Best carpet cleaners for pets UK: full-size and spot cleaners compared
Muddy paws, hairballs and the odd accident are part of life with pets. Here's whether you need a full-size carpet cleaner or a spot cleaner, how to get pet urine out properly, and the Vax, Bissell and Shark models worth considering.
Quick picks
- Best full-size for most pet homesVax Platinum SmartWash Pet-Design carpet cleaner (CDCW-SWXP)Check price
- Best for pet hairShark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet carpet cleaner with anti-clog (EX220UK)Check price
- Best budget full-sizeVax Dual Power Pet Advance carpet cleaner (ECR2V1P)Check price
- Best compact uprightBissell PowerWash Compact Pet carpet and upholstery cleaner (4058E)Check price
- Best spot cleaner for pet accidentsShark StainStriker HairPro Pet spot cleaner (PX250UKT)Check price
- Best spot cleaner for bigger jobsBissell SpotClean Pro portable spot cleaner (1558E)Check price
- Best value spot cleanerVax SpotWash Duo spot cleaner (CDCW-CSXA)Check price
- Best small spot cleanerBissell Little Green portable spot cleaner (4098E)Check price
- Best enzyme cleanerSimple Solution Extreme pet stain and odour remover, 500mlCheck price
How we chose: We compared popular carpet and spot cleaners on Amazon.co.uk from Vax, Bissell and Shark, the three brands that dominate UK shelves. We checked weight, tank sizes, tools, guarantees and pet-specific features from the listings and manufacturers, read expert buying advice from Which? and Good Housekeeping, and looked for recurring praise and complaints (especially reliability and leaks) in Amazon.co.uk owner feedback. We also used RSPCA and Dogs Trust advice on cleaning up toilet accidents. We have not personally tested these products; this is a research-based roundup. Our research process.
Most pet owners need two things: a way to deal with fresh accidents and muddy patches quickly, and a way to deep clean whole rooms a few times a year. A spot cleaner handles the first and a full-size upright carpet cleaner the second. Some households need both, but many only need one.
Whichever machine you buy, the cleaning solution matters as much as the machine. Dogs Trust recommends an enzymatic pet odour remover for toilet accidents, because ordinary household cleaners don't remove the smell well enough for your pet. If the smell lingers, they're more likely to go there again. Keep vacuuming regularly with a good cordless vacuum, because loose hair clogs carpet cleaners.
Who this guide is for: Dog and cat owners with carpets or rugs who deal with muddy paws, shedding, sick or toilet accidents, especially with puppies, older pets or pets that are still house-training. It also covers sofas, stairs and car seats. If your pet mostly makes a mess in the car, see our dog car seat covers guide first.
Black Friday tip: Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026, and Amazon UK has opened its Black Friday Week sale about a week earlier in recent years. Before you buy, check the product’s price history: our Black Friday home buying guide explains how to spot a genuine deal and which picks to watch.
Comparison table
| Pick | Type | Weight | Tanks | Guarantee | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vax Platinum SmartWash PetBest full-size for most pet homes | Full-size upright | 8kg | Separate clean and dirty | 6 years | Check price |
| Shark CarpetXpert HairPro PetBest for pet hair | Full-size upright | 8.8kg | Separate clean and dirty | 5 years on registration | Check price |
| Vax Dual Power Pet AdvanceBest budget full-size | Full-size upright | 6.4kg | 2.7L clean / 1.5L dirty | Check listing | Check price |
| Bissell PowerWash Compact PetBest compact upright | Compact upright | 5.9kg | Separate clean and dirty | Check listing | Check price |
| Shark StainStriker HairPro PetBest spot cleaner for pet accidents | Spot cleaner | 3.5kg | Separate clean and dirty | 3 years on registration | Check price |
| Bissell SpotClean ProBest spot cleaner for bigger jobs | Large spot cleaner | 5.9kg | Large separate tanks (2.8L) | Check listing | Check price |
| Vax SpotWash DuoBest value spot cleaner | Spot cleaner | 3.9kg | 1.6L clean / 1L dirty | 2 years on registration | Check price |
| Bissell Little GreenBest small spot cleaner | Small spot cleaner | 4.4kg | Separate clean and dirty | Check listing | Check price |
| Simple Solution ExtremeBest enzyme cleaner | Enzymatic spray | 500ml | n/a | n/a | Check price |
Specs are from manufacturer listings as of 20 October 2026; claimed figures (running costs, runtimes) are the maker’s, not ours. Check the Amazon page for the current price and exact variant before you buy.
Full-size carpet cleaners for pet homes
Upright machines for washing whole rooms, stairs and rugs. Most also have a hose and hand tool for spot work.
