The Best Carpet Stain Removers, Per Our Editors
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Simply put: Stains suck. Whether you’re dealing with an accidental coffee spill on your white carpet or an unexpected pet mess on your rug, stains can be daunting—especially when they’ve been there for a while. And the smell? Don’t even get us started. While some stain removers leave your carpet looking off or can even change its texture, the best ones make stains disappear without a trace.
We tested over 40 different carpet cleaners on the toughest stains, including red wine, coffee, peanut butter, and even pet urine. Our top picks are the ones that are most effective at removing both fresh and set-in stains, all while keeping your carpet fibers odor-free and intact.
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It’s super effective on both wet and dry stains, lifting coffee, wine, peanut butter, and pet stains with minimal effort.
Out of the 34 stain removers we tested, the Resolve Pet Expert Stain and Odor Remover was the only one to remove 100% of our coffee, wine, and peanut butter stains, both fresh and dried. We didn’t even have to scrub the fresh coffee—it was gone immediately after spraying. It also worked wonders on unexpected cat vomit and blue Play-Doh stains. This stuff is magic.
While the spray bottle only has one setting, it targets even the smallest stains. For the best results, the instructions say to let the product soak for five minutes before scrubbing. The formula foams a little when you begin scrubbing, but once it soaks into the carpet, the area looks as good as new.
We love the scent, which is like a mix of bubble bath and cleaning products: fresh, clean, and unobtrusive. Plus, it dissipates quickly after wiping. With its incredible performance and reasonable price tag, it’s an absolute must-have.
Size: 22 oz. | Key Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide, surfactants | Cost Per Ounce: $0.27
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If you’re looking to tackle lots of stains, you need a carpet cleaner that’s both effective and affordable. At just 17 cents per ounce, the Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Pet Stain and Odor Eliminator is a great value—especially when it comes to fresh stains.
Almost all of the fresh wine, coffee, and peanut butter were gone after the 10-minute soak and scrub. It worked well on dried stains, depending on what they were. The day-old coffee and dried wine stains began to disappear during the soaking period, with no scrubbing needed. After a thorough scrub, the coffee stain was completely gone, and the wine was barely noticeable. However, the dry peanut butter was a bit more stubborn, leaving behind a faint brown stain.
The spray bottle has one setting that hits the sweet spot between a wide, fanned-out spray and a more concentrated stream. We found the spray range ideal, making it easy to pinpoint smaller stains. We’re also big fans of the scent; while it’s more artificial than natural, it dissipates quite quickly.
Size: 32 oz. | Key Ingredients: Oxygenated bleach, sodium carbonate, surfactants | Cost Per Ounce: $0.17
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While furry friends are great, the stains they leave behind…not so much. When dealing with pets, you need a carpet cleaner that not only removes the stains but also eliminates their odors. That’s why we love Nature’s Miracle Cat Stain Odor and Remover Spray.
We’re impressed by how effective it was on our cat urine stains, removing the visible residue with just one application. The enzymatic formula also does a great job breaking down the proteins that cause the odors, leaving no lingering smells behind. Even after sniffing the scene of the crime, we couldn’t detect a trace of the stain. Just make sure you don’t mind the citrus scent.
Beyond its impressive performance on carpets, this product is also compatible with hardwood and upholstery, making it a real pet owner’s dream. Whether you’re tackling vomit, feces, or drool, this product deserves a spot in your linen closet.
Size: 32 oz. | Key Ingredients: Enzymatic blend, isopropyl alcohol, surfactants | Cost Per Ounce: $0.34
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Natural cleaning products sometimes get a bad rap, so we were amazed by how powerful the Grove Co. Carpet and Upholstery Stain Remover is. It’s 90% bio based (meaning 90% of its ingredients are taken from renewable plant-based resources), USDA certified, and primarily made of plant-based ingredients. Unlike other options that require time to soak into your carpet, we love that this solution works instantly—no waiting around before you scrub it.
The dried coffee stain lifted immediately, so quickly that we hardly had to scrub it. The wine and peanut butter were a bit tougher, with only 90% removed after scrubbing. That said, we were surprised to find that the dried stains seemed to lift faster than the fresh ones. It only has one spray setting, but we found it wide enough to cover the entire stain with a few sprays.
