Best Carpet Stain Removers of 2023

In our busy households, carpet stains caused by pet accidents, red wine, coffee, blood, and rust are a common occurrence. But you don’t want to have to get a bulky appliance out every time to tackle them.

A carpet stain remover is a convenient way of getting rid of spills on your carpets and upholstery. It’ll work quickly to remove most day-to-day messes.

Here we’ll tell you what you should look out for when buying this type of product. And we’ve reviewed the best carpet stain removers on the market so you can compare their price, effectiveness, and the specific stains they’ll work on

Our Top Picks

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Image	Model	Features	Best Carpet Stain Removers of 2023
	Best Overall FOLEX Instant	No harsh chemical smell Compatible with Carpet Cleaning Machines	Check Price
	Best Natural Puracy Professional Carpet	Environmentally friendly Fresh citrus scent	Check Price
	Best for Old Stains Black Diamond Stoneworks	Great for getting rid of pet messes Multi-functional	Check Price
	Best for Pets Rocco & Roxie Professional	CRI Approved Great for pet accidents	Check Price
	Best for Deep Cleaning BISSELL Power Shot Oxy	Multi-surface cleaner Leaves a pleasant smell	Check Price
	Best for Red Wine Red Wine Stain Remover	Ideal for pet messes and odors too Affordable price	Check Price

What to Look for in a Carpet Stain Remover

Let’s consider what features you should look out for in a carpet stain remover.

Types of Stain Removers

Think about what type of stains you’ll be cleaning up before you choose a stain remover that contains one or more potent agents. These will be useful for tackling different stains around your house.

• An alkaline cleaner is good for fats, grease, and other protein-based stains. The chemical bases of these cleaners will dissolve the oil in these types of messes.
• A solvent cleaner also contains chemicals that are good at dissolving grease stains and oily deposits.
• A detergent cleaner contains surfactant chemicals which means “surface active agents”. These will help to loosen dirt by bonding water to it – once this has occurred, the grime will break up and wash away.
• You might also opt for a stain remover that has added enzymes. These are great for getting rid of odors and breaking down spot-stains so that they can be wiped away.

If you have blood or food stains, look for a remover with a “protease” enzyme. These are designed to remove stains from protein sources.

Enzymes called “lipases” are suitable for grease and oil stains. Finally, if you’ve got starchy spots to get rid of, look out for “amylases” enzymes

Concentration

Check whether the stain remover is concentrated or not. The type you opt for depends on your budget and how convenient you want the cleaner to be.

• Concentrated carpet stain removers need to be diluted in water before you use them. This adds time to your cleaning tasks, but you’ll usually save money in the long run.
• Complete carpet stain removers can be sprayed directly from the bottle and offer good convenience. But they’ll cost you more because you’ll use them up more quickly.

Also, see how many applications the manufacturer recommends for removing stains and nasty odors. Some may need multiple layers for the best results – again, this will be more expensive as you’ll use more of the product.

Usage

Consider where the stains and spills are in your home, and what type they are. Some cleaners will be good for certain stains only or specific surface types, whereas some have more varied uses.

• A multipurpose stain remover can be used throughout your home and to tackle different stain types. They’ll have a formula that is safe to use in different situations. So this option offers you versatility. And they’ll save you money on having to buy more than one cleaner to tackle different stains or surfaces.
• Or if you have, for example, a lot of pet stains, you might opt for a cleaner that’s designed specifically for this. See this spray from Nature’s miracle, Cat Stain and Odor Remover, which works to remove cat messes.

Ingredients

Think about what type of cleaner you want in terms of safety but also how effective it’ll be.

Chemicals

A chemical carpet cleaner will have strong ingredients. Some harsh chemicals can cause asthma, birth defects, or even cancer, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) ⁽¹⁾.

In the US, the manufacturers of cleaning products don’t need to list all the ingredients on the bottles, unlike food manufacturers. So you might not always know what it’s in the solution you’re buying.

But, chemical carpet stain removers tend to be more efficient at doing a good job. Therefore, if you do opt for a chemical cleaner, check that it’s got the “Safer Choice” label.

If you can’t see this label, it’s a good idea to wear gloves and a mask when using a strong cleaning agent.

Also, look at whether the product has an “oxy” formula. These can alter the color of your carpet dye, so check with the carpet manufacturer first – you don’t want to discolor your floor and then find out that the warranty is voided!

Natural

A natural carpet cleaner will have chemicals that come from natural resources such as corn, rather than from petroleum.

But, although the ingredients are from renewable resources, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re better for the environment or your health. And, you can’t always tell whether they’re safer or not, unless you know exactly what the ingredients and their effects are ⁽²⁾.

In addition, some “natural” ingredients can do more harm than good to your carpet! For example, baking soda won’t remove a stain but absorbs moisture.

