A carpet cleaner washes your carpet with water, so the job isn’t done until the carpet is dry. Here’s how to choose one, plus four carpet cleaners from the top 10 of the Carpet Washers Best Sellers.
Short on drying a wet carpet: Wet Carpet? Mould Can Start In 48 Hours
Quick answer
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Pick by the job: a portable spot cleaner for stains, stairs and sofas, or a full-size machine for whole rooms. Either way, get the carpet dry fast. Health Canada says mould can begin to grow within 48 hours in an area with excessive moisture.
A simple place to start: the BISSELL Little Green ProHeat, ranked #1 in Carpet Washers when we checked. It’s listed with a 37 oz tank, a 15-foot cord and a hose rinse tool. Cleaning whole rooms? The Shark CarpetXpert is a full-size machine with a built-in handheld tool for stairs and spots.
Four carpet cleaners, by the job
| Product | Best for | |
|---|---|---|
| BISSELL Little Green ProHeat portable carpet and upholstery cleaner (2513E) | Best for stains and spot cleaning. Listed with a 37 oz tank, a 15-foot cord and a weight of 3.86 kg. Works on carpet, upholstery, stairs and car seats, and has a tool to rinse the hose. #1 in Carpet Washers when we checked. | See price |
| Hoover PowerDash Pet compact carpet cleaner (FH50700) | Best for a small apartment if you want an upright. Listed at 5.67 kg with a 0.5 gallon tank and corded power. The product page mentions a HeatForce feature meant to speed up drying. #3 in Carpet Washers when we checked. | See price |
| Hoover CleanSlate portable carpet and upholstery spot cleaner | Best for sofas, stairs and car seats. The lightest of the four at 1.13 kg, with separate clean and dirty water tanks (40 oz clean), a 7-inch WidePath tool and a TightSpot tool. #6 in Carpet Washers when we checked. | See price |
| Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker (EX200C) | Best for whole rooms. A full-size machine listed at 10.5 kg and 67.6 fluid ounces, with a high-speed brush roll and a built-in handheld tool for stairs and spots. #9 in Carpet Washers when we checked. | See price |
Specs come from the retailer’s product pages and can change, so check the current page before you order.
What does Health Canada say about wet carpets?
A carpet cleaner leaves carpet wet, so Health Canada’s advice on moisture is worth knowing:
- Mould can begin to grow within 48 hours in an area with excessive moisture.
- Dry areas that are wet. To speed up drying, use fans and, if the weather allows, open doors and windows.
- Keep your home’s relative humidity between 30% and 50%, and use a portable dehumidifier if you see condensation on cold surfaces.
- Mouldy carpet isn’t a cleaning job. Health Canada says to throw away carpets that have gotten wet, been exposed to damp conditions or been stored in a wet environment, and to cut out and discard carpets and underpads that are mouldy.
- Health Canada also says to vacuum carpets, curtains and soft furnishings frequently, so vacuum before you wash.
How do you pick a carpet cleaner?
- Size of the job: the CleanSlate (1.13 kg) and ProHeat (3.86 kg) are portable machines for spots, stairs and upholstery. The PowerDash Pet (5.67 kg) and CarpetXpert (10.5 kg) are uprights for bigger areas.
- Tank: a bigger clean-water tank means fewer refills. The product pages list 37 oz for the ProHeat, 40 oz (clean tank) for the CleanSlate, 0.5 gallon for the PowerDash Pet and 67.6 fluid ounces for the CarpetXpert, so compare the units on the page.
- Drying: the PowerDash Pet’s product page mentions a drying feature (HeatForce). The feature lists for the other three don’t mention one, so plan on fans and fresh air.
- Cleanup: the ProHeat and CleanSlate both list a tool for rinsing the hose after use.
- Cord: only the ProHeat lists a cord length (15 feet). Check the others before you order.
Common questions
How soon can mould start after a carpet gets wet? Health Canada says mould can begin to grow within 48 hours in an area with excessive moisture.
Can a carpet cleaner fix a mouldy carpet? Health Canada says carpets and underpads that are mouldy should be cut out and discarded.
Which of these four is the lightest? The Hoover CleanSlate, listed at 1.13 kg. The ProHeat is listed at 3.86 kg, the PowerDash Pet at 5.67 kg and the CarpetXpert at 10.5 kg.
Which one is for a whole room? The Shark CarpetXpert is the full-size machine in this group. The other three are portable or compact.
Before you buy
- Decide the job: stains and stairs (portable) or whole rooms (full-size).
- Check the weight and where you’ll store it.
- Plan the drying: fans, and open windows if the weather allows.
- Vacuum first. Our cordless stick vacuum guide covers HEPA filters and runtime.
- Damp basement? See our basement dehumidifier guide.
- Want a machine that cleans bare floors on its own? See our robot vacuum guide.
Sources: Health Canada, Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors; Health Canada, Dust and dust mites. Product details come from the manufacturers’ and retailer’s product pages, so check the current page before you order.
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