How To Choose The Best Carpet Stain Remover?

Even if you act quickly to clean up a mess, carpet stains are incredibly difficult to remove without a proper cleaner or stain remover.

Homemade cleaners like baking soda and vinegar can remove some mild stains, but they often don’t work well. For old and dried stains, they probably won’t work at all and may even discolour your rug. You can call in professional carpet cleaners, but that’s a bit much for just a stain.

A carpet stain remover is the best and easiest way to deal with a coffee, wine, urine, or food stain. Not only does it work better than homemade cleaners, it is also safe for your carpet.

In this buying guide, we recommend the top 5 carpet stain removers you can order online in the UK. Once you find the right remover, buy it and keep it around in your home so that you can tackle stains when they are still fresh and easy to remove.

What to Consider When Choosing a Carpet Stain Remover

A. Type of Stain Remover

Make sure the stain remover uses oxygen bleach to remove dirt and stains. Unlike chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach lifts stains and kills bacteria without discolouring the fabric or fibres. Chlorine bleach will discolour and damage your carpet.

B. Spray vs. Liquid vs. Powder

The formulation of the stain remover doesn’t affect its effectiveness. A stain removal powder will be just as good as a spray.

Why you might prefer one over the other depends on your particular situation. If you have a stain in just one or two small spots, a spray or liquid stain remover is the best. You can easily target the stains.

A spray stain remover also works great on upholstery and other fabric surfaces.

If, on the other hand, you want to treat a larger area or even the entire carpet, get a stain removal powder.

A bit of powder spreads over a wide area and is easy to vacuum after it has done its job.

C. Effectiveness

Read customer reviews to see what other users have to say about the stain remover.

How well does it work to remove different kinds of stains? How long does it take to remove a stain? Do you need to apply it repeatedly to get rid of a stain?

The best stain removers typically need just a single application. Just make sure you leave it on the carpet long enough to work before you wipe or vacuum it.

Good stain removers also get rid of odours and leave a refreshing scent.

D. Fabric Type

Don’t forget to check what kinds of fabric and fibres the stain remover is safe for. This is particularly important if you have a high-end carpet like wool that’s delicate and you can’t risk damaging it.

If you plan to use the stain remover on upholstery, check whether it’s safe for delicate materials like leather, silk and velvet.

Even if the stain remover is safe for your carpet or upholstery, always test it on a small hidden area to make sure it doesn’t bleach or discolor the fibres.

Best Carpet Stain Remover Reviews

1. Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover with Cleaning applicator and Brush, 650ml x 2

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This is one of the best value stain remover packs you’ll find. For almost the same price as a single bottle of other stain removers, you get two bottles, each with 650ml of chlorine-free stain remover.

In addition, the pack comes with a brush and applicator to make your work easier.

From the more than 6,000 reviews on Amazon, it’s clear that the Dr. Beckmann stain remover is as good as it’s marketed to be.

It removes just about any kind of stain from the carpet including wine, coffee, nail polish, fruit juice, food and others. It’s also great for cleaning up baby and pet accidents. It removes the stain as well as the smell.

It doesn’t matter whether the stain happened a few minutes ago or it’s months-old, it’s as good as gone.

You can also use the liquid stain remover on upholstery, except leather, velvet, suede, silk and any fabric that can be damaged by water.

Applying the stain remover is easy. Use the sponge applicator and brush to apply it onto the stained area, then let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it off. For old and extra-tough stains, you may need to apply it twice.

The only complaint from customers is that the Dr. Beckmann stain remover is ideal only for small stains. A large stained patch may require an entire bottle. If you want to refresh the entire rug, you’ll need several bottles.

What we like about it

• Safe on most carpets – doesn’t discolour or damage fibres.
• Effective even on old stains.
• Easy to apply.
• Good value for money.

2. Vanish Oxi Action Carpet Stain Remover Powder, 650g

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If you prefer a powder carpet stain remover, we recommend Vanish Oxi Action. It’s especially suitable for cleaning up large stains or refreshing an old and smelly carpet.

