Carpet messes come in all shapes and sizes. When you have a little spill on your white carpet, you don't want to have to bust out the big carpet cleaner and load it with fluid. It's just a little mess. So don't! Instead, you can check out some of the best portable carpet cleaners on the market. Not only can they fill all your mess needs, but they are pretty reasonably priced.
Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
When you need a lightweight machine to clean up the small messes in your home, I suggest trying out the Bissell Little Green Spot Cleaner. This lightweight machine packs a punch. Coming in at only 9.6 lbs, Little Green is easy to carry to any messes you need. It also has a built-in heater to help to steam those messes out in no time. And for under 200 bucks, it's an affordable alternative to a larger machine. While this machine is good on small messes, it doesn't perform as well on dried-in messes, given the smaller motor. But it's the perfect machine for all those small kid and pet messes you can't avoid.
What We Like
▪ Eco-friendly
▪ Attachments for tough stains
▪ Easy-to-use
▪ Lightweight
What We Don’t
▪ Only for small areas
▪ Not automatic
Bissell SpotClean Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner
Bissell is a leader in carpet cleaners and vacuums on the market. And the Bissell SpotClean Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner doesn't disappoint. Designed for cleaning small spots on your carpet and upholstery, this cleaner has a unique design that makes it convenient to use and store when you need to clean up quick messes.
It's also pretty lightweight at 13 lbs. and can make it most places around your home with a 22-foot cord. It's nice to have the floor and stair attachment too. However, you aren't going to clean a big carpet with this machine. Instead, it's only for small spots and stains.
What We Like
▪ Easy to store
▪ No filters
▪ Long cord
What We Don’t
▪ Noisy
▪ No heater
▪ Hose flimsy
Bissell SpotBot Pet Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner
Pets accidents on your carpet don't have to ruin your day with the Bissell Spotbot Pet Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner. This machine uses hands-free technology, so all you have to do is fill it up, add the cleaner, and hit the surface stain button. Boom! Walk away and let the machine go to work. The deep clean technology and brushes work the stain to suck out and clean up the area. It also has a hose attachment for larger stains.
If you have a large dog or a large pet puddle, you either need to use the machine on multiple areas or use the hose cleaner, which can get tedious. The deep cleaning tech is good at its job - so good, in fact, you might get a circular clean spot on your carpet if other areas are slightly dirty.
What We Like
▪ Powerful suction and stain cleaning power
▪ Hands-free smart system
▪ Lightweight
What We Don’t
▪ Spots must be smaller than the automatic cleaner area
Hoover Onepwr Spotless Go Cordless Carpet and Upholstery Spot Cleaner
Take your spot cleaning on the go with the Hoover Onepwr Spotless Go Cordless. This easy-to-use spot cleaner has a brush attachment and sprayer to help to scrub and suck up the stains. A lightweight machine, Hoover uses a 20 V battery that takes about 3.5 hours to charge. Given this is a cordless machine, the suction power is not as good as some corded ones.
What We Like
▪ Convenient for all messes
▪ Lightweight
▪ Scrubbing brush
What We Don’t
▪ Small water tank
▪ Limited suction power
BLACK+DECKER Spillbuster Portable Carpet Cleaner
When it comes to an easy-to-use and affordable carpet and couch cleaner, I highly recommend checking out the BLACK+DECKER Spillbuster Portable Carpet Cleaner. This is a cordless model offered at a reasonable price point. It uses a press button activation to spray the cleaner, and the front is the suction part. It does not have a hose to mess with. And for your convenience, the water bowl and front section of the cleaner can be thrown in the dishwasher, which makes everything just that much easier when it comes to cleaning it out. However, due to this being a battery-operated machine, the suction isn't as strong as its corded sisters.
What We Like
▪ Compact
▪ Easy to use
▪ Dishwasher safe
What We Don’t
▪ Less suction power than corded machines
▪ Hard to put together
Hoover PowerDash GO Pet Portable Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
When you're looking for a portable that won't break the bank, you can't go wrong with the Hoover PowerDash GO. This bad boy does a great job cleaning up small pet messes and spills for a fraction of the price of some of the others. It uses a scrub head and hose so that you can scrub out those set-in stains. I also liked that this machine isn't going to break your back. It has a lightweight design, making it each to carry around.
However, some consumers did complain about the suction power since it's less than a larger machine. Additionally, some people had problems with the tanks leaking when using the machine.
What We Like
▪ Brush to scrub and lift away stains
▪ Lightweight
▪ Easy to store
What We Don’t
▪ Not for large areas
▪ Leaks
▪ Low suction
Rug Doctor Pet Portable Spot Cleaner
Sometimes when you have a spot cleaner, it doesn't work well with deep or heavy stains. However, Rug Doctor Pet Portable Spot Cleaner pulls out the big guns by offering a portable system with twice the suction power. It also sports an easy-to-use dual-action cleaning head with soft plastic bristles to pull up embedded stains. I liked the fact that this cleaner has wheels to make getting it around easier.
The wheels are a good thing, though, because this machine is heavier than some of the others you might carry around. It's also been noted to leak a few months after purchase, but you can purchase replacement gaskets.
What We Like
▪ Twice the suction power
▪ Wheels for moving it around
▪ Special tools for cleaning stains
▪ Dual tanks
What We Don’t
▪ Heavy
▪ Leaking issues
Difference Between a Carpet Cleaner and Spot Cleaner
When it comes to portable spot cleaners, they are designed to be small and compact. This makes them easy to use for small pet messes like a minor spill or a pet accident. However, with a smaller design also comes a smaller motor, so they have less suction power than their big carpet cleaner siblings. The portability and function of these cleaners make them great for cleaning couches, chairs, and even rugs. However, they are not designed to clean your entire carpet. If you want to clean a large area, it would be more convenient to use a large carpet cleaner. These machines have a larger capacity and better suction to clean a huge area.
Finding the Best Carpet Cleaner for You
When it comes to getting the perfect spot cleaner, you want to think about what you're going to use it for. While Bissell offers several all-around good spot cleaners for general and pet messes, you might need something a bit different if you want a cordless machine or something a little cheaper. Really think about what you want the device for to find the best machine for your household.