Vax Platinum SmartWash Pet-Design carpet cleaner (CDCW-SWXP)
Best for: Regular whole-room cleans with a long guarantee
- Type
- Full-size upright
- Weight
- 8kg
- Tanks
- Separate clean and dirty
- Guarantee
- 6 years
Vax's top upright is the easiest to use here. It has no trigger: it washes as you push forwards and dries as you pull back, and Auto-Mix measures the solution for you. HeatBlast blows warm air to speed up drying. There's a pre-treatment wand for stubborn stains, a 2.5m hose with a SpinScrub hand tool and upholstery and hard-floor attachments, and the brushbars lift out to rinse. Vax gives a 6-year guarantee.
Owners say it's brilliant and as easy as vacuuming, and carpets are left nearly dry. Reliability is the main concern: several owners report machines failing within a few months, which is where the long guarantee matters. Register it with Vax and keep your receipt. At 8kg it's not light to carry upstairs.
What owners and reviewers like
- Triggerless, very easy to use
- Fast drying
- 6-year guarantee
Watch-outs
- Some early failures reported
- Heavy for stairs
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Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet carpet cleaner with anti-clog (EX220UK)
Best for: Heavy shedders, where wet hair clogs other machines
- Type
- Full-size upright
- Weight
- 8.8kg
- Tanks
- Separate clean and dirty
- Guarantee
- 5 years on registration
Shark's pet carpet cleaner is designed around the main problem with dog and cat hair: it clumps when wet and clogs brushes and hoses. Shark's anti-clog system sends hair straight to the dirty tank. It's a 1000W machine with a high-pressure spray, strong suction and a dry-only mode. Shark says it removes pet urine stains and odours without heat or pre-treatment. It comes with a starter bottle of pet formula and a free 5-year guarantee when registered.
Owners say it brings carpets up like new, and that the dry-only mode makes a noticeable difference to drying time. The tank size gets mixed comments and it's heavy at about 8.8kg. If you'd rather save, the cheaper Shark CarpetXpert EX150UKCP has a similar design without the HairPro anti-clog system.
What owners and reviewers like
- Handles wet pet hair well
- Dry-only mode
- 5-year guarantee
Watch-outs
- Heavy
- Smallish tanks
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Vax Dual Power Pet Advance carpet cleaner (ECR2V1P)
Best for: Occasional deep cleans on a tighter budget
- Type
- Full-size upright
- Weight
- 6.4kg
- Tanks
- 2.7L clean / 1.5L dirty
- Guarantee
- Check listing
A lighter, simpler upright with two rotating brushes, a 2.7-litre clean tank and a 1.5-litre dirty tank, a 2.4m hose with a wash tool for stairs, upholstery and the car, and a pre-treatment wand. It comes with 250ml each of Vax carpet solution and pre-treatment solution. At 6.4kg it's the easiest full-size machine here to carry.
Owners say it pulls out a surprising amount of dirt and like its light weight. Complaints include it being fiddly to clean out after use and some machines breaking down after limited use. Buy it for occasional deep cleans rather than daily use, and rinse it out thoroughly each time.
What owners and reviewers like
- Light for a full-size machine
- Hose and tools included
- Good value
Watch-outs
- Fiddly to clean out
- Durability concerns
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Bissell PowerWash Compact Pet carpet and upholstery cleaner (4058E)
Best for: Flats and smaller homes with little storage
- Type
- Compact upright
- Weight
- 5.9kg
- Tanks
- Separate clean and dirty
- Guarantee
- Check listing
Bissell's most powerful compact upright has a motorised brush with four rows of bristles for ground-in dirt and pet stains, a 2.1m hose and an 8cm tough stain tool for stairs, upholstery and the car. The brush-roll cover lifts off in one piece for cleaning. At 5.9kg it's light and stores in a small cupboard.
Owners say it's lifted years of grime from neglected carpets and that carpets dry quickly. They find it easy to assemble and use, with clear instructions. The main complaint is tank size: you'll refill more often than with a big upright. That's fine for a flat, but less so for a large house.
What owners and reviewers like
- Light and compact
- Hose and stain tool
- Easy to clean
Watch-outs
- Smaller tanks
- More refills for big rooms
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Spot cleaners for pet accidents
Small, portable machines for fresh accidents, sick, muddy patches, stairs, sofas and car seats.
Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet spot cleaner (PX250UKT)
Best for: Frequent pet accidents and hairy sofas
- Type
- Spot cleaner
- Weight
- 3.5kg
- Tanks
- Separate clean and dirty
- Guarantee
- 3 years on registration
Shark's pet spot cleaner mixes two cleaning formulas as it sprays and has the same anti-clog hair system as the HairPro upright. You get a tough stain tool, crevice tool, pet hair tool and a stain-trapping tool designed for messes like sick, plus starter bottles of both formulas. There's a self-wash cycle for the hose, and Shark gives a 3-year guarantee on registration. At 3.5kg it's the lightest here.
