The best carpet cleaners for pets, stairs and rugs

While carpet feels plush and soft beneath your feet, and adds warmth during winter, keeping it clean can be much trickier than hard flooring.

We've done the hard work for you and handpicked our top 12 products for keeping carpet fibers super soft and hygienic, no matter how many spills of moulting pet hair you have to tackle.

Spanning sprays and powder products you can find in your weekly supermarket shop, to high-tech electric cleaners which will deliver a deep clean – using water, steam and strong suctioning tools.

Many of the more expensive electric machines also come with accessories to help you reach tight corners or stairs or specifically to protect delicate rugs.

Our roundup features big-name brands such as Bissell, Vax and Dr. Beckmann offering many benefits for your flooring, from spot-targeted stain removal to deep cleaning of large rooms and stairs.

The best carpet cleaners for spotless stairs, rugs, bedrooms and living rooms

Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover | £2.75 from Amazon

Small but mighty, this stain remover has a wide brush head attachment to evenly distribute product and coat carpet fibers to lift dirt and rid your floor of wine, coffee, or food stains. It works quickly to tackle road dirt, and pet grime too, with odour-fighting ingredients. Simply moisten the brush by turning the bottle upside down, apply to the area and rub it in. Leave for three minutes then wipe away any residue.

Vax Rapid Power+ Carpet Cleaner | £159 from John Lewis

This is a bestselling carpet cleaner from John Lewis, with more than 250 rave reviews. One shopper said: "Easy to use, brought out the brightness in my carpets, and dries quickly. Would definitely recommend." Providing a deep clean for carpets, upholstery, and car interiors, it can remove hardened dirt and stains and leave your to carpet dry within an hour. It has edge-to-edge brushbars so you easily clean skirting boards and has a cleaning reach of 10.5m.

Scotchgard Fabric and Carpet Cleaner | £5.99 from John Lewis

This carpet and fabric foam spray is a versatile product to keep on hand for any carpet mishaps, whether it's accidental chewed gum walking into floors, stick tape, wet paint, crayon or shoe polish. Suitable for use on rugs, slipcovers, curtains, throw pillows, bedding, sofas, table linens, crafts and luggage. To use, simply shake the can and spray four to six inches from the area you want to treat, wait three to five minutes, and blot, then dab away stains.

BELDRAY Clean&Refresh BEL01040 Upright Carpet Cleaner | £102 from Currys

This upright cleaner has a six-metre long power cord for easy manoeuvring around different-sized rooms and can be used with any carpet shampoo. It also boasts a dual water tank and will quickly work its magic on stubborn stains on carpets and rugs.

Vanish Carpet Cleaner + Upholstery | £6 from Amazon

This handy spray is much cheaper than a larger, more technical electric device, and is perfect for smaller homes. From pet urine to tea, it can rid carpets and upholstery of stains in a few spritzes, eliminates odours, and gets to work in just 30 seconds.

Karcher SE 4001 Carpet Cleaner | was £224.99 now £199.99 from Very

This carpet cleaner from Karcher is a pro at tackling stains on textiles, from carpets to car seats. It has a large, removable four-litre water tank, a 3-in-1 handle for added portability, and uses spray extraction to rid soft floors of stains, dirt, and pet hair.

BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution | £247.16 from Amazon

This deep cleaning machine is lightweight and low-profile, making it ideal for using around and under furniture to clean every last inch of carpet. Thanks to its dirt-lifting brushes, it can remove stains and dirt embedded deep within carpet fibers, takes just an hour to dry, has a long flex-hose, and comes with a cleaning solution.

RUG DOCTOR Pet Portable Spot Cleaner | £169 from Currys

If pet hair is your biggest cleaning bugbear, the rubberised bristles on the head of this floor cleaner will keep carpets, mattresses and upholstery sparkling clean at all times. It has a retractable handle, wheels for easy manoeuvring and a professional-grade suction for leaving no area untouched.

Vax Dual Power Carpet Cleaner | was £179.99 now £99 from Amazon

Vax are a leading floor cleaning brand, with many of their machines offering varying features and accessories. This one has dual rotating brushbars lift to lift tougher stains, while its narrow floor head is helpful for getting into harder-to-reach areas such as tight corners.

Russell Hobbs Steam & Clean 600W Steam Mop | £49 from Very

This budget-friendly mop can be used on both hard floors and carpets for a brilliant multi-tasking tool. Using steam to cut through dirt and stains, it weighs just 2.3kg, has an extra-long five-meter cable, and a spacious 380ml water tank, which will provide 15 mins of speedy steam cleaning.

Tower TCW5 AquaJet Plus Carpet Washer | was £119 now £89 from Very

There's currently £30 off this powerful Tower machine in Very's end-of-summer sale. It has a 500W motor, dual water tanks, and heavy-duty bristles and comes included with 250ml of Tower 20x Concentrated Carpet Detergent Cleaning Solution. Weighing less than 6kg, it's lightweight and has a five-metre power cord which won't restrict your cleaning as you move from room to room.

Chemdry Stain Extinguisher Carpet and Fabric Stain Remover | £11.99 from Lakeland

This stain remover is a must-have for carpet and upholstery. Simply hold at a 30-degree angle and spray onto your chosen area to treat, leave for a minute and wipe any traces of dirt away. One shopper said: "I had dropped a lipstick on my beige bedroom carpet and nothing would shift it. I thought I would give this a go and WOW miracle !! It has come off and no one would ever know. Marvellous!"