It’s no surprise that this natural formula has a more earthy scent than an artificial one. We appreciate the calming thyme-lavender aroma, which is subtle and fades quickly.
Size: 20 oz. | Key Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide, plant-based surfactant, lactic acid, essential oils | Cost Per Ounce: $0.32
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After enough time with a stubborn stain, it starts to seem like you’re past the point of no return. Luckily, strong cleaners like Dr. Beckmann 2X Carpet Stain Remover are up for the challenge.
This product stands out for its screw-on scrubber brush, which releases the product directly through the bristles for easy scrubbing. However, we couldn’t stop the cleaner from pouring out, so it was difficult to target exact areas.
After letting dried stains soak for the recommended three minutes, most of them were virtually nonexistent. Fresh stains needed a bit more elbow grease; while the coffee was almost completely gone after scrubbing, the wine and peanut butter spots were still slightly visible. The white foam also caused the carpet to clump up and left it slightly damp and sticky, even after drying.
Although the product says it’s unscented, we actually noticed a subtle, pleasant smell. We liked that it was strong enough to mask any stain scents without overpowering our space.
Size: 22 oz. | Key Ingredients: Oxygenated bleach, sodium carbonate, surfactants | Cost Per Ounce: $0.56
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This formula from Stardrops performed just as well on the fresh stains as it did on dried ones: Coffee came out almost instantly, while peanut butter and red wine were about 95% lifted—almost (but not quite) gone after two attempts.
This cleaner foams up as soon as it hits carpet or upholstery, making it easy to see exactly where you’ve sprayed. We appreciate that it works pretty quickly—just five minutes of soaking and some light scrubbing is all it takes. Even after getting sudsy, our carpet looked just as good as it did before. The clean, bubble bath-esque scent is a bonus.
Size: 17 oz. | Key Ingredients: Sodium bicarbonate, surfactants | Cost Per Ounce: $0.47
Final Verdict
Our top pick is the Resolve Pet Expert Stain and Odor Remover, the only option to remove 100% of both wet and dry stains. We also appreciated that it left our carpet’s texture intact after scrubbing. For the best value, we recommend the Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator, which is especially effective on fresh stains.
Our Testing Process
To find the best carpet stain cleaners, we tested 34 popular options in our lab.
For our dry-stain test, we applied three stains—wine, coffee, and peanut butter—to our carpet and let them sit for 24 hours. The next day, we used each stain remover with a scrub brush or paper towels, following the brand’s instructions. We repeated the process for our fresh stain test, this time letting each substance sit for five minutes instead of 24 hours.
Afterward, we considered how easy the remover was to apply and whether it was effective on dry stains, fresh stains, or both. We also noted how much scrubbing was needed and whether the texture of the carpet changed after cleaning.
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How to Shop for Carpet Stain Removers Like a Pro
Ingredients
One of the most effective ingredients is sodium percarbonate, also known as oxygenated bleach. The oxygen breaks down the bonds between the stain and the carpet fibers, making the stain easier to lift away. On our list, both the Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator and the Dr. Beckmann 2 X Carpet Stain Remover have oxygenated bleach.
Oxygenated bleach works with pet stains, but a carpet stain remover that contains enzymes, like the Nature’s Miracle Cat Stain Odor and Remover Spray, is even better. The gold standard for pet stains is a cleaning product that combines both. Enzymes are so effective at getting rid of odors from pet stains that pets will not return to that spot to do their business again.
When it comes to harsh chemicals, it’s tough to avoid them completely. If this makes you uncomfortable, try soap and water or a homemade carpet stain remover first.
Compatible Surfaces
While you might assume that all carpet stain removers are compatible with all carpets, that’s not always the case. For carpets with silk or wool, it’s best to avoid generic carpet stain removers and go with professional treatment instead. The same goes for vintage or hand-dyed rugs—older fibers and dyes are often too delicate to handle harsh chemicals.
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Take Our Word for It
This article was written by Jamie Fischer, a writer for Real Simple with nearly two years of experience writing home shopping stories. Growing up, seltzer was her family’s go-to solution for any unexpected carpet stains. After researching carpet-specific stain removers, she’s ready for an upgrade.
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