Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner Review

An excellent Hoover cleaner for quickly getting pet messes off your carpets

For pet owners, there’s just no way to avoid dirty floors. From urinating on carpets to dragging soil from outside, your furry friends always find some way too messy your home.

And if you’ve got carpeted flooring, pet messes are even worse.

Carpets are some of the most challenging surfaces to clean. Carpet fibers trap allergens such as pet hair, pollen, dust, and dandruff.

A simple vacuuming won’t suffice, especially when dealing with the messes of our furry friends. Even if you get out of the pet hair, stains from urine, feces, and vomit aren’t easy to remove.

That’s why investing in carpet cleaners like Hoover’s PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner is smart.

You need something powerful yet gentle enough for daily use, and, as you’ll find in this review, Hoover fulfills that requirement.

In the following sections, I’ll tell you:

• What features the Hoover PowerDash has
• How well the Hoover PowerDash does its job in comparison to the competition
• Whether the Hoover PowerDash is worth it for owners of dogs and cats

So, let’s get to it.

Here is the breakdown on the Hoover PowerDash, feature by feature:

Unboxing & Setup – “Simple and Direct”

Okay, so what comes in the box? Of course, you get the Hoover PowerDash (in separate parts), and the user manual and warranty. You also get a complimentary 64 oz bottle of cleaning solution.

This is a plus because 64 oz isn’t a small sample. Consequently, you don’t have to buy the carpet shampoo separately.

But—what about the assembly process? The user manual has detailed instructions, from safety tips (to reduce the risk of electrical shocks and injuries) to a comprehensive product guide, which labels each part.

Overall, the process is relatively easy and quick, as there are only four steps. When you open the box, you’ll find the carpet cleaner in different parts.

They are a 20-foot cord, 0.5-gallon dual water tank, removable nozzle, and a PowerSpin Pet Brush Roll.

The water tank, nozzle, and brush roll simply need to be clicked into place. As for the cord, you just need to connect it to all the cord hooks.

Moreover, the manual also provides helpful tips on using the carpet cleaner, cautioning you to ‘prepare’ the room before cleaning.

For example, the manual tells you to cover furniture legs with plastic to prevent wood finishes from staining the carpet. Similarly, it also warns you to tie up long drapes or curtains to protect them.

These tips are certainly helpful for first-time users.

Design & Maneuverability – “Lightweight and Easy-to-Move”

To successfully remove dirt in a carpet cleaning job, you have to make multiple passes. If the carpet cleaner is bulky and hard to move, your shoulders will undoubtedly hurt.

At 12.5 pounds, the Hoover PowerDash Pet is a more compact and lightweight carpet cleaner than most others. When the water tank is full, the vacuum doesn’t weigh more than 13 pounds.

In this way, Hoover is much better for your back. In a 2012 study, it was even recommended as a suitable cleaner for those with arthroscopic issues.

It’s also easy to use because everything’s controlled through a switch.

What’s the catch, though?

Well, the water tank is relatively small. You need to refill the dirty water tank three to four times when you’re cleaning a medium-sized carpet. For smaller carpets such as five by fives, you’ll need to refill the tank twice.

Therefore, it’s better suited for those looking to clean small messes. If you’re looking to clean larger areas, you need a larger and more powerful carpet cleaner. The Hoover PowerDash is more of a spot cleaner.

Purpose & Results – “Does the Job Well”

As the name states, the Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner is for cleaning pet messes. Therefore, its primary purpose is to get rid of pet hair, stains, and odors.

How well does it do the job?

The answer: pretty well.

Overall, the PowerDash is a very basic carpet cleaner. However, thanks to its PowerSpin brush roll and powerful suction, it’s a handy device.

Through the control switch, you can steadily increase the suction. This feature comes in handy because it allows you to increase the suction at certain places without risking damage to others.

The box claims to give you ‘2X More Cleaning Power’ than the competition. While this isn’t the case with vacuum cleaners like the Bissell PowerForce PowerBrush, it’s undoubtedly above average.

It sucks up a significant amount of pet hair and dirt. The suction dwindles when the dirty water tank is nearly full, but this is a quick fix.

Combined with the PowerSpin brush, the suction removes discoloration from carpets. The PowerSpin brush gives you antimicrobial protection, eliminating the gross mold and bacteria that come with pet stains.

But—be mindful; the brush bristles are a bit stiff and can tarnish older carpets.

If you’re trying to remove odors, be sure to go over the carpet at least three to four times with an oxy carpet shampoo. This is because odors are more challenging to clean.

Heed this warning, though: don’t wait too long to clean a mess. The Hoover PowerDash isn’t as effective on older stains.

Stain Removal – “Decent Stain Removal”

Now, let’s talk about stains. As I mentioned above, the PowerSpin brush helps loosen and remove discoloration from your carpets.

However, what type of stains and discolorations can the Hoover PowerDash remove? While it’s specifically for pet stains, it can tackle most types of spot damage.

