Portable Spot Cleaner vs Full-Size Carpet Cleaner
Carpet cleaners come in two main sizes: small portable spot cleaners and full-size upright machines. They do the same thing, spray, scrub and suck up, but at very different scales.
Portable spot cleaners
Good for:
- Pet accidents and spills the moment they happen.
- Stairs, furniture, pet beds and car seats.
- Small homes and easy storage. Many fit in a closet.
Less good for:
- Whole rooms. Cleaning a big carpet with a small tool takes a long time.
- Deep cleaning high-traffic areas.
Examples: the BISSELL Little Green Max Pet and the Hoover CleanSlate Plus, which has a 40 oz tank.
Full-size carpet cleaners
Good for:
- Whole rooms and hallways.
- High-traffic areas with ground-in dirt.
- Many pets or frequent accidents across the house.
- Features like pretreaters, heated drying and multiple brush rolls. The BISSELL ProHeat 2X Pet Pro Plus has a built-in pretreater and an express dry mode.
Less good for:
- Storage. They're big and heavy, often 14 to 18 lb or more.
- Quick jobs. Getting one out for a small spot is a chore, though most have a hose and tools for stairs and spots.
Which should you buy?
- One pet, mostly hard floors with a few rugs: a portable spot cleaner.
- Wall-to-wall carpet, several pets, or young kids: a full-size cleaner with a hose and tools.
- Lots of carpet and frequent accidents: both. A spot cleaner for fast response, and a full-size machine for monthly deep cleans.
Renting vs buying
Hardware stores rent full-size machines. Renting makes sense for a once-a-year deep clean. If you have pets, owning one usually works out better, because you can clean accidents right away, before they set.
For five carpet cleaners compared for pet stains, see our carpet cleaner for pet stains comparison.