Best spot cleaner for small messes

If you're looking for a portable yet powerful spot cleaner, this Rug Doctor 93306 Portable Spot Cleaner is our top recommendation. Our tester comments: "It feels like good quality and is worth the money if you have a lot of little spills to contend with." The tank is larger than most, meaning you won't need to constantly empty it. It is ideal for smaller areas or spot stains on carpet, upholstery, soft surfaces and the interior of cars.

With up to two times the suction power of most portable cleaners, the Rug DoctorSpot Cleaner can pull stains out of carpets, car interiors, upholstery and fabrics with ease. It's worth having in your cleaning cupboard, especially if you have pets or kids in the house.

Our tester does have some caveats: "It is quite cumbersome to move around the house and significantly up the stairs. Another issue we had: it comes on wheels but cannot be laid flat. It behaves a little like a pull-along suitcase with a pull-out handle."

Read our full Rug Doctor 93306 Portable Spot Cleaner review.

Ideal for households with pets, this BISSELL SpotClean Pet Pro cleans up accidents in no time at all. Our tester said: "It’s brilliantly designed and full of neat ergonomic touches, it’s just rather big."

Great for emergencies, this spot cleaner quickly and easily lifts away spots, spills and stains from carpets, sofas, pet beds, car interiors and more. It has a larger water capacity, so it gives you the option for a larger or more intensive clean, should you need to. On carpets, our tester was impressed: "It not only pulled stains out of fabrics, it restored the pile too, making the fabric look and feel new." Also, it left the fabric almost dry after use as it pulls out dirt and shampoo.

It's a good choice if this is your first spot cleaner purchase, as it's very easy to use. The only downside, our tester felt, was that it's on the large side and heavy with it. "[It] really could do with being a little lighter, smaller or using some small wheels in the name of practicality."

Save getting out a full size carpet cleaner or getting on your hands and knees to scrub out stubborn stains; this RYOBI Cordless Swift Clean Spot Carpet Cleaner is ideal for tackling tough stains such as wine and mud. A customer comments: "The spot cleaner is absolutely brilliant when our two miniature Dachshunds have accidents."

A powered brush bar agitates dirt and debris from the fabric fibres, providing a deep and hygienic clean. Additionally, you can clean all the clear component parts in the top-rack of your dishwasher to thoroughly sterilise them against bacteria and allergens.

Our happy customer concludes: "Ryobi has done it again, inventing another tool that is not only excellent but simple to use."

If you're worried about lugging a lot of weight around with you as you clean, this BISSELL Pet Stain Eraser 2982E Cordless Carpet Cleaner weighs just two kilograms. A satisfied customer says: ""I’m glad I bought this small and mighty machine. It's lightweight, well made, cleans brilliantly with dogs, has easy storage, and has very low noise."

It is always ready to remove messes on the go as it's cordless with a long battery life. See for yourself how the powerful rotating DirtLifter PowerBrush loosens, lift and remove tough pet stains.

The SpotWash from Vax is a well-made, popular and solid option, especially if you’re buying on a budget. Smaller than the BISSELL option, this spot cleaner may have a smaller tank and feel less powerful, but it is 90 per cent as good and even features a hard-floor attachment for cleaning wood and tiled floors. A customer comments: "his is small enough to tuck away but effective at ensuring the rug stays clean and fresh. I’ve also used a bed mattress to freshen up after the hot weather."

The stand-out feature of the SpotWash is has a self clean function so dirt and debris can be flushed out to keep it hygienic and clean.

Our customer concludes: "It’s easy to carry, well-designed with hose storage, and so easy to set up and use. Very pleased with this little thing."

For a lightweight and portable spot remover, this Shark StainStriker Pet Stain & Spot Cleaner PX200UKT is powerful. Used in conjunction with Shark's cleaning solutions, you get 20x more stain cleaning power. A customer comments: "Having purchased other items from Shark/Ninja, they have become the company to trust. All around, this is a great machine. Great price for what you are getting."

It's one of the best spot cleaners for deep cleaning carpets and upholstery. Target stains, grime and odour around the home. The Pet Stain Trapping Tool is effective at removing tough pet stains.
Deep clean a range of surfaces with the dual-activated cleaning solution to instantly remove dirt and odour. Happily, Shark's specially formulated detergents are included with the spot cleaner, plus a range of useful tools. So although it's at a higher price-point that other spot cleaners you are getting a high quality bundle of cleaning equipment.

Tackle larger stains with the Vax SpotWash Home Duo Spot Cleaner thanks to its extra wide antimicrobial 2-in-1 cleaning tool that removes all sorts of spills and stains. A customer comments: "This is a really good cleaner for spot cleaning and also cleaning the sofas. Didn’t think my sofas were dirty until I used this on them – they were filthy."

It has a 75 per cent wider cleaning path compared to other Vax Spot Washer tools. Use on upholstery, carpets and car interiors—clean hard-to-reach places with the antimicrobial crevice tool. Also, the antimicrobial Messy Clean Up Tool keeps unhygienic pet messes separate from everyday clean-ups.
Extend the lifespan of well-worn rugs and carpets, as our customer explains: "It’s saved me from having to throw out the network of rugs I have for my elderly golden retriever – we had been replacing them every few months because of the stains, but no more. Very compact and powerful for its size."

Thoroughly clean every nook and tight spot, thanks to the extra long reach on this Vacmaster EasyClean Carpet Spot Cleaner. Quickly remove spills and stains from carpets and soft furnishings. A customer calls this a "little wonder" that "pulled unseen muck that you'd never know was there by eye."

Improve the colour and cleanliness of carpet pile with this tough stain tool. Also, it can clean narrow and uneven surfaces. If you have a heavily trodden area of carpet this Vacmaster can bring it up good as new. The nylon brushes in the tool-heads loosen stubborn dirt, making it easier to lift the stains.
Our customer comments on its ease of use: "The cleaner is easy to fill/empty/clean and has a good stretch of hose and power cord. Everything stores away neatly and the instructions are easy to understand. The added bonus of a decent-sized shampoo is included and this goes a VERY long way."

Vax is one of the top brands in spot cleaners, and this cordless model is a great option for a completely portable vacuum that offers very good performance. Our tester used it on his car and comments: "As a battery-powered cleaner, battery life will always be a concern. On a full charge I was able to get the rear seats fully extracted with the Vax while still having half a charge left over."

An excellent range of accessories is included so the Vax SpotWash Home Cordless can be used on a range of surfaces. In addition, a Vax cleaning product comes with the spot cleaner. Our tester further comments: "The included Vax SpotWash Antibacterial Solution not only cuts through the stain, it’ll rid any nasty bacteria that may be lurking around too."

We recommend this Vax if you are looking for a handy cordless model. Just be aware that the battery drains faster when you use the Boost Mode.