7 best portable spot and stain carpet cleaners (2024)
Life seems perfect until you spill some coffee on the carpet to cause a stain or when you find a stained rug.
On one hand, you can’t leave it because it doesn’t look good, but you can’t just wash the whole carpet for one stain either. Luckily there is a solution. It is called a portable carpet cleaner.
A portable spot and stain carpet cleaner works like a normal carpet cleaner with a heavy focus on mobility. Getting rid of an uncertain situation can be hard, so I would suggest you get rid of that stain instead.
A carpet cleaner can get rid of it in seconds, but snapping up one requires some technical know-how, which I would be explaining in great detail in the later part of this article.
But for now, Here is what you will learn at the end of this article.
- What are some of the best portable spot and stain cleaners on the market?
- What are the technical parameters to look for?
- Some cheap alternatives.
- Much more…
Let’s get started.
Choosing the best portable spot and stain carpet cleaner
According to Kathy Cohoon from Two Maids and a Mop, an ideal portable spot and stain carpet cleaner should be lightweight, quiet, easy to use, and clean with the ability to be put away easily without taking up much space.
The best portable spot and stain carpet cleaner is the Bissell portable carpet cleaner from Bissell but If you are on a budget then the Hoover PowerDash from Hoover is the right choice for you. They are the best in terms of quality, functionality, and reliability.
How to decide which cleaner best suits you? Here are a few factors which you and I should consider when making the right decision.
a. Suction power
Every carpet cleaner is also a vacuum cleaner. It cleans the carpet by sucking the stain out of it so it is important for a carpet cleaner to have ideal suction power.
It is like a battle between noise and power the higher the suction power the louder the cleaner will be. I would suggest you go with a cleaner that has above 87 AW because that you give you professional-grade results.
An ideal cleaner should have a suction power between 85AW and 100 AW.
b. Noise level
Carpet cleaners produce a lot of noise so It is always better to go with a carpet cleaner that produces less noise to make sure you don’t disturb anyone. The average carpet cleaner produces 80 dBA of noise.
So I would suggest you buy one with a noise rating lower or around 75 dBA. The noise is inevitable but getting a cleaner with lower than average noise rating makes a huge difference.
c. Storage capacity
Every portable spot and stain carpet cleaner comes with a water storage capacity. A spray of solvent is used to prepare the surface and then the vacuum sucks it out along with the stain.
The rule for this varies because the amount of water you add directly affects the weight of the cleaner. So go with a cleaner that can at least carry 2 liters of water.
d. Weight
A good portable carpet cleaner should be lightweight and easy to carry around and it should have an ergonomic design so that it can be tucked away nicely in a small space without an issue.
The weight should be around 9 to 20 pounds anything on either side of the spectrum is either too large and heavy to be portable or small enough to be ineffective,
e. Versatility
For a carpet cleaner to be versatile, it should be operable on a variety of materials ranging from rugs to carpets and car interiors. The more material it can operate on, the more valuable it becomes.
I would suggest you choose a cleaner that can be used on carpets, furniture, and cars. That should cover most of the situations you will encounter in your life.
Some other parameters
Another thing you might look at is the length of the wire and the length of the hos because if they are short then no matter how good the cleaner is. Its capability would be limited severely.
List of best portable spot and stain carpet cleaners.
Keep in mind that the below products are selected based on the technical parameters I’ve explained in the above section.
1. Bissell portable carpet cleaner
The first and most ideal portable spot and stain carpet cleaner is from the company Bissell Founded in 1876, Bissell is a US-based company that specializes in vacuum cleaners.
The Bissell portable carpet cleaner is one it is top of its line product with a focus on portability and convenience it is designed to work on as many materials as possible.
Important features:
- This carpet cleaner has a high suction power of 96.25AW meaning cleaning in a matter of seconds.
- At a weight of 13.2 pounds, this carpet cleaner is extremely easy to carry around and operate.
- Yes, it is considered quite loud by the users but it cleans very quickly.
- This cleaner can help you clean carpets, couches, cars, and much more making it very versatile.
- The ¾ gallon water tank allows you to clean a large surface area without refilling it.
- It also has a 22ft long power cord, meaning easy maneuverability
To sum it all up, the Bissell portable carpet cleaner (Amazon link) will get you through most of your daily tasks with ease. It is an all-in-one package that gets the job done with no excuses.
2. Kenmore KW2001
The next ideal portable spot and stain carpet cleaner on the list is the Kenmore KW2001 from the company Kenmore which has been producing world-class products for more than 100 years.
The Kenmore KW2001 is the absolute best when it comes to functionality and performance. It’s versatile and can clean almost any material without even breaking a sweat.
Important features:
- This portable carpet cleaner produces 80 AW of suction power which can peel off stains easily
- With a weight of fewer than 11 pounds, you can carry it around easily without getting tired.
- Yes, this carpet cleaner is also loud but less loud than others.
- You can use this cleaner on stairs, carpets, furniture, and car interior, making it very versatile.
- It has two storage tanks, the 2.5-liter clean water tank allows large stains to be treated and the 3.3-liter dirt tank collects the dirty water.
- The 20 ft long cord allows plenty enough length for large areas.
To put things in perspective, the Kenmore KW2001 (Amazon link) is the best at what it does. It’s a one-stop shop for any stain removal. It provides absolute cleaning and is useful in most household tasks.
3. Bissell Little Green Carpet Cleaner
On the third spot in finding the best spot and stain carpet cleaner on the market, we have the Bissell Little Green. The company Bissell is dominating the carpet cleaning market.
The little green model provides absolute cleaning in a much smaller and easy-to-carry-around form factor. It can operate on a variety of materials, making it very versatile.
Important features:
- Equipped with 96 AW worth of suction power it can go through tough stains with ease.