Keep In Mind

So it’ll stick to your carpet fibers and scratch them due to its abrasive quality when you walk over your floors. And as it’s water-soluble, while cleaning it’ll disappear but then reappear as a white residue once your carpet is dry.

This could lighten the color of your carpet and make the fibers look less lustrous and new. So you need to check labels for baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and avoid them for stain removal – also avoid products with calcium carbonate, sodium silicate, or hydrated silica.

CRI Seal of Approval

Finally, check whether the product has a rubber stamp from The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). Top carpet stains removers will have their seal of approval (SOA).

The SOA tells you that the cleaning product has been rigorously tested. It looks at 7 performance attributes.

The CRI has full lists of those solutions that have their approval. You can also see which ones they’ve certified as “green” ⁽³⁾.

The Best Carpet Stain Removers in 2023

We’ve spent many hours looking at the top carpet stain removers. Our research has covered manufacturer specs, product details, and feedback from consumers.

You can read our reviews to pick the stain remover that’s the best fit for you. You can compare types of cleaners, affordability, stain-specific products, and much more.

1. Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover

Best Overall Carpet Stain Remover

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“The Solution To Your Stain”! This is Folex’s promise on the front of their stain remover bottle, and you can be sure that it works quickly to get rid of your most stubborn stains.

This cleaner is designed specifically to work on set-in stains on your carpets. It’s surfactant-based, so you know it’ll work well on loosening and then removing all types of marks, including grease, oil, wine, coffee, ink, cosmetics, and dirt.

You can use this product safely around children and pets as it’s water-based and doesn’t contain VOC chemicals, petroleum, or solvents.

Plus, it’s odorless so you won’t be left with any harsh smells once you’ve finished cleaning.

2. Puracy Natural Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo

Best Natural Carpet Stain Remover

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Natural, chemical-free, and hypoallergenic. Puracy has a reputation for making non-toxic and plant-based cleaning products that are safe to use around your house.

You can dilute it with water and use it by hand with a cloth, or pop some in your carpet machine. This shampoo will create a small amount of foam to get to work on any stains, but it won’t discolor your carpets or upholstery.

Puracy’s solutions also have a cruelty-free certification and are biodegradable.

Plus the manufacturer makes a contribution to local children and families in need for every product that they sell.

3. Black Diamond Stoneworks Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner

Best Carpet Stain Remover for Old Stains

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Tackle those set in stains on your carpets. This professional-strength cleaner will work to lift and remove those especially tough & stubborn stains that you might’ve struggled to get rid of before.

The Black Diamond brand is family-owned and from the US. Their products are safe to use around pets and children and are also hypoallergenic.

You can use this spray on old stains and messes made by wine, coffee, grease, and dirt.

Plus, it’ll work not just on carpets but all over your house – use it to clean your upholstery and car too as it’s suitable for cotton, wool, and nylon surfaces.

4. Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator

Best Carpet Stain Remover for Pets

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“If it’s gross, it’s gone”. Pet owners can be sure that this formula will remove all those nasty pet messes – urine/vomit/etc. – and also the unpleasant smells that they leave behind.

This solution has bio enzymes to tackle stains and is chlorine-free, making it safe to use around your children. And it’s color-safe so you won’t risk affecting your carpet color, or marking your upholstery.

As well as your floors and furniture, you can also use it on your pet beds, clothing, litter boxes, and kennels. Plus, as it eliminates the stain and embedded smells made by your pets, it’ll also prevent them from re-soiling that area so there’s no risk of future accidents!

5. Bissell Professional Power Shot Oxy Carpet Spot & Stain Remover

Best Carpet Stain Remover for Deep Cleaning

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Give your carpet a deep clean with this Bissell carpet stain and odor remover which has a special StainLift technology. It’s been proven to out-clean the leading aerosol spot cleaner on drink stains such as those made by red wine and coffee.

The Professional Power Oxy shot formula means that this product will lift old, embedded stains from your carpets and rugs before removing them. And this carpet cleaner will also eliminate odors made by smoke and mold.

Plus, you can be sure that you’re investing in a product where both the solution and packaging are eco-friendly. The detergent is biodegradable and the bottle is recyclable.

6. Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover

Best Carpet Stain Remover for Red Wine

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Rated by Good Housekeeping as the best overall red wine stain remover. And this product has also been featured in Food & Wine, the Washington Post, and on the Today Show, so you know you’ll be in good company when buying this carpet cleaner.

There’s no bleach or phosphates in this solution, but it still works hard to completely remove red wine stains on your carpet that are both fresh and dried-on. It’ll also leave a fresh, citrus scent, so you don’t have to worry about lingering wine smells.

Plus, you can use it to soak marks on your clothing before putting them in the washing machine. And it’ll also get rid of coffee, tea, blood, and pet stains.

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