Everyone in this category says they tested twenty vacuums. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead is read the manuals, compile the published specifications, and work out what each machine costs to run for three years — the method is written out in full.
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They are the same machine today. Every domestic "carpet shampooer" currently sold is an extractor: it sprays a solution, agitates with a brush, and vacuums the dirty liquid back out. Hoover markets the PowerScrub Deluxe as a "carpet shampooer machine" and it has dual tanks and a recovery system, which makes it an extractor by any definition. The distinction is a marketing survival from an older kind of machine.
What a shampooer used to mean
Historically the two were genuinely different. A rotary shampooer applied a foaming detergent, worked it into the pile with a rotating brush or bonnet, and left it to dry — after which you vacuumed up the dried residue with an ordinary vacuum. There was no recovery of liquid at all.
That approach had a real problem: detergent residue stays in the carpet, and residue attracts soil. A shampooed carpet often looked clean and then got dirty faster than before, because the fibers were now slightly sticky.
Extraction solved that by pulling the solution back out along with the dirt. It is why every consumer machine on this site — Bissell, Hoover and Shark alike — is built that way, whatever word the box uses.
How to tell what you are actually looking at
Ignore the word on the box and check three published details:
Two tanks? Dual clean and dirty tanks means extraction. Every machine on this site has them, whether it is called a cleaner, a shampooer or a washer.
Does it mention recovery or extraction? If a listing never says the dirty water comes back, assume it does not.
Is there a brushroll? Extractors agitate — Bissell's 4-row DeepReach, Hoover's 5 counter-rotating SpinScrub brushes. A machine with no agitation at all is a spot device rather than a floor machine.
Where the terms genuinely still cost you money
Two ways, and both are avoidable.
Searching for the wrong term narrows your options. A shopper searching "carpet shampooer" and a shopper searching "carpet cleaner" see overlapping but different results, and neither sees the whole field. Search both, because they are the same machines.
Buying shampoo formula for an extractor. This one matters. Extractors need low-foaming formula, because excessive foam interferes with recovery and can damage the vacuum motor. Old-style carpet shampoo is designed to foam. Every manufacturer here publishes a formula intended for its own machines — Bissell's Pro Max Clean, Hoover's carpet solutions, Shark's Deep Clean Essential — and using a high-foam shampoo instead is a genuine way to damage a machine.
#
Product
Best for
Score
Price
01
Bissell TurboClean Upright Carpet Cleaner (3952)A 1-gallon tank and a 4-row brush at 16.3 lb — the cheapest full-size extractor that is not a compromise on the part that matters.
Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe Carpet CleanerFive counter-rotating brushes, dual tanks, an 8-foot hose and a two-year warranty — the most complete kit at this price.
Bissell TurboClean PET Upright Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner (3948)The 3952 plus a 7-foot hose and a self-cleanout tool — and the tool is what makes it usable on stairs and a sofa.
Bissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet Cleaner (4075)7 lb, 16 ounces, and a self-cleaning hose tool — the machine most people should buy before a full-size extractor.
Scores are ours, from the published rubric on the How We Pick page. They are editorial judgments about published specifications — not test results. We have not handled these machines.
01 · Best under $150
Bissell TurboClean Upright Carpet Cleaner (3952)
A 1-gallon tank and a 4-row brush at 16.3 lb — the cheapest full-size extractor that is not a compromise on the part that matters.
Designed around Bissell Pro Max Clean + Protect with StainProtect — an ongoing consumable
Above-floor tools
Not included on this model
Cleaning path width
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+1-gallon tank at the bottom of the price band, which is what saves the sink trips
+4-row brush is the same agitation as the dearer TurboClean models
+16.3 lb is manageable up a flight of stairs, unlike the 23 lb XL
+Bissell formula is stocked in ordinary supermarkets, not just online
Where it stops
−No hose and no above-floor tools — carpet and rugs only
−No heater, so it relies on the temperature of the water you pour in
−The formula is a permanent running cost
Who it is for
Flat carpet and area rugs in a small-to-mid home, on the lowest sensible budget.
Skip it if
You need to clean stairs or upholstery. There is no hose on this model; the 3948 PET adds one and that is the whole reason it exists.
Our score: 6.9 out of 10
Tank capacity8.5
Brush system7.5
Tools and reach3.0
Weight and handling7.0
Running cost7.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
02 · Most brushes for the money
Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner
Five counter-rotating brushes, dual tanks, an 8-foot hose and a two-year warranty — the most complete kit at this price.
8 feet, with upholstery, pet and crevice tools and a storage bag
Mixing
Auto Mix — meters the water-to-solution ratio automatically
Warranty
2-year limited
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Five brushes attack pile from multiple angles rather than one
+Auto Mix removes the guesswork that wastes formula and leaves residue
+8-foot hose with three tools and a bag to keep them in
+2-year warranty
Where it stops
−18.5 lb and a wide 21.9-inch body — awkward on stairs and in a closet
−Five brushes means five things to clear hair out of
−Hoover formula is a permanent consumable, same as Bissell's
Who it is for
Whole-house carpet plus stairs and upholstery, where one machine has to do everything.