- The cleaner has a weight of 9.7 Pounds making it extremely easy to carry and operate.
- Yes, this carpet cleaner is also loud.
- Material of operation ranges from rugs to car interiors making it very adaptable.
- The storage tanks can hold 48 oz of solvent which helps you cover a large area without a refill.
- It also comes with a 15 ft long power cord.
In a nutshell, the Bissell Little Green Carpet Cleaner (Amazon link) is a carpet cleaner that is designed for portability and ease of use. The lightweight design can be carried around easily.
It can also clean almost everything with a stain on it like stairs, carpets, furniture, and cars. This cleaner will cover 80% of household issues making it very handy.
4. Hoover PowerDash Go
The next best portable spot and stain carpet cleaner is from the company Hoover which has been standing for more than 100 years with a robust product line of vacuum machines.
The PowerDash is the best cheap alternative to the options above with a focus on pet stains. If you have pets then this is the absolute best and cheapest carpet cleaner on the market.
Important features:
- The suction power on this device is right around 75 and 80 WA.
- Weighing in at 6.7 pounds this device is super lightweight so you can carry it around easily.
- Hoover PowerDash Go is less loud than most carpet cleaner
- They can operate on a variety of materials varying from floor carpets to the mates in cars.
- The storage tank of this device is very small compared to the above options.
- It has a 14-foot-long power cord for maneuverability.
To summarize, the Hoover PowerDash Go (Amazon link) is the best if you are on a budget and do not want to spend a lot of money on a unit.
It’s compact, portable, versatile, and gets the job done at half of the price with relative ease. You can’t beat the price-to-functionality ratio. It is perfect for daily use.
5. Hoover CleanSlate Plus
The next in the line is a Hoover CleanSlate Plus from the company Hoover. This company has more than 100 years of experience under its belt so they know what they are doing.
The Hoover CleanSlate Plus is a beast of a machine that can get rid of even the toughest of stains with relative ease and has been used by professionals all across the world.
Important features:
- 170 grams of weight allows great portability and ease of use.
- This cleaner comes with 90 WA of suction power which can easily peel off any stain ease
- It can operate on a variety of materials e.g., carpet, stairs, and cars.
- Yes according to users this carpet cleaner is loud.
- ½ gallon water storage tank allows operation on a large area without refilling.
- The 18ft power cord can come in handy in hard-to-reach situations
To put things in perspective I think the Hoover CleanSlate Plus (Amazon link) is the absolute best carpet cleaner on the market because of its supreme quality and functionality.
If you are looking for the absolute best then it doesn’t get any premium than this. The quality along with functionality is on point.
6. Rug Doctor portable cleaner
The next ideal portable spot and stain carpet cleaner is from the company Rug Doctor which has been in operation for more than 40 years and knows its craft when it comes to carpet cleaners.
The Rug Doctor portable cleaner is designed for pet stains. They do a terrific job of cleaning out the mess your pets make accidentally because sometimes pets mistake rugs for outside grass or gravel.
Important feature:
- The focus of this cleaner is more on pets.
- With 17 pounds weight, it can be carried around to any place with relative ease.
- The suction power of this competes with top of line product and comes in around 95 WA, which get rid of pet stains in a matter of seconds
- The ½ gallon water tank allows use on a large area of the carpet without refilling.
- It can be operated on light stains like coffee and even car seats.
- The cleaner comes with a 15ft power cord, which can help you in hard-to-reach spots with relative ease.
To summarize, the Rug Doctor portable carpet cleaner (Amazon link) is the best option if you have pets at home. Accidents happen when your cat or dog stains the rug.
This cleaner will get rid of any stains in a matter of seconds and you can also use this to clean the car seat or even on stairs if the stain is fresh enough.
7. BISSELL Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet
The last entry in our quest to find the best portable spot and stain carpet cleaner is from the company Bissel again because they have produced world-class products for more than 100 years.
The multi-purpose carpet cleaner can get through anything from pet stains to coffee stains to the car interior. This carpet cleaner will go through all of that very easily.
Important features:
- Weighing at less than 10 pounds, this cleaner is extremely lightweight making it ideal and portable.
- The suction power of this device measures around 85 and 90WA. Meaning it can get through 80 percent of tasks with relative ease.
- This device is loud according to users.
- a 48oz water tank allows it to be operated on a large area of the carpet.
- It is multipurpose. It can operate on carpets, stairs, and car interiors with no issue.
- The 14ft power cord allows greater mobility in large spaces.
To put things into perspective, the Bissell multi-purpose carpet cleaner (Amazon link) is perfect for most household issues but the reason why it is at the bottom of our list is that some users reported that the water tank leaks after a while of use.
This might not be the case for other users but, other than that this is the absolute best and most versatile cleaner on the market.
Conclusion
The moral of the story is that it doesn’t matter how beautiful the rest of the house is. If it smells bad or the carpet is stained by pets or other factors, it ruins the whole aesthetic of the house.
To remove a stain you have to send it to a cleaning company and I think it just doesn’t make any sense to go through all of that for an area that is barely the size of a human fest.
Luckily for you, there is a solution and it’s called a portable spot or stain carpet cleaner. It is a carpet cleaner that is compressed into a small package that you can carry around.
At the moment there are hundreds to choose from but in my opinion, you should keep some guidelines in mind before you acquire a unit for yourself to guarantee absolute quality and functionality.
Here are the technical parameters you should keep in mind.
- Suction power
- Noise level
- Storage capacity
- Weight
- Versatility
Using the guidelines I discussed above. the Bissell portable carpet cleaner (Amazon link) is the best portable spot and stain carpet cleaner on the market. the suction power is excellent. the water capacity is excellent.
Alright,
This is it folks. I hope this article helped you in your journey and guided you in the right direction.
Thank you and stay curious.
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