Owners say it's very effective on pet stains, smells and hair, with one saying it removed five years of grime from a sofa. They praise its suction and compact size. The main gripe is that not much cleaning fluid is supplied, and Shark's own formulas cost more than generic ones.
What owners and reviewers like
- Pet-specific tools
- Self-wash cycle
- Light and compact
Watch-outs
- Small starter bottles
- Ongoing formula cost
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Bissell SpotClean Pro portable spot cleaner (1558E)
Best for: Stairs, sofas, car interiors and large patches
- Type
- Large spot cleaner
- Weight
- 5.9kg
- Tanks
- Large separate tanks (2.8L)
- Guarantee
- Check listing
A bigger, more powerful spot cleaner with large separate clean and dirty water tanks, which means fewer trips to the sink. It has a 15cm stain and upholstery tool and an 8cm tough stain tool, and comes with a sample of Bissell formula. It's a 750W machine that's well suited to whole flights of stairs and sofas.
Owners call it amazing on carpets and upholstery, especially stairs, cars and small areas, and one says it's already paid for itself in cleaning bills. It's compact enough to fit in a standard kitchen sink for filling. Opinions on suction are mixed, and at 5.9kg it's heavy for a spot cleaner.
What owners and reviewers like
- Large tanks
- Good on stairs and sofas
- Long-running, well-reviewed model
Watch-outs
- Heavy for a spot cleaner
- Mixed comments on suction
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Vax SpotWash Duo spot cleaner (CDCW-CSXA)
Best for: Everyday spills and pet messes on a budget
- Type
- Spot cleaner
- Weight
- 3.9kg
- Tanks
- 1.6L clean / 1L dirty
- Guarantee
- 2 years on registration
Vax's compact spot cleaner has two tools: an everyday 2-in-1 tool and a separate tool for messy pet clean-ups, so you're not using the same head for sick and sofa spills. The bristles have an antimicrobial treatment, a self-clean function flushes the hose, and the tanks hold 1.6 litres clean and 1 litre dirty. It weighs 3.89kg with a 1.52m hose and comes with 250ml of Vax spot solution.
Owners say it gives brilliant results on carpets and upholstery for much less than a big machine, and like that it's light, small and dries quickly. Some report problems with water not being picked up fully. It's sold by a third-party seller on Amazon, so check the delivery estimate and returns.
What owners and reviewers like
- Separate pet mess tool
- Light and small
- Self-clean hose
Watch-outs
- Some pick-up complaints
- Third-party seller
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Bissell Little Green portable spot cleaner (4098E)
Best for: Small homes and occasional spills
- Type
- Small spot cleaner
- Weight
- 4.4kg
- Tanks
- Separate clean and dirty
- Guarantee
- Check listing
The cult spot cleaner, with tens of thousands of reviews. It sprays, scrubs with the 8cm tough stain tool and sucks up the dirty water, with up to 7,800Pa of suction. It also has a crevice tool for car seats and corners. It's small enough to sit in a cupboard and is easy to grab when a puppy has an accident.
Owners say it's effective on carpets and sofas and easy to use, and that stains dry quickly. Opinions on suction and value are mixed, and some report leaks. It's best for small, fresh messes rather than big patches or whole stairs, which suit the SpotClean Pro better.
What owners and reviewers like
- Compact and easy to grab
- Huge owner base
- Good on fresh stains
Watch-outs
- Mixed suction reports
- Some leaks reported
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Enzyme stain and odour remover
Use this with any machine (or a cloth) on urine, faeces and sick, to remove the smell that draws pets back.
Simple Solution Extreme pet stain and odour remover, 500ml
Best for: Breaking down urine, faeces and sick so pets don't re-mark
- Type
- Enzymatic spray
- Weight
- 500ml
- Tanks
- n/a
- Guarantee
- n/a
An enzyme and "pro-bacteria" formula that breaks down the organic material in urine, faeces and vomit rather than masking the smell. It's three times stronger than Simple Solution's regular version and is bleach-free and safe on water-safe carpets, upholstery and bedding. Dogs Trust recommends enzymatic odour removers for toilet accidents because ordinary household cleaners aren't effective enough.
Owners say it removes both stains and smells and leaves no residue. The common complaint is the spray trigger: some find it sprays poorly or leaks, so you might decant it into a sturdier bottle. Let it soak in and work before blotting, following the label.