Skip it if
You want the lightest thing that works. This is the most machine on the page and the weight is the price of that.
Our score: 7.8 out of 10
Tank capacity8.5
Brush system9.5
Tools and reach9.0
Weight and handling5.0
Running cost7.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
03 · Best for pet messes
Bissell TurboClean PET Upright Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner (3948)
The 3952 plus a 7-foot hose and a self-cleanout tool — and the tool is what makes it usable on stairs and a sofa.
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+The self-cleanout tool rinses itself in one press, which is the single most annoying job on any extractor
+7-foot hose reaches a full flight of stairs from the landing
+Same 1-gallon tank and 4-row brush as the cheaper 3952
Where it stops
−19.2 lb, nearly three pounds more than the 3952
−Still no heater
−Pet formula costs more per bottle than the standard version
Who it is for
Pet households where the messes are on stairs, sofas and pet beds as much as the floor.
Skip it if
You only ever clean flat open carpet. The hose and tools are the entire price difference and you would never unclip them.
Our score: 7.4 out of 10
Tank capacity8.5
Brush system7.5
Tools and reach8.5
Weight and handling6.0
Running cost6.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
04 · Best spot cleaner
Bissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet Cleaner (4075)
7 lb, 16 ounces, and a self-cleaning hose tool — the machine most people should buy before a full-size extractor.
4" tough stain tool with a removable lens, plus the HydroRinse self-cleaning hose tool
Formula
8 oz Bissell Little Green formula included
Power
Corded electric
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+7 lb and stores in a cupboard, so it comes out for a single spill instead of waiting for a deep-clean day
+HydroRinse flushes the hose, which is the thing that makes portable extractors smell
+Handles car interiors, pet beds and upholstery as well as carpet
Where it stops
−16 ounces is a few spots, not a room
−No powered brush — you provide the scrubbing
−It is not a substitute for a full-size machine and does not claim to be
Who it is for
Almost everyone. Most carpet problems are spots, and most people buy a 20-pound machine to deal with them.
Skip it if
You want to deep clean a whole carpeted house. This is a spot machine; use it alongside a rental, not instead of one.
Our score: 6.6 out of 10
Tank capacity3.0
Brush system4.0
Tools and reach8.5
Weight and handling9.5
Running cost8.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
What to buy instead of worrying about the name
Decide on the specifications that actually differ: tank capacity, weight, whether there is a hose for stairs and upholstery, brush system, and warranty. Those vary enormously across this category and the name on the box does not track any of them. The ranked field is here, sorted on exactly those figures.
What we cannot tell you
Whether any specific third-party formula is safe in a specific machine. Manufacturers publish their own formulas and generally recommend them; whether a given alternative foams too much for a given pump is not something we can determine from a spec sheet. The safe answer is the manufacturer's own low-foaming formula, and the honest answer about everything else is that we do not know.
Common questions
Is a carpet shampooer the same as a carpet cleaner?+−
Today, yes. Every domestic machine sold under either name is an extractor: it sprays solution, agitates, and vacuums the dirty liquid back out. Hoover markets the PowerScrub Deluxe as a carpet shampooer and it has dual tanks and recovery, which makes it an extractor.
What did old carpet shampooers do differently?+−
They applied a foaming detergent, worked it in with a rotating brush, and left it to dry for you to vacuum up afterwards — with no liquid recovery at all. The problem was residue: detergent left in the fibers attracts soil, so the carpet got dirty faster.
Can I use carpet shampoo in a carpet cleaner?+−
Not old-style foaming shampoo. Extractors need low-foaming formula, because excess foam interferes with recovery and can damage the vacuum motor. Use the manufacturer's own formula — Bissell's Pro Max Clean, Hoover's carpet solutions or Shark's Deep Clean Essential.
Should I search for 'carpet cleaner' or 'carpet shampooer'?+−
Both. They return overlapping but different result sets for what are the same machines, so searching only one term narrows your options for no reason.
What is bonnet cleaning?+−
A commercial method where an absorbent pad on a rotary machine works cleaning solution into the top of the pile. It dries fast, which is why hotels and offices use it, and it does not extract deep soil. No machine on this site does it.
Sources
Manufacturer-published specifications — Every runtime, wattage, capacity, weight, filtration and warranty figure quoted on this page is the manufacturer's own published number for that model, retrieved September 1, 2026. Where a manufacturer publishes no figure, the page says 'Not published' rather than estimating one.
Sweep & Suction — How We Pick — Our published method, including the scoring rubric, the three-year running-cost formula and an explicit statement of what published specifications cannot tell you.
