Pet stains, spilled drinks and muddy paw prints can leave carpets and furniture looking dirty, but cleaning both with the wrong machine can be frustrating. The best carpet and upholstery cleaner removes stains from carpet while letting you switch to a hose and hand tool for sofas, chairs, stairs and car seats. Strong water extraction also helps reduce the moisture left behind, so fabrics dry faster.
In this guide, we compare six carpet and upholstery cleaners, with quick picks and detailed reviews to help you find the right machine for deep carpet cleaning, everyday spills or smaller jobs around the home.
Our top 3 carpet and upholstery cleaners
See how all 6 carpet and upholstery cleaners compare in our side-by-side comparison chart ↓
The 6 Best Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners
Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX304
- Best carpet stain score among 30 cleaners in one lab’s tests
- Very strong hose suction leaves upholstery less wet
- Built-in hose that rinses itself when you click it back
- Biggest tool set of Shark’s carpet cleaners, including an XL stain tool
- 0.6-gallon tank means refills between rooms
- 6.5-foot hose is shorter than average
- About 18.8 pounds, so stairs take effort
- One of the pricier home carpet cleaners
Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX304 review
The EX304 is our top pick because it does both halves of this job well. On carpet, it posted the best grape juice stain score of the 30 carpet cleaners in Vacuum Wars’ database. On upholstery, what matters most is how much water the hose pulls back out, and its sealed hose suction measured 84 inches, the second-highest that lab has recorded and well above the 65-inch average.
That suction is the reason we trust it on a sofa. Fabric that stays wet can show water rings or start to smell, so a hose that leaves cushions only slightly damp is worth a lot.
The hose lives on the machine, so there’s nothing to find and attach. When you click it back into place, the EX304 runs water through the hose to rinse it. A third tank holds Shark’s oxy booster, which the machine mixes in when you use the hand tool. You also get a pet mess tool, a hair extractor and an XL stain tool.
The tank holds only 0.6 gallons, so plan on refills for big rooms. If you clean a lot of carpet at once, the ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus carries more water.
Shark StainStriker HairPro
- Top stain removal score in one lab’s spot cleaner tests
- Under 9 pounds, the lightest pick here
- Self-cleaning hose and tools
- 3.5-inch and 7-inch stain tools plus a crevice tool
- 4-foot hose and short 11.8-foot cord
- Too slow for whole rooms of carpet
- 41-ounce tank needs refills on big jobs
- Works best with Shark’s own formulas
Shark StainStriker HairPro review
The StainStriker HairPro is the portable we’d buy for upholstery. Vacuum Wars named it the best spot cleaner overall, and in its stain test it removed 87.2% of a set-in stain, the top result in its group against an 84.5% average.
Two features matter for fabric. First, the machine blends Shark’s oxy booster into the cleaning solution as you spray, so you aren’t working with a premixed formula that has lost strength. Second, the HairPro tool pulls embedded pet hair from cushions and stair treads without clogging. This version comes with a 3.5-inch stain tool for arms and seams, a 7-inch XL tool for seat cushions and a crevice tool.
When you’re done, click the hose back into its dock and the machine flushes water and solution through it. That keeps the hose from smelling between uses, which matters more on a couch than on a rug.
The weak spots are reach. Vacuum Wars found the 4-foot hose and 11.8-foot cord shorter than average, so keep an extension cord handy. It’s also no substitute for an upright on wall-to-wall carpet. If you have both rooms and furniture to clean, the EX304 does both.
BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus
- Picked for pet stains in a hands-on home test
- 1-gallon clean tank for fewer refills
- 8-foot hose reaches a whole sofa
- 5-year limited warranty
- Upholstery nozzle felt awkward to one tester
- Dirty tank has a small opening that’s hard to rinse
- About 17.5 pounds
- No self-cleaning hose
BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus review
This is the machine for homes where pets make most of the mess and most of the floors are carpet. HGTV named it best for pet stains after a tester with pets used it at home, and Vacuum Wars ranks it second among all the carpet cleaners it has tested.
It’s built for big jobs. The 1-gallon tank covers more carpet between refills than the Shark EX304, and BISSELL says Express Clean mode dries carpet in about 30 minutes, though that figure comes from new carpet with protectant. The CleanShot pretreater sprays formula onto set-in spots before you clean.
For furniture, the 8-foot hose lets you park the machine and clean a full sofa or a flight of stairs without moving it much. The 2-in-1 pet upholstery tool and 3-inch tough stain tool come in the box.