In essence, it can clean everything from grease stains to clay and ink stains. If you’ve got children running around, keeping this carpet cleaner handy is a smart idea.

The PowerDash comes with Hoover’s signature Paws & Claws Spot Remover, which is incredibly potent. It can lessen stains more than a year old.

However, with very old stains, don’t expect complete removal, especially if they were caused by harsh substances such as grease and ink.

At the same time, you don’t have to worry about stains left from the carpet cleaner itself. Some carpet cleaners leave shampoo and water stains when they dry.

Thanks to Hoover’s patented HeatForce feature, you can make sure all the water dries properly. The HeatForce feature reinforces any leftover shampoo into the carpet, evaporating the excess away.

For even faster drying, open a fan and place the carpet in a well-ventilated space.

Also, to avoid leaving unfinished spots, move the cleaner forwards and backward as if you’re making columns in the carpet.

Always overlap each ‘column’ by at least an inch, so you’re not leaving any space in between. In this way, you’ll go through each segment of the carpet without fail.

Be mindful, though; this process is very taxing. The tougher the stain, the longer you’ll have to go over it with the cleaner. Regardless of how lightweight and compact the cleaner is, after a while, removing stains becomes tiring.

Accessories/Compatible Products – “Readily Accessible”

Apart from the Paws & Claws Spot Remover, you can use a regular carpet cleaning solution and oxy solution.

If you’re worried about a particular stain, you can buy Hoover’s Pretreatment Spray. This spray is specifically for pet stains, including stains from urine and feces.

Moreover, if you’re looking for replacement parts, you can find some on the Hoover website. All you have to do is enter your model number and manufacturing code.

Through your model number, you can see whether the part is available, and with the manufacturing code, you can see whether the item is under warranty.

However, there are some items you can’t get online. For example, if you’ve got a broken tube, you’ll need to contact the manufacturer directly for a replacement.

In the online shop, you can find smaller things like belts, bags, filters, and cleaning solutions.

Storage & Maintenance – “Stores Easily but Is Difficult to Clean”

Again, as the name implies, the Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner is compact and low-profile, meaning it’s easily stored in any crevice around your home.

It’s not compact enough to travel comfortably, but it’s more manageable than larger carpet cleaners. If you need to take it somewhere, you can easily take it apart and store it in your car.

Also, since it’s low-profile, it can move under furniture and around high-traffic areas with more ease. Therefore, you don’t have to remove furniture every time you do carpet cleaning.

Now, what about maintenance?

The maintenance process is perhaps the most significant flaw. The others are more design weaknesses than flaws.

Firstly, you need to clean the carpet cleaner after every use. Otherwise, pet hair, dirt, and dust accumulate inside the cleaner, reducing its suction quality.

Secondly, pet hair tends to get stuck inside the water tank and in the brush roll. You need to remove it to prevent clogging.

What’s the problem, though?

There’s no straightforward way to access the brush roll, nozzle, filters, suction tube, and even the water tank. You have to unscrew and re-screw all the parts, and even then, you can’t access everything.

Also, with some parts, it’s easy to get confused. For example, the wastewater filter requires thorough cleaning after two or three uses. But—you’re not supposed to take it out.

It’s challenging to clean without removing it. On the other hand, if you’ve taken it out, you have to call the manufacturer to fix it because it’s nearly impossible to reinstall it.

Price & Warranty

Finally, how well does the Hoover PowerDash do in terms of affordability?

It’s one of the most budget-friendly models in the market. If you’re looking for an efficient spot cleaner at a low-price, this vac is an excellent choice.

Since it comes with a one-year warranty, the purchase isn’t that risky. However, the warranty only covers certain parts. The main components such as the suction tube, aren’t included.

What About the Competition?

Now, let’s talk about competition. In terms of its features and price, the Hoover PowerDash is comparable with the Bissell TurboClean Powerbrush Carpet Cleaner.

Both carpet cleaners are compact and lightweight. But—the Hoover PowerDash is more maneuverable due to its light, retractable handle.

The Hoover PowerDash covers more area with its ten-inch cleaning path. The Bissell cleaning path is only nine inches long.

Thanks to its dual tank system, the PowerDash doesn’t leak, nor does it mix the dirty and clean water. The Bissell tends to leak in the back.

However, the Bissell TurboClean wins on one major count: its cleaning capability.

It has two cleaning modes: deep and regular. The regular mode is the same as Hoover’s deep cleaning mode, while the deep cleaning mode is more powerful and uses more solutions.

In this way, the Bissell cleans more efficiently, switching between the two modes when needed.

One more thing: in terms of maintenance, both carpet cleaners fall short. The Bissell TurboClean has a similar maintenance process, making it impractical to clean.

All in all, both products aren’t without flaws. So, think about your priorities. Do you need something with more powerful cleaning? Or, are user-friendliness and easy maneuverability your primary concerns?