{TOP 5} Best Spot Carpet Cleaner For The Money

Do you ever end up with small, annoying stains on your carpet or upholstery? The answer to this question will be a resounding yes for most people. So, if you are like the majority of the American public, then you need a spot carpet cleaner. These portable carpet cleaners are great for cleaning up small and unexpected messes. Try out one of our top five best spot carpet cleaners today and continue reading this article for a handy buyer’s guide.

What is A Spot Carpet Cleaner?

Carpet spot cleaner are sometimes called portable carpet cleaners. That name describes their function perfectly. Spot carpet cleaners are small carpet cleaner machines. They are perfectly designed for small, everyday messes.

We discuss the difference between spot carpet cleaners and traditional upright carpet cleaner machines below. However, before that discussion, let’s look at the parts that make up the carpet spot cleaner.

Water and carpet cleaner solution tank: Like carpet cleaners, a handheld carpet cleaner will come with a water and carpet cleaner solution tank. This tank is usually housed in the body of the product.

Hose and cleaning head: These are arguably the most important parts of the sport carpet cleaner. The hose and cleaning head are what comes in contact with the floor as you use your carpet spot cleaner. If your product comes with different attachments or hose extensions, they will go on this part of the machine.

Electrical cord: As with all appliances, the electrical chord provides power to the handheld carpet cleaner. You will find some products that are cordless, but the majority will come with an electrical cord.

Motor: The handheld carpet cleaner motor provides power to the suction of the portable carpet cleaner. In these small products, the motor is housed in the body of the machine along with the water and carpet cleaner solution tank.

Spot Carpet Cleaners vs. Traditional Carpet Cleaners

Reading the above list of the component parts of the carpet spot cleaner illustrates a striking similarity with the parts of a traditional carpet cleaner machine. In fact, these two products are very similar. But, there are some major differences that set them apart from one another. First, a traditional carpet cleaner machine is upright, like a conventional vacuum cleaner. Spot carpet cleaners, on the other hand, are drum shaped. Portable carpet cleaners are also often much smaller than a traditional carpet cleaner and weigh less. The size difference brings us to our second way that carpet spot cleaners and traditional carpet cleaner machines differ. Spot carpet cleaners are not designed to be used on large areas. Instead, as their name suggests, you only use them on spotty stains or messes. Traditional carpet cleaners are designed to be used on an entire room worth of carpet. Finally, we will describe a similarity. Handheld carpet cleaners are produced by the same manufacturers as traditional carpet cleaner machines. So, you will be able to find a Bissell portable carpet cleaner or a Rug Doctor portable spot cleaner. You don’t have to change manufacturers just because you want a small carpet shampooer.

When to Use a Spot Carpet Cleaner?

You may be wondering if you even need a carpet spot cleaner. We would argue that everyone could benefit by owning this carpet cleaner machine. Handheld carpet cleaners are perfects for those wine spills or pet messes.

These products are especially good for people who have children or pets. Both children and pets tend to produce many unexpected messes, which makes a spot carpet cleaner an essentially cleaning tool in these types of homes. However, you don’t need children or pets to benefit from having a carpet spot cleaner.

 You can choose to use portable carpet cleaner rental, but that option can become pricey if you need the carpet spot cleaner a lot. Therefore, we recommend buying your own carpet spot cleaner. This way you always have one on hand when you need it.

Spot Carpet Cleaner

Although portable carpet cleaners can be a major help to any household, they still come with a few cons. Make sure that you understand the pros and cons of these machines before you purchase one.

PROS

 – The number one pro of purchasing your own carpet spot cleaner is the convenience. Anytime you have a mess that needs to be cleaned up, all you have to do is go get your handheld carpet cleaner.
– Portable carpet cleaners are not very expensive. Plus, once you make the initial purchase, you have the carpet spot cleaner. Your only expense at that point will be carpet cleaner solution.
– Spot carpet cleaners help you keep your carpet looking like new. They will clean up any type of small mess.

CONS

 – Handheld carpet cleaners are not designed to be used on large areas. So, if you have a very dirty carpet, you may want to consider an upright carpet cleaner machine.
– These are not professional portable carpet cleaners, which means that you will have to use the machine yourself. The spot carpet cleaners you find on today’s list will also not be as powerful as professional models.

What to Look For In a Spot Carpet Cleaner

When you are researching a portable carpet cleaner, there are a few features that you need to keep in mind. Understanding you own wants and needs when it comes to the features described below will point to towards one product of another.

For pets?

