. So, the products and process depend on what your aim is.

Aim #1 – You Are Cleaning the Whole Carpet

Mix the same quantity of hot water and white distilled vinegar. Distilled vinegar or cleaning vinegar has 6% acidity and will remove the soap and residue from depth if you are using any to clean the carpet. If it’s a cup of white distilled vinegar, the hot water must be one full cup too. Also, the water must be hot, boiling to be precise.  Before using the hot water and distilled vinegar combo, pat the carpet with a towel after dampening it in hot water. It will prepare the carpet way better for the next product you use on it to clean it. You are trying steam cleaning, remember. The steam from the hot water will help to break the dirt further.

How to Disinfect the Carpet with Distilled White Vinegar?

Either damp a scrub brush in the solution or a towel. Remove all the excess moisture and rub the carpet with the brush or cloth. Rubbing must be very gentle. You are mostly disinfecting the carpet, and cleaning some mild stains, so no need to go dissonant. Take care of the carpet fibers while rubbing the carpet. If you see a dirty spot, you can rub with a little force, and it will be gone. If you do not have distilled vinegar, do not pick some random white or apple cider vinegar and start cleaning the carpet with it. They are not good for carpet cleaning. Also, they stain.

Aim #2 – Cleaning A Mild Dirt Spot

Pat the spot with a damp towel. Prepare it with steam, basically. To clean a mild dirt spot, you can either use the hair shampoo you regularly use on your hair, a dish soap you use to wash the dishes, or a castile soap. Take a bowl and have some hot water in it. Mix any of the soapy products, sparingly, of course. Make sure it doesn’t lather up too much. Mild soaps anyway don’t lather much. Take a brush or scrub pad, damp and squeeze it and gently rub the spot until it’s gone. Now take a clean towel and damp it in hot water, wring it well and again rub it to remove the residue.

Aim #3 – Removing The Soapy Residue

Now soap residue doesn’t go with just hot water, and you must expunge that. You will need the white distilled vinegar. The same quantity of hot water and vinegar we mentioned earlier. Damp the pad, squeeze the water, and a pat on the carpet. It will take off the residue, remove the foul odor, disinfect the spot, and be nice to your carpet doing all that.

Aim #4 – Cleaning A Set-in Dirt Spot or Stain

The process and the products are the same, but you will need to do it for a few days until the stained spot is removed. It will never go at one go if you are using a home remedy. Using a mild product for quite a few days is always better than using a harsh chemical. So, do it regularly for a few days, and the stain will surely vanish. It might not go back to its original color as you haven’t done the needful at once, but it will look way better.

Aim #5 – Cleaning A Spilled Drink or Any Sticky Mess

Absorb and Steam

Spilled drinks on a carpet or wet mess will stain the carpet. It is not water. So, it is always better to clean it immediately. First, take a towel and blot the spot to absorb all the moisture. It’s better to use a few towels or toilet paper as you do not want to use the same towel on the spot again and again. Then take a towel, damp it in hot water, and pat the spot gently with it after squeezing it well. The steam will reach the stain and help to loosen it a bit.

Club Soda

Now when the steam has done its work time to sprinkle club soda sparingly on the specific spot. Club soda is basically carbonated water that will further break and loosen the stubborn dirt into particles. After you have dispersed club soda, wait for 2-3 minutes, five at max, for it to work, and then pat the spot continuously with a pad or towel. Patting will pick the broken mess by the club soda and absorb the dirty moisture. Uncontrolled rubbing will spread the dirt in the clean area and ruin the carpet.

Aim #6 – Let The Carpet Dry

To clean all types of dirt, you have dampened the carpet. Sometimes the whole unit and sometimes a specific area. So, when you are cleaning, you must keep the carpet secluded to dry. It is not necessary to keep it under the sun. Keep it where it is and do not step up on it or put back the things or furniture on it. Leave the carpet as it is for a day or two, if needed, more.

Benefits of using Carpet Steam Cleaner

There is not just one benefit of using a carpet steam cleaner on the carpet. Let’s round up and settle by discussing the top five below.