The upholstery side is where it falls short of our top two. HGTV’s tester found the upholstery nozzle awkward to hold, and the dirty tank’s small opening makes rinsing it a chore. Choose it if carpet comes first and the couch second. If furniture is your main job, the StainStriker HairPro is easier on fabric and on your hands.
Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe
- Fully removed peanut butter in one home test
- Powered SpinScrub hand tool for sticky spots
- 8-foot hose with upholstery, stair and crevice tools
- 2-year limited warranty
- Bulky and harder to store
- About 18.5 to 19 pounds
- No published hose suction numbers
- Shorter warranty than BISSELL’s 5-year uprights
Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe review
The PowerScrub Deluxe is the pick for sticky, greasy messes. In HGTV’s home tests, it cleared red wine in two to three minutes and was one of the only machines to fully remove peanut butter. The tester said the SpinScrub hand tool helped finish off the last traces.
That powered hand tool is the reason it suits food stains on upholstery. Its spinning brush works a spot from several directions, so you don’t have to scrub the fabric by hand. You also get a separate upholstery tool, a stair tool and a crevice tool on an 8-foot hose, one of the longest here. On carpet, five SpinScrub brushes scrub in different directions to reach around fibers.
The tradeoffs are size and data. It’s bulky, weighs about 18.5 to 19 pounds and takes up a good chunk of closet space. We also didn’t find lab suction numbers for its hose, so we can’t say how dry it leaves cushions compared with the Shark EX304.
Pick it if your messes are more food and mud than pets. For pet urine and odor, the ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus is the better match.
Hoover CleanSlate Plus
- Top pick in one hands-on upholstery stain test
- Tanks and tools are easy to reach and rinse
- 7-inch WidePath tool covers cushions fast
- Longer 18-foot cord than our other portable
- Weak spray pressure
- 4.5-foot hose
- Small 40-ounce clean tank
- Not made for whole rooms of carpet
Hoover CleanSlate Plus review
The CleanSlate Plus is the portable that’s simplest to live with. Bob Vila named it the best overall upholstery cleaner after staining fabric and carpet with mustard, tomato sauce, soy sauce and banana and letting the stains set. The testers said it removed them well and had good suction.
What set it apart was upkeep. Measuring lines on the tank make filling easy, the tanks and tools are easy to reach and clean, and a Hose Rinse tool flushes the hose after each use. Hoover lists it at about 9.4 pounds with a 40-ounce clean tank and an 18-foot cord, which reaches farther than the StainStriker HairPro’s cord. The 7-inch WidePath tool covers seat cushions quickly, and the TightSpot tool gets into seams.
The weak spot is spray pressure, which Bob Vila found low. Less water going in is gentle on fabric, but deep, old stains may need a pretreatment first. The narrow brush also took the testers some practice to control.
Choose it for an apartment, a small home or a second machine for the couch and car. If stain strength matters more than easy cleanup, the StainStriker HairPro scored higher in lab tests.
BISSELL Big Green Pet Pro
- Named best deep cleaner in one hands-on test
- 6-inch tool cleared couch stains in under a minute in that test
- Longest hose here at 9 feet
- Strong suction left carpet relatively dry
- About 44 pounds, hard to carry and store
- Too big to roll under most furniture
- No self-cleaning hose
- One of the priciest home carpet cleaners
BISSELL Big Green Pet Pro review
The Big Green Pet Pro is for big, dirty jobs: wall-to-wall carpet in a busy family home, a basement rec room or carpet that hasn’t been cleaned in years. Bob Vila named it the best deep cleaner in its carpet cleaner tests. Its strong suction left carpet relatively dry, and the testers found it completely dry within about 4 hours.
It handled furniture well too. The 9-foot hose, the longest here, reaches under beds and around sofas, and in Bob Vila’s tests the 6-inch tool cleaned couch stains in under a minute. A pet stain tool comes in the box as well, along with BISSELL’s Pet Pro Oxy formula.
The catch is size. It weighs about 44 pounds, which makes it hard to carry up stairs and hard to store in a small closet. Bob Vila also listed it among the most expensive machines it tested.
Buy it if heavy soil is your main problem and you have room to store it. If you want a machine you’ll pull out every week for sofas and spills, the EX304 or StainStriker HairPro is much easier to live with.