Do you have pets? If so, then you need to purchase a spot carpet cleaner that is designed to handle pet messes. These types of machines typically use spot carpet cleaner for pet stains. You may even find a portable carpet cleaner that comes with a spot carpet cleaner for pet stains floorscleaner

If you don’t have pets but do end up with a lot of messes on your carpets, then you could also use a carpet cleaner for pets. These machines are often more powerful and have different attachments than other handheld carpet cleaners.

Weight

If you are purchasing a portable carpet cleaner, you likely want it to be lighter than a traditional upright carpet cleaner machine. Spot carpet cleaners are small products, so it makes sense that they should be a light-weight option. However, handheld carpet cleaners still vary significantly in their weights. For example, the products on our top five list range from nine to twenty pounds. To determine the ideal weight of your portable carpet cleaner, make sure to consider who will be using the machine. If you want your children to learn to use the spot carpet cleaner, purchase one that they can easily handle. The weight of the carpet spot cleaner will determine how usable the product is for your family and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Ease of Use

You want to purchase a portable carpet cleaner that is easy to use. This probably goes without saying. However, what do we mean by easy to use? When we say that you want a portable carpet cleaner that is easy to use, we mean that everything about the appliance is clear. For example, there should be clearly marked lines on the water and solution tanks. Additionally, those tanks need to have an easily-removable lid for cleaning. It would also help if the cleaning heads had removeable parts to facilitate their cleaning. All-in-all, the spot carpet cleaner that is right for you will make every one of its functions clear and simple.

Accessories

Some carpet spot cleaner come with a lot of accessories and some come with none. Accessories on these products typically range from extra cleaning heads to cleaning spray. You will also occasionally find accessories bags to keep all of the extra tools organized and together. To know what type of accessories you need, you first need to determine what type of cleaning you will be doing with you carpet spot cleaner. If you are primarily cleaning up pet messes, then you need a tool that is designed for that. Similarly, a stair tool may be helpful for those who have carpeted stairs in their home.

Versatility

When you buy a spot carpet cleaner, you need to know where you plan on using it. Most homes are not completely carpeted. If you have tile, laminate, or hardwood floors, you may want to find a carpet spot cleaner that also works on those surfaces. The more versatile the handheld carpet cleaner, the better. Additionally, some carpet spot cleaners will also be upholstery cleaners. This is probably the most common type of versatile product. So, if you have upholstery—like cloth furniture, drapes, etc.—that occasionally needs cleaning, you could benefit from a versatile carpet spot cleaner.

As with vacuums, no one wants a loud carpet cleaning machine. Most spot carpet cleaners are on the quieter side because they are smaller than the upright models. But, if you purchase a product that runs on ten or more amps, beware that it is likely going to have a loud motor. If a spot carpet cleaner’s noise level does not bother you, then feel free to choose any product. But, people with sensitive ears, sleeping babies, or skittish pets may want to consider a portable carpet cleaner that runs on around four amps. The motor on these machines will run at a much softer level.

Wheels

Nothing is more convenient than wheels when you are trying to spot clean multiple stains. This feature is especially important for people who are trying to spruce up an old carpet, as there are likely multiple spots that need cleaning. Especially since many spot carpet cleaners have weights in the teens, wheels make transporting the machine much easier. On the other hand, wheels may not be essential for some people. The addition of wheels adds bulk to the carpet spot cleaner, which can make it harder to store. Also, if you choose a light product, wheels will likely not be necessary for you to move the portable carpet cleaner.

Top Five Best Spot Carpet Cleaner 2022 – Comparison table

Top 5 Best Spot Carpet Cleaner on The Market Reviews

#1 Bissell Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner

Bissell is known for their Big Green Carpet Cleaning Machine, so it should come at no surprise that the company’s Little Green is another high-quality product. The Bissell Little Green packs all of the Big Green’s cleaning power in a compact package. It still has a 48 oz. dirty water tank, but only weighs 11.85 lbs. That weight makes the Little Green one of the lightest spot carpet cleaners on our list. The Bissell Little Green also comes with other amenities that makes it a great choice. There is an included tough-stain brush attachment. It only takes three amps to run, so it is extremely quiet. But the motor is still quite strong, so you can clean and dry your stained carpet in one easy step.

#2 Bissell 3624 SpotClean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner

Another great Bissell carpet spot cleaner, the 3624 SpotClean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner is a professional-grade handheld carpet cleaner. It has a huge, ¾ gallon tank for longer cleaning. Plus, it comes with a stair tool and tough stain tool. The SpotClean is a very versatile carpet spot cleaner because it can clean stairs, upholstery, and rugs. One potential negative about the Bissell SpotClean is the fact that it uses 5.7 amps. It is still a fairly quiet machine, but the motor will be louder than the Bissell Little Green. However, with that increase in noise comes great cleaning power. Overall, it is an easy-to-use and powerful spot carpet cleaner.