What owners and reviewers like
- Enzymatic, tackles the smell
- Bleach-free
- Works with any machine
Watch-outs
- Trigger and leak complaints
- Needs time to work
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Spot cleaner or full-size carpet cleaner?
| Spot cleaner | Full-size upright | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Fresh accidents, sick, muddy patches, stairs, sofas, car seats | Whole rooms, high-traffic areas, end-of-tenancy cleans |
| Weight | About 3.5–6kg | About 6–9kg |
| Storage | Fits in a cupboard | Needs space like an upright vacuum |
| Speed to get out | Seconds | A bit of a job |
| Upholstery | Yes | Yes, via hose (most models) |
| Choose if | You mainly deal with accidents and small areas | You want to deep clean whole carpets a few times a year |
If you have a puppy, an elderly pet or a cat that sometimes misses the tray, a spot cleaner is the one you'll actually use, because it's quick to get out. If carpets are generally grubby and dull from muddy paws, a full-size machine makes a much bigger difference. Which? notes that the spot cleaners it tested were generally less impressive than full-size machines, so don't expect a spot cleaner to refresh a whole room. Many full-size machines have a hose and hand tool, so if you can only have one, a light upright like the Bissell PowerWash Compact Pet covers both jobs reasonably well.
How to clean pet urine from carpet
- Blot first. Soak up as much as possible with kitchen roll or a spot cleaner's suction. Don't rub, which spreads it.
- Wash it out. The RSPCA suggests a warm solution of biological washing powder (1 part to 9 parts water), then rinsing. Or use your carpet cleaner with its pet formula. Test on a hidden patch first.
- Use an enzyme cleaner. Dogs Trust recommends an enzymatic pet odour remover, because other household cleaners don't remove the smell well enough and pets may go back to the same spot.
- Avoid ammonia-based cleaners. Urine contains ammonia, so these can make the spot smell like a toilet to your pet.
- Don't steam urine. High heat can set protein stains and smells. Pet-specific machines like Shark's say no heat is needed.
- Let it dry fully and keep pets off it until then.
If accidents are frequent or sudden in an adult pet, speak to your vet, because it can be a sign of a health problem rather than a training issue.
Which brand: Vax, Bissell or Shark?
Vax is British, sells the widest range in the UK and offers long guarantees on its top models. Bissell is a US brand with a long history in carpet cleaning, and its SpotClean and Little Green spot cleaners have huge owner bases. Shark is newer to carpet cleaning, but its HairPro machines focus on the specific problem of wet pet hair clogging the machine, and they come with long guarantees on registration.
Whichever you choose, register the guarantee, empty and rinse the dirty tank after every use (pet mess smells quickly), and pick up loose hair with a vacuum first. Check the manual before using cheaper generic solutions, as some manufacturers say other products can affect the warranty.
Tips for pet homes
Vacuum thoroughly before washing so the machine isn't clogged with hair. Don't over-wet the carpet: several slow dry passes beat one soaking wet pass, and it dries faster. Open a window or run a dehumidifier to help carpets dry in winter. For muddy paws, prevention helps too: a dog drying coat and a towel by the door mean less mud reaches the carpet.
FAQs
What is the best carpet cleaner for pets?
For whole rooms, the Vax Platinum SmartWash Pet-Design is the easiest to use and has a 6-year guarantee, and the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet is best for heavy shedders. For accidents, a spot cleaner like the Shark StainStriker HairPro Pet or Bissell SpotClean Pro is more practical.
Do I need a spot cleaner or a full-size carpet cleaner?
A spot cleaner suits frequent small accidents and upholstery and is quick to grab. A full-size cleaner suits deep cleaning whole rooms. Many pet owners with lots of carpet end up with both.
What gets dog urine smell out of carpet?
Blot, wash out the area (the RSPCA suggests a warm biological washing powder solution, then rinsing), then use an enzymatic pet odour remover as Dogs Trust recommends. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners and steam.
Can I use any cleaning solution in my carpet cleaner?
Check the manual. Most manufacturers recommend their own formula, and using other products can affect the warranty. Enzymatic sprays are usually applied by hand before or after machine cleaning, following the label.
How long do carpets take to dry?
Usually a few hours, depending on the machine, the carpet and the room. Doing extra dry-only passes, opening windows and running a dehumidifier all help.
Do you get commission?
Yes. If you buy through our links, Amazon may pay us a small commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't affect which products we include. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
Sources we consulted
- RSPCA: toilet training your dog
- Dogs Trust: toileting in the house
- Which?: how to buy the best carpet cleaner
Prices change constantly, so we don’t list them here. Always check the current price, seller and delivery details on Amazon before buying. If anything on this page looks wrong or out of date, tell us.