Carpet and upholstery cleaners compared
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Best overall
Shark EX304
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Best portable
Shark StainStriker HairPro
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Best for pet stains
BISSELL ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus
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Best for sticky stains
Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe
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Easiest upkeep
Hoover CleanSlate Plus
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Best deep cleaner
BISSELL Big Green Pet Pro
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| Type | Upright | Portable | Upright | Upright | Portable | Upright |
| Weight | 18.8 lb | Under 9 lb | 17.5 lb | About 19 lb | 9.4 lb | About 44 lb |
| Hose length | 6.5 ft | 4 ft | 8 ft | 8 ft | 4.5 ft | 9 ft |
| Clean tank | 0.6 gal | 41 oz | 1 gal | Not listed | 40 oz | Extra large |
| Fabric tools | Stain, XL stain, pet, hair | 3.5 in. and 7 in. stain | 2-in-1 pet upholstery | Upholstery, SpinScrub | 7 in. WidePath | 6 in. tool, pet stain |
| Self-cleaning hose | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Cleans whole rooms | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 |
| Upholstery cleaning | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Current price | $379.99 | $159.99 | $237.99 | $239.99 | $129.99 | $459.99 |
| Read review | Read review | Read review | Read review | Read review | Read review |
Carpet and upholstery cleaners compared
Prices and availability change often. Weights, tank sizes, hose and cord lengths come from maker listings and the published reviews named in How We Picked and Tested. Star ratings are our editorial judgment, not our own lab tests.
Do you need an upright or a portable?
It comes down to where most of your mess is.
- Pick an upright with a hose if you have carpeted rooms to wash a few times a year and furniture to clean in between. The Shark EX304, BISSELL ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus, Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe and Big Green Pet Pro all do this.
- Pick a portable if your carpet is mostly area rugs or you rarely deep clean floors, but the couch, dining chairs, stairs and car seats need regular attention. The StainStriker HairPro and CleanSlate Plus are built for that.
Portables are also the better tool for carpeted steps. You set the machine on a landing and work up with the hose, which is easier than tipping an upright on each tread. Our guide to the best carpet cleaners for stairs covers more options for that job.
Can you use a carpet cleaner on upholstery?
Yes, as long as the fabric allows water. Before you start, check the tag under the cushions for the furniture industry’s cleaning code:
- W: water-based cleaning is fine. Use your carpet cleaner’s hose and upholstery tool.
- S: solvent only. Don’t use a carpet cleaner. Use a dry-cleaning solvent or call a professional.
- W/S or SW: either method works. Test a hidden spot first.
- X: vacuum only. No water and no solvent.
Use the upholstery or stain tool, never the floor head, and make extra dry passes with no spray. Fabric soaks up water quickly, and a cushion that stays wet for hours can leave a ring or a musty smell. That’s why we gave extra weight to strong suction when ranking these machines.
Leather, suede and silk shouldn’t go near a carpet cleaner. Wipe leather with a leather cleaner, and send delicate fabrics to a pro.
How to choose a carpet and upholstery cleaner
This decides how wet your sofa stays. A strong hose pulls dirty water back out of the cushion instead of leaving it to dry slowly.
A short hose means moving the machine around the sofa. The right tools reach seams, arms and stair edges.
Bigger tanks mean fewer trips to the sink when you clean a whole room and the couch in one go.
You’ll lift the machine onto stairs and carry it between rooms. Heavy machines get used less.
Dirty water left in the hose turns sour fast, and that smell can end up on your couch next time.
Pumps and motors can fail, and these machines see a lot of water.
Which machine for which job?
- Mostly carpet, some furniture: an upright with a hose. The Shark EX304 is our first choice, and the ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus is better if you want a bigger tank.
- Mostly furniture and stairs: the StainStriker HairPro, or the CleanSlate Plus if easy cleanup and a longer cord matter more.
- Pets that have accidents: the ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus for rooms, plus a portable for quick spot cleanups.
- Food, mud and sticky spills: the PowerScrub Deluxe and its SpinScrub hand tool.
- Large, heavily soiled carpet: the Big Green Pet Pro, if you can store and carry it.
- Carpet in every room: for more picks focused on whole-home floor cleaning, see our best carpet cleaners for home use.
How to clean upholstery with a carpet cleaner
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Check the cleaning code
Look for the tag under the cushions. Only clean with water if it says W or W/S.
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Vacuum the fabric first
Remove crumbs, hair and dust with a vacuum and upholstery brush, so it doesn’t turn to mud when wet. Our best vacuums for upholstery cleaning guide has good options.
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Test a hidden spot
Clean a small area on the back or underside and let it dry. Check for color bleeding, shrinking or water rings.
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Pretreat stains
Spray the maker’s formula or pretreat on set-in spots and wait a few minutes. Don’t scrub hard, which can fuzz the fabric.
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Spray lightly, then dry-pass twice
Use the upholstery tool with short, slow strokes. For every wet pass, do at least two passes with no spray to pull the water back out.