#3 Hoover Spotless Portable Carpet & Upholstery Spot Cleaner

Hoover might be known for their vacuums, but their spot carpet cleaner, the Spotless Portable Carpet & Upholstery Spot Cleaner, is a product designed for easy use. At nine pounds, the Spotless is the lightest handheld carpet cleaner on our list. It also employs dual tank technology so your clean and dirty water are kept separate.

With your purchase of the Hoover Spotless Portable Carpet & Upholstery Spot Cleaner you receive a multipurpose tool and trial sizes of cleaning solution and pretreat gel. The pretreat gel in particular is nice to have to receive a better clean on your carpet’s stain. As a final positive, the self-cleaning hose extends five feet further than the competition, which allows you to clean all of the hard-to-reach locations in your home.

#4 Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner

Rug Doctor’s Portable Spot Cleaner comes with a brush that spins 1200 times per minute. This technology ensures that the cleaned area on your carpet blends in seamlessly with the existing carpet. Rug Doctor’s brush design also makes this spot carpet cleaner a great fit for people with high pile carpet.

Rug Doctor’s Portable Spot Cleaner does not use heat or steam on your carpet. Instead, its powerful suction helps to remove even the deepest stains. One disadvantage of this handheld carpet cleaner is that it does not come with any accessories. However, it is engineered to clean up pet messes specifically, so homes with animals should still consider this spot carpet cleaner.

#5 Bissell SpotBot Pet Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner

No list of the top spot carpet cleaners would be complete with mentioning the Bissell SpotBot Pet Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner. This carpet spot cleaner is the only handsfree machine on our list. Instead of running the SpotBot over a stain manually, you just set the product near the stain, press a button, and let it get to work. The ease of the Bissell SpotBot makes it a perfect choice for busy households. Additionally, its unique spiral brushes penetrate deeper into your carpet for a better clean. And, purchasing this product means that Bissell will donate up to ten dollars to the Bissell pet foundation.

How to Use Your Spot Carpet Cleaner

You use your handheld carpet cleaner like you would its larger cousins. But, that does not mean that there aren’t a few tips and tricks that will take your cleaning to the next level. Below we’ve listed the steps to follow when you are preparing to use your carpet spot cleaner.

 1  Pretreat the stained area. You want to pick up any solid mess, as spot carpet cleaners do not handle this type of spill well. Blot up what you can. You may even want to vacuum around the messy area in order to remove hair that could get caught in the carpet spot cleaner.
 2  Bring your portable carpet cleaner to the mess.
 3  Fill the tank with clean, hot water and carpet cleaner solution. Only fill up to the fill line on the tank or your portable carpet shampoo machine may not work correctly.
 4  Attach the filled tank to you carpet spot cleaner and choose and attach the correct cleaning head.
 5  Use the portable carpet cleaner. Make sure to empty and refill the tank as needed.
 6  Unplug and put away your handheld carpet cleaner. Ensure that all of its parts and attachments are stored together. You don’t want to lose anything.

Carpet Types and Spot Carpet Cleaners

As you have learned on this website, there are a lot of different types of carpets out there. Pile length and fabric type are the most common ways to differentiate carpets. Low, medium, and high pile carpets refer to the height of the carpet fibers. The most often used carpet fabrics are wool and synthetic materials. While fiber length and fabric affect your cleaning methods, it is the former that will most determine your spot carpet cleaner purchase.

Typically, low and medium pile carpets are not hard to keep clean. All handheld carpet cleaners are designed to work on these types of carpets. But, it is high pile carpets that can present a problem. If you have high pile carpets make sure to purchase a portable carpet shampoo machine specifically designed for this length of fiber. Here’s a few more things to look for in carpet spot cleaners for high pile carpet.

 1  The best way to know if a product is designed for high pile carpet is to ask the manufacturer. All of the famous companies have great customer service departments that can answer your question without any problems.
 2  Pay special attention to the beater bar of the spot carpet cleaner. You want a beater bar that can be turned off or has other unique features that will keep the high pile fibers from getting tangled.
 3  If you cannot find a suitable carpet spot cleaner for your high pile carpet, you may want to consider cleaning the spills by hand. In this scenario, Google will be a major help.

Final Words

Anyone can benefit from owning a carpet spot cleaner. These little appliances are small enough to reach confined areas and light enough to move easily. Whenever you have a small spill, just pick up one of the best spot carpet cleaners and your carpet will be back to normal in no time.
If portable carpet cleaners are new to you, that’s okay. Our handy buyer’s guide will tell you everything you need to know. Just follow our advice and choose a product form our top five list, and you will never have to worry about small spills and stains again.