The Best Carpet Shampoos

Buying Guide for Carpet Shampoos

Why buy carpet shampoo?

You want to buy carpet shampoo and clean your carpets and rugs regularly so that you don’t have to replace them prematurely. If you’re a pet owner, it’s super important to have carpet shampoo on hand. Vacuuming is essential, but it doesn’t work as a pet odor remover or completely rid of stains. If your kitchen has hard flooring, you have a clearer view of the filth, which would be hidden if you had a carpet. A strong shampoo and some elbow grease may be all you need.

What should you look for in carpet shampoo?

• Ingredients: You may prioritize natural cleaning products with minimal ingredients. If so, you can find effective carpet shampoos with biodegradable detergent, natural scents, and enzymatic bacteria, which break down organic matter. It’s like an accelerated composting process, except detergents clean up what’s left over. Beyond that, it isn’t easy to find the exact ingredients of products depending on what the brand wants to highlight most. If you’re concerned, you may be able to find the ingredients if you go to the manufacturer’s website. Some of you will choose based on easily identifiable ingredients like Febreze or fresh linen scent.
• Target Problem: Identify the type of filth most problematic for your carpet. There are several specialized products for the dirt and debris pets bring inside and for accidental urination and defecation. If you have pets, then look for those shampoos. They’ll generally be safe for pets and kids, too. Pay attention to the details because some pet-specialized carpet shampoos are effective on other surfaces like cement, laundry, and leather.
• Quantity: Some carpet shampoos come in jugs, others as sprays, and all shampoos come in various amounts—from one-gallon jugs to five-gallon jugs, one-and-a-half quarts, and 32-ounce sprays. Choosing a product with more shampoo makes sense if you have many carpeted square feet and a lot of foot traffic. Some products are concentrates. If you and your kitty live in a studio apartment, you may not need a five-gallon jug of carpet shampoo concentrate.

How often should you clean your carpets?

It depends since every household is different. You may want to clean every six months if you have pets and small children. If your pets are two German Shepherds and you have three twin toddlers, you might need to shampoo more frequently. Most households do fine with a 12 to 18-month carpet cleaning schedule.

Our Picks for the Best Carpet Shampoos

Pros: If you’re looking for human and animal-friendly carpet shampoo, look no further. Rocco and Roxie’s solution contains enzymatic bacteria, which activate as you apply pressure. The bacteria consume the organic matter (i.e., excrement, urine, food, vomit) until there’s nothing left. Its powerful effect may give the impression that other toxic chemicals are at work, but no. It’s free of chlorine and toxins and is color safe, so the shade of your blue carpet remains even after a hard scrubbing. Certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute as gentle and colorfast, Rocco & Roxie is all but equipped to remove debris only.

Cons: While the minty scent is pleasant, it can be intense.

Bottom Line: This reliable solution from Rocco & Roxie works on all surfaces, and the steps to use it couldn’t be more straightforward. Spray, wait, apply pressure, and vacuum.

 

Pros: This five-gallon jug of carpet shampoo will rock your world—to the extent that carpet shampoo can. It’s deep-cleaning, low-foaming, and has professional strength. For over 35 years, Nature’s Miracle has been helping families with pets and kiddos out with this simple but effective concoction. It contains only three ingredients. In addition to carpet, apply Nature’s Miracle to rugs and upholstery for a tropical bloom scent freshness. Vacuum first, apply the shampoo, then use any water-based carpet cleaning machine to finish it.

Cons: You may notice the product has a chemical-like smell.

Bottom Line: This carpet shampoo is a miracle because it does a great job cleaning many surfaces. However, its signature feature is its simple three-ingredient formula.

 

Pros: Hoover was founded in 1908 as a home appliance manufacturer and quickly gained popularity with its upright electric vacuum cleaner. With such extensive knowledge, it only follows that Hoover’s carpet cleaning products, like this shampoo, are made to get the job done. This USA-made deep-cleaning shampoo removes dirt and grim from home and car upholstery, in addition to carpets. It restores and has a refreshing linen scent.

Cons: To get the best results, you should add a second product, Hoover’s Oxy stain remover. Also, the solution may cause harm to the eyes and skin.

Bottom Line: This Hoover-made carpet shampoo concentrate is easy to use and has several applications. It smells nice, too. Use any full-size carpet deep cleaning machines to finish.

 

Pros: What a fabulous option for pet owners with carpeted floors. One purchase of this carpet shampoo by BISSEL goes toward the company’s pet foundation. They’re all about saving homeless pets, which is a great benefit you can support if you choose this option. This deep-cleaning concentrate is formulated to remove the toughest stains, soiled spots, and deep ground-in dirt. Impressively, it’s biodegradable and safe to use around pets and kids.

Cons: The product is scented but not mentioned on the bottle.

Bottom Line: It’s not apparent on the front of the bottle, but Bissell Pro removes blood, beverage, and oil and grease. It’s a winning product if you have kids or pets or want to support pets. It works with any upright carpet cleaning machine.

 

Pros: This pet-centric carpet shampoo concentrate targets urine, making it an ideal cleaner for homes with furry friends. The formula contains no heavy metals, dyes, or phosphates. What it does have are substantial deep-cleaning elements and refreshing scents. Bissell paired three active ingredients to improve its efficacy in eliminating urine: Oxy, Febreze, and Scotchgard Protection. Oxy, or oxygen cleaners, contain hydrogen peroxide and a sodium-based ingredient to make bubbles to clean surfaces and lift stains. In addition to urine, this carpet shampoo removes skunk odor and blood and grass stains.

Cons: It has a strong pine scent; however, it may not remove the odor entirely for some.

Bottom Line: If you want to zero in on that unmistakable, pungent pet urine odor, you have little to lose with Bissel’s Professional Pet Urine Eliminator. Let’s say your cat’s urine stink proves unbeatable; you’ll still benefit from its efficacy in its beverage, dirt, grass, and blood removal.

Final Thoughts

If you let your regular carpet shampooing go too long, the time to replace it will come all too soon. An effective carpet cleaner will also improve the overall health of your home, ensuring any funk and gunk are gone. Get back to regular carpet cleaning with one of these effective shampoos most suited to your needs for daily use or on a monthly basis.