10 Best Carpet Shampoos UK 2024 | Vax, Rug Doctor and More

This professional-style product is great if you are looking for a really intensive clean. It is best to use with a carpet cleaning machine, and as one bottle contains enough to be used over 4 rooms, you'd probably be wanting to get hold of a carpet cleaner anyway to cover that sort of area. Rug Doctor offer a carpet machine hire service which would work brilliantly alongside this product. 

This detergent has all of the positives of the other liquid shampoos on this list without some of the drawbacks. Firstly, it doesn't have a strong detergent smell that has to be masked with another scent. It also dries quickly, which means areas of your house aren't left out of action for long. It has the added bonus of being very affordable for the large two-litre bottle you get.

This powder is not just your average carpet cleaning powder. It has been enhanced with Dyson's technology to make the powder work like lots of little sponges. This means it is especially good for liquid stains such as red wine or coffee. 

Unlike some other products, it doesn't require any scrubbing or diluting - it just needs to be sprinkled onto the area you wish to clean and vacuumed up after the specified time. Also, because it's a powder, it doesn't have any strong cleaning product aromas which sometimes come from the more industrial-style shampoos. 

Vanish is one of the most recognisable stain-removal brands and with good reason. They have a whole range of products that are designed to tackle carpet and upholstery stains. This specific product is great if you are looking for a shampoo that covers all your bases. It is a liquid that, when diluted, becomes a foam, making this product go even further. 

Once the foam has been made you can rub it by hand into the carpet or other stained area, leave it, and then vacuum it up at the end. This product doesn't require a carpet cleaning machine but still has the capability of cleaning a large area.

With a brush already attached to the bottle, this product makes stain removal very easy. Just squeeze and rub over the affected area and let this product get to work. Its size means that it can be used anywhere: on carpets, upholstery and in your car. 

Its size does mean that it's not very good for larger areas, and the bottle being attached to the brush, although useful, doesn't always make for the most natural scrubbing action. However, its cheap price and ease of use does make this stain remover a good addition to your cleaning product collection. 

In a similar way to the other liquids, this product is ideally used in a machine to cover a large area. It is advised that Vax products are used with a Vax machine, so this does limit your options slightly more.

The enormous size of this bottle goes some way to illustrate the scale at which this product is intended to be used. As a product for professionals, there is a lot of it, and it also does the job well. It works best in a machine, so is not the best choice if you don't have access to one. 

This solution cleans large areas of carpet, both neutralising odours and sanitising the fibres. It also works through very tough stains. Although it is more industrial, it is safe for use around children and pets.

This product requires a carpet cleaning machine to work best so is not great for little stains or areas that could be quickly touched up with a spray. However, if you are looking for a more complete clean, this liquid will do the job. 

It is double-concentrated, meaning it will go twice as far, which helps to explain the slightly higher price. It also contains Scotchguard which, once applied, works to counteract future stains. That combined with the fact you get two bottles means this will last for a while.

Often eco-friendly products can cost more, but not in this case! Ecozone's carpet shampoo manages to be environmentally friendly and still keep costs down. Because the chemicals used in the formula are less harsh, it does mean that the cleaning capabilities might not be quite as powerful as other options, but that may be a trade-off you're willing to make for a more eco-friendly option.

This liquid is conveniently appropriate for both machine and hand washing. It needs to be diluted, which adds a bit more time to the cleaning process, but it does also mean that this already large bottle will go even further. 

This particular cleaner works well on stains in small areas, such as spilt drinks or food, but less on bigger areas. It is odour-eliminating and has a lavender fragrance, adding a calming aroma after use. Its easy-to-use spray applicator also makes it great to use on upholstery and other materials as well as carpets - even wool is safe. 

One drawback is that it does require some elbow grease - once it's sprayed on it needs to be worked into the affected area and then also washed away at the end. If you need to do some serious spot cleaning, no matter the surface, then this is a great choice.

With its enzyme-based formula, this carpet cleaner is designed to get rid of stains speedily. It foams as you apply it, meaning your bottle will go further as you can apply less each time. This spray is not limited to carpets and can also work on upholstery and curtains. 

Although a quick solution to small stains, this spray is not the answer to all your carpet cleaning woes as it only really works on small areas and is not as effective on really tough marks, so is not ideal if you're looking for a deep clean.