Using the stain remover is easy. Just sprinkle it on the stained area and work it into the fibres using a brush. Let it sit for 20 minutes then vacuum. Any stains and spots on the carpet should disappear, though you may need to do a second treatment for certain tough stains.

Vanish Oxi Action works on most kinds of stains including drinks, polish, food and pet accidents. In addition to removing the stain, it removes all odours and leaves a nice scent behind.

It’s also great for refreshing your entire rug. If your carpet looks old and dull, sprinkle the powder all over, brush it in then vacuum after 20 minutes. Your carpet should have a newer and brighter appearance.

Like other carpet stain removers, Vanish Oxi Action uses oxygen bleach, so it won’t fade or discolour your carpet. But it’s always a good idea to test it on a small area.

The main complaint from customers is that the powder is tedious to vacuum. And if you don’t have a powerful enough vacuum, some of the powder remains deep in the fibres. You have to vacuum several times before it all goes away.

Vanish Oxi Action is safe for most carpets and upholstery except wool, leather and silk.

What we like about it

• Great for removing large stains.
• Refreshes dull and old looking rugs.
• Easy to apply.
• Doesn’t bleach or discolour carpet.

3. HG 144050106 Stain Spray Extra Strong, 500 ml

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HG Stain spray is the best option if you are looking for a spray carpet stain remover. A spray is great for targeting small stains, including those hiding deep in the carpet.

The HG Stain Spray uses oxygen-based bleaching agents to lift stains and dirt from the carpet. It works well on all kinds of stains, including years-old stains.

To use it, spray it on the stained area and let it sit for several minutes. Wipe the area with an absorbent cloth. You may need to repeat the process to remove some extra-tough stains. Brushing the stained area can also help lift some stubborn marks.

The spray also does a good job eliminating odours. However, customers say the spray itself has a strong chemical smell. If you are sensitive to strong smells, you may want to have someone else tackle the stain or make sure you work with the windows and doors open. But the smell goes away quickly.

What we like about it

• Effective on most kinds of stains.
• Easy to apply.
• Eliminates odours.

4. 1001 Carpet Stain Remover, 500ml

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If you are looking for a cheaper carpet stain remover, we recommend 1001. The liquid spray quickly eliminates all types of stains including coffee, wine, urine and food.

Like most spray stain removers, the 1001 carpet stain remover works best for small spots and stains. Spray it onto the stained area and let it work its magic for a few minutes.

Wipe it dry with a cloth and then once the spot is dry, vacuum to remove any remaining dirt particles.

Users say 1001 works great even for stains that have been on the carpet for weeks or months.

In addition to removing stains and eliminating odours, the 1001 carpet stain remover also contains ingredients that coat carpet fibres to prevent future soiling and staining. This is handy if you have a pet or baby in the house that keeps soiling the rug.

The only downside of the 1001 carpet stain remover is that it is not suitable for cleaning large stains or the entire rug. Not only would you need several bottles of the spray, it would also be tedious to wipe the carpet clean. For large areas, use a powder stain remover.

What we like about it

• Low price.
• Effective against most kinds of stains.
• Prevents future soiling and staining.

5. Cybergold Stain Remover

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This one is a bit pricey, but it has a heavy-duty formulation that works great against extra-tough stains. It is also one of the few carpet stain removers that is safe for wool carpets.

If you’ve tried to remove a stubborn stain using several cleaners and stain removers without success, give Cybergold a try. It tackles all kinds of stains, including old, dried-in and deep stains.

One thing we like about it is how fast it works. With other stain removers, you have to wait about 20 minutes for it to work. With Cybergold, you spray it on the stain and wait just one minute. Use a cloth to wipe the area dry.

Cybergold eliminates bad odours and leaves behind a nice floral scent.

It’s suitable for use on most kinds of rugs as well as upholstery, curtains and other fabrics.

What we like about it

• Heavy duty formulation that removes tough and stubborn stains.
• Works quickly.
• Easy to apply.
• Safe for wool carpets.