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Dry it fast
Open windows, run a fan and stand cushions on edge. Wait until the fabric is fully dry before sitting on it.
Carpet and upholstery cleaner FAQs
What is the best carpet and upholstery cleaner?
For most homes, the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX304. It had the best carpet stain score and some of the strongest hose suction in one lab’s tests, so it handles both floors and furniture. If you mostly clean furniture, the portable Shark StainStriker HairPro is the better choice.
Can one machine clean both carpet and upholstery?
Yes. An upright with a hose and an upholstery tool can do both. Portables can technically clean carpet too, but they’re slow on whole rooms.
How long does upholstery take to dry?
Usually a few hours, depending on the fabric, the machine’s suction and airflow. Extra dry passes, a fan and an open window speed it up. Don’t sit on it until it’s fully dry.
Can I use a carpet cleaner on a microfiber couch?
Many microfiber couches are coded S, which means solvent only. Check the tag first. If it says W or W/S, a carpet cleaner’s upholstery tool is fine.
Can I use a carpet and upholstery cleaner on car seats?
Yes, on cloth seats and floor mats. A portable like the StainStriker HairPro or CleanSlate Plus is easier to bring to the car than an upright.
Can I use any cleaning solution in these machines?
Stick with the maker’s formulas. Other cleaners can foam too much or leave sticky residue, and some brands say off-brand formulas can void the warranty.
Is a steam cleaner better for upholstery?
Not for stains. Steam cleaners without suction loosen dirt but can’t pull it out of the fabric. In one hands-on test of upholstery cleaners, a steam cleaner couldn’t remove tough stains on its own.
Which carpet and upholstery cleaner should you buy?
- Best overall: Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX304
- Best portable: Shark StainStriker HairPro
- Best for pet stains: BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus
- Best for sticky stains: Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe
- Easiest upkeep: Hoover CleanSlate Plus
- Best deep cleaner: BISSELL Big Green Pet Pro
If you want one machine for carpet and furniture, get the Shark EX304. Its hose suction leaves cushions drier than most, and its stain results lead the lab data we found. If furniture is your main job, the StainStriker HairPro is the portable to buy. Pet owners with lots of carpet should look at the ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus for its bigger tank and longer hose.
How We Picked and Tested
What the keyword calls for. People searching for a carpet and upholstery cleaner want one machine, or one system, that can wash carpeted rooms and also clean sofas, chairs and stairs. Before choosing products, we set four requirements, and every machine on this list meets all of them: (1) it is a suction extractor that sprays and then pulls dirty water back out, not a steam-only cleaner; (2) it has a hose plus at least one hand tool the maker says is for upholstery or fabric; (3) it has published independent cleaning results from at least one of the testers named below; and (4) it was sold new by Amazon.com when we built this guide.
Where the evidence comes from. We did not test these machines ourselves. Cleaning results come from three independent testers. Vacuum Wars runs lab tests on carpet and spot cleaners, including a standardized grape juice stain test and sealed suction measured at the hose, and it supplied the results for the Shark EX304, StainStriker HairPro and ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus. HGTV tests carpet cleaners in real homes with red wine and peanut butter stains, and supplied the results for the ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus and Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe. Bob Vila tested upholstery cleaners on fabric stained with mustard, tomato sauce, soy sauce and banana and left to set for an hour, and supplied the results for the Hoover CleanSlate Plus. Bob Vila’s separate carpet cleaner tests supplied the results for the BISSELL Big Green Pet Pro.
How we ranked them. Because a wet cushion is the main risk with upholstery, we gave the most weight to how well each machine pulls water back out, then to stain results, hose length, fabric tools, tank size, weight and hose cleaning. Each award reflects where that machine’s test results or specs are strongest, and each review says who should choose something else. Machines with no published hose suction data, like the PowerScrub Deluxe, rank below those with it. We left out uprights with no hose, steam cleaners without suction, models no longer sold new on Amazon, and the Shark CarpetXpert EX151, which Vacuum Wars ranks first overall for carpet but measured below average for hose suction.
Specs and claims. Weights, tank sizes, hose and cord lengths, warranties and drying times come from the makers (Shark, BISSELL and Hoover) and their Amazon listings unless a tester is named. Where a figure is a maker claim, such as BISSELL’s 30-minute Express Clean drying time, we say so. Fabric cleaning codes (W, S, W/S and X) follow the labeling used by furniture makers; always follow the tag on your own furniture.
Why trust CleanTheFloor?
CleanTheFloor publishes practical floor-care advice and buying guides for homeowners and pet owners. We base our picks on published test results and verified specifications rather than marketing claims, and we point out each product’s drawbacks.