Deep Cleans

Steam cleaner deep cleans your carpet. The top dirt layer, the stains, the ground-in or stuck-on dirt, the dirt that reached deep in the carpet, way past the fiber, all will be removed by it with equal power and ease. That too only by a small quantity of water and the steam created through it.

Disinfects

Steam cleaners have the capability of disinfecting and sanitizing the carpet. Once steam cleaned, the carpet will have no pollutants, bacteria, germs, mildew, molds, nothing. Some steam cleaners literally kill 99.9% bacteria and germs. Once again, let’s remind you that you sanitize the carpets and bring a fresh smell to your carpets without any additional product. You are using only water.

Works Faster

A steam cleaner will make your work and clean your carpet fast. A few sweeps on the carpet, no matter how badly embedded the dirt is, the steam cleaner cleans it within minutes. No use of soaps, so no extra step to remove left residues. Work sessions cut way short with a steam cleaner.

Brings The Original Form Back

Even if you have regularly cleaned your carpet, it loses its original appearance. Within a month, it fades. You can bring the carpet’s actual color with steam cleaning. No amount of shampooing or spot cleaning can get the original color back. But a steam cleaner does the challenging job pretty conveniently with just steam.

Not Harsh On the Carpet

You deep clean your carpet, yet your carpet is not handling any harsh product. Even the tool that releases steam and scrubs is so gentle. What you are doing is that you are increasing the shelf life of the carpet by cleaning it with a steam cleaner. No use of chemical products, washing with water every few months. Thus the carpet is safe from harsh handling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is steam cleaning good for carpets?

Steam cleaning is good for carpets if done with the correct machine, the proper way, and at the right time. Steam cleaning means deep cleaning. The steam reaches deep in your carpet and removes all the dirt particles ground-in dirt, stains, germs, and bacteria. Your carpet will be damp, more than it does during regular cleaning. So obviously, it will take days to dry. Then, your carpets do not need deep cleaning frequently. However, you cannot do without steam cleaning your carpet if you want to sanitize it well, so it’s necessary and useful. But if you steam clean your carpet all the time, like you mop your tile floors, it isn’t a nice move.

Is it better to shampoo or steam clean carpets?

Both have their own perks. Steam cleaning, as we mentioned earlier, is deep cleaning. That means when your carpet is too filthy and disgusting looking with stains all over, you need to try steam cleaning it. All the bacteria, dirt, and germ will be gone. Yes, even the ground-in ones. Shampooing a carpet is mild cleaning compared to steam cleaning. You notice a slight stain on your carpet, you take your shampoo, mix it in water, and clean the specific spot. Instant cleaning is done with shampoo and similar products. So, it is always better to shampoo your carpets when you are frequently cleaning them. But the carpets need steam cleaning, perhaps, at the end of the year, even if you wash your carpet with shampoo every second day.

How often should I steam clean carpets?

When you opt for steam cleaning, you are basically thoroughly cleaning your carpet. And deep cleaning is not something that you do every day. Once deep cleaned, 97% of the dirt, bacteria, and germs will be eliminated from your carpets. Depending on foot traffic and factors like having pets and kids at home, you will need to steam clean your carpet twice or thrice a year. That makes it once in every four months. Many prefer steam cleaning the carpet once a year. But that’s when you do not have much foot traffic, or you are a cleanliness freak, which most of us are not. So, for us, thrice a year is the best bet, as you need to do deep cleaning of your carpet that much to have a sanitized ambiance.

Conclusion

Installing proper carpeting of the house is a big thing for any house owner as we all love the feel of warm cozy feel it creates underneath our feet. But this is just one side of the story. Like I said in the very first line of this article, you will also start to despise it pretty soon. Because to be quite honest, it does require a lot of upkeep and care. Worse, your average cleaners won’t cut it. You need something strong and capable of doing heavy-duty cleaning like the steam cleaners. We hope our picks of the best steam cleaner for carpets will be able to take care of all your cleaning tasks.