Whether it’s dirt or coffee spills, our carpets take a beating over time. If it’s been a while since you last cleaned a high-traffic area in your home, a quick vacuuming likely won’t cut it. Sonia Fujimori’s dog Midnight loves lounging on rugs, carpets and the sofa, but doggie cleanup can be challenging. “He has a pretty sensitive stomach, so he has vomiting episodes from time to time,” Fujimori said.To keep carpets looking great, vacuum them weekly. But often in high-traffic areas, or a home with kids and pets, that’s not enough. You’ll likely need the help of a carpet cleaner. But which one is best? Consumer Reports tested twenty machines and found big differences in price and performance. The test is tough, just like the wear and tear on your carpets at home. Consumer Reports testers went to work replicating heavy foot traffic, by spreading a measured amount of red clay on light carpeting. It’s then sprayed with water, and the clay is embedded into the carpet with a 40-pound iron roller and left to dry overnight. “We have the cleaners make eight cleaning passes over the carpet, then eight passes to suck the solution out,” said Sara Morrow, Consumer Reports home editor. Which carpet cleaners are worthy of working on your carpet?The Hoover PowerDash Pet, for about $100 is a best buy. It does a very good job of pulling moisture out of the carpet after cleaning, so there’s less dry time.What if you have area rugs and want to do some spot-cleaning, including fabric upholstery?Consumer Reports tested two portable cleaners made by Bissell: the Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner, and the Little Green Proheat Portable Carpet Cleaner, a similar machine that includes a stairs tool. They both spot-cleaned stains on chairs, carpeting and car upholstery. Consumer Reports compared them to two resolve fabric-cleaning sprays. “In the end, both Bissell models did a better job than the resolve sprays. Keep in mind that in many cases a cleaned spot will stand out if you don’t clean the entire surface, and these machines made it easier to do that,” Morrow said.
Whether it’s dirt or coffee spills, our carpets take a beating over time.
If it’s been a while since you last cleaned a high-traffic area in your home, a quick vacuuming likely won’t cut it.
Sonia Fujimori’s dog Midnight loves lounging on rugs, carpets and the sofa, but doggie cleanup can be challenging.
“He has a pretty sensitive stomach, so he has vomiting episodes from time to time,” Fujimori said.
To keep carpets looking great, vacuum them weekly. But often in high-traffic areas, or a home with kids and pets, that’s not enough. You’ll likely need the help of a carpet cleaner.
But which one is best? Consumer Reports tested twenty machines and found big differences in price and performance.
The test is tough, just like the wear and tear on your carpets at home. Consumer Reports testers went to work replicating heavy foot traffic, by spreading a measured amount of red clay on light carpeting.
It’s then sprayed with water, and the clay is embedded into the carpet with a 40-pound iron roller and left to dry overnight.
“We have the cleaners make eight cleaning passes over the carpet, then eight passes to suck the solution out,” said Sara Morrow, Consumer Reports home editor.
Which carpet cleaners are worthy of working on your carpet?
The Hoover PowerDash Pet, for about $100 is a best buy. It does a very good job of pulling moisture out of the carpet after cleaning, so there’s less dry time.
What if you have area rugs and want to do some spot-cleaning, including fabric upholstery?
Consumer Reports tested two portable cleaners made by Bissell: the Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner, and the Little Green Proheat Portable Carpet Cleaner, a similar machine that includes a stairs tool.
They both spot-cleaned stains on chairs, carpeting and car upholstery.
Consumer Reports compared them to two resolve fabric-cleaning sprays.
“In the end, both Bissell models did a better job than the resolve sprays. Keep in mind that in many cases a cleaned spot will stand out if you don’t clean the entire surface, and these machines made it easier to do that,” Morrow said.
