5 Best Carpet Shampoos (2023 Guide)

Designed to eliminate tough and stubborn stains and neutralize strong odors, carpet cleaners restore and help maintain your carpeted and upholstered surfaces.

To help you select a formula best suited to tackling your household needs, our team took a close look at the best carpet shampoos available for a range of situations, personal preferences, and budgets.

Here are our top picks.

Top 5 Carpet Shampoos

• Best Overall: Bissell Pro Max Clean + Protect
• Best Value: OxiClean for Large Areas
• Best for Pet Owners: Hoover Pet 2x Concentrate
• Best Enzymatic Formula: Rug Doctor Pet
• Most Eco-Friendly: Sunny & Honey Carpet Miracle

Best Carpet Shampoo Overall

Pros and Cons

✔ Has built-in StainProtect to prevent future stains
✔ Can be used in most upright carpet cleaning machines
✔ Cleans carpet, upholstery, and area rugs

✘ Has a strong fragrance that may bother some users
✘ Has an expensive per-ounce price

What Customers Are Saying

Many customers loved this shampoo because it was easy to use and had a fresh scent. Those who were unsatisfied with their purchase said that the product didn’t eliminate underlying odors in their carpet.

Best Value

Pros and Cons

✔ Works with OxiClean’s other products for deep, bespoke cleaning
✔ Works on tough stains, including wine and coffee
✔ Works in any owned or rented carpet cleaning machine

✘ Can’t use on wool, leather, or silk
✘ Can cause skin and eye irritation

What Customers Are Saying

Customers praised this product for its odor elimination, value, and scent. Those who didn’t enjoy their purchase said that the shampoo didn’t work as well as they expected. However, pairing it with OxiClean’s other stain-fighting products improved its performance.

Best for Pet Owners

Pros and Cons

✔ Can use the cap to measure the solution
✔ Keeps carpets first-day fresh for up to seven days
✔ Has a fresh cotton breeze scent

✘ Works only in upright carpet cleaners
✘ Doesn’t have a hypoallergenic formula

What Customers Are Saying

Customers praised this carpet shampoo, stating that it provided a deep clean and had a nice scent. A common complaint among unsatisfied customers was that its fresh scent didn’t last long.

Best Enzymatic Formula

Pros and Cons

✔ Smells clean like soap
✔ Breaks down tough pet stains, including saliva, urine, feces, and vomit
✔ Has a three-in-one formula that cleans, deodorizes, and prevents future stains

✘ Can’t measure the product in the cap
✘ Comes in a heavy, bulky jug

What Customers Are Saying

Most customers were satisfied with their purchase, stating that the product was easy to use and provided impressive results. Those who were unsatisfied with their purchase said that the product didn’t always eliminate strong odors.

Most Eco-Friendly

Pros and Cons

✔ Hasn’t been tested on animals
✔ Has a mint scent
✔ Comes with a 60-day guarantee

✘ Comes in a small 32-ounce bottle
✘ May not work as well as shampoos that are made with harsh chemicals

What Customers Are Saying

Customers said that this product was effective at odor elimination and deep cleaning, making their carpet look like new. However, those who were unsatisfied said that they didn’t enjoy the strong mint scent.

Buyer’s Guide

Carpet shampoos work in different machines and on different stains. To learn more about the elements that vary from shampoo to shampoo and find the best overall option for your home, read our guide below.

Carpet Cleaner Compatibility

You can use most carpet shampoos in any type of carpet cleaning machine. However, some solutions may have specific requirements, such as an upright or water-based machine.

Ingredients

Most carpet shampoos use harsh ingredients, such as bleach and hydrogen peroxide, that are particularly toxic to adults with allergies, young children, and pets. To ensure that the product you choose is safe for your family, check the label. Certifications, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice, as well as mentions of non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients, are all indications of a safe product.

Fragrance

Many shampoos have a fresh scent that’s meant to mask the smell of the stains on the carpet or the chemicals in the solution. If you’re sensitive to smells, choose a cleaning product that is fragrance-free or has minimal fragrance.

Stain

Manufacturers often list the types of stains that their shampoos work on. Many shampoos can eliminate common stains from pet hair and from pet urine as well as other messes like vomit. Shampoo carpet cleaners also help pick up grime and general buildup on your rugs. For red wine and more of the toughest stains, you may need a stronger, more concentrated product. Some carpet cleaners also work on other surfaces like hardwood floors.

Amount

Carpet shampoos are sold in pourable bottles that typically range in size from 32 to 128 ounces. If you have a lot of carpet in your home or young kids or pets that are prone to spills, opt for a larger bottle or one that has more cleaning power.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I shampoo my carpet?

Shampoo your carpet every 12–18 months. If you have pets or toddlers, you can do it more frequently—around every six months. You can also pull out your carpet cleaner and shampoo after a big spill for spot cleaning. If your carpet has significant stains, it may be better to opt to hire a professional carpet cleaner to perform a deep clean.

What’s the best way to get a stain out of my carpet?

Different stains require different procedures. To clean most food and drink stains, you can blot the area while it’s still wet. After the area dries, follow up with a cleaning solution.

To clean mud or dirt, start by giving the stain proper drying time. Then, use a vacuum cleaner over the area several times to pick up as much debris as possible. Apply a cleaning solution, and blot the area until the stain is gone. Cleaning machine-washable rugs is especially simple—with the right cleaner, stains will come out in the laundry without the need for specialized equipment.

How do I choose a carpet cleaner?

Some of the best carpet cleaners have these features which increase their ease of use:

• Multiple attachments
• Long, flexible hose
• Portable build with a lightweight frame or wheels
• Separate clean water and dirty water tanks

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

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