Finding the best carpet cleaner for poop stains is essential when dealing with unpleasant messes caused by pets, children or accidents. Fecal stains and odors can quickly soak into carpet fibers, making them difficult to remove with standard household cleaners. Without the right formula and equipment, stains can linger and smells can return.
The right carpet cleaner breaks down organic waste, lifts set in stains and neutralizes odors at the source.
We compare the best carpet cleaners for poop stains based on stain-lifting power, odor removal, safety and overall value to help you restore cleanliness and freshness to your carpets.
Our Top Picks
Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Cleaner
A feature-rich machine engineered for homes with pets, offering powerful suction, anti-tangle brush tech and a built-in spot cleaner for stubborn marks. It extracts hair and grime effectively and gives professional-quality results for frequent pet stain treatments.
Designed for pet owners who demand performance
If you’re asking which is the best carpet cleaner for poop stains, this Shark model is a standout option thanks to its pet focused design. It combines strong extraction power with anti tangle mechanics that keep hair from wrapping the brush and reducing performance, so it stays effective even during tough messes. The included StainStriker spot tool lets you target concentrated spots like poop stains directly without needing a second machine, making cleanup quicker and more thorough.
Main benefits and real-world use
In practice, you’ll get near-professional results on short to medium piles: carpets look refreshed and feel less damp after cleaning. The self-clean hose feature is particularly useful to avoid the brown, smelly tubing that can happen after heavy pet use.
Considerations and tips
Running costs are a realistic downside: the machine tends to consume solution quickly, and replacement formula can be pricey. For stairs, the spray volume from the StainStriker can feel modest; many users find making up a small bucket of solution and working one stair at a time with a brush and extraction gives the best result.
Rug Doctor Pet Portable Spot Cleaner
A rugged, high-suction portable designed specifically for pet messes and hair removal. It extracts more liquid and grime than many smaller machines, making it well suited to stairs, rugs and targeted pet accident areas.
Purpose and performance
This Rug Doctor portable is engineered for spot cleaning in pet homes. It focuses on extraction power rather than large-area cleaning, so it excels at removing urine, faeces residue and odours from carpets, stairs and soft furnishings. The rubberised dual-action tool picks up hair while the suction lifts soiling.
What you get in daily use
You’ll notice better extraction of liquid and faster removal of solid residues compared with many light portables. For occasional deep cleaning of a rug or stairs it brightens fibres and reduces lingering smells when used correctly.
Practical insights and limitations
Because it’s built for power, it’s heavier than the smallest machines and can be tiring on extended jobs. The spot-cleaning workflow demands more hands-on time for larger rooms: you spray, agitate and extract in stages. Ensure seals are clicked in properly to avoid occasional spills when removing the dirty tank.
Tips for poop stains
Remove solids first, then use a short pre-spray and agitate with the rubber brush before extracting. Work in small sections and check seals when emptying the dirty-water tank to avoid mess.
BISSELL PowerWash Pet Carpet Cleaner
A lightweight, easy-to-manoeuvre carpet cleaner that tackles embedded pet dirt and most surface stains effectively. It balances cleaning power and portability well, making it a solid choice for homes with pets and for spot cleaning rugs, upholstery and car interiors.
What this machine does
You get a compact carpet cleaner designed to remove pet dirt, dander and everyday stains across carpets, rugs and upholstery. It uses a two-tank system so you don’t reapply dirty water while cleaning, and a 4-row DeepReach PowerBrush to agitate fibres and lift mess.
Key features and benefits
This setup means you can tackle fresh poop stains and older, set-in messes without hauling a full-size machine. For spot work and occasional deep cleans you’ll appreciate the balance of cleaning and mobility.
Practical use and limitations
You’ll find it easy to set up and store. For small to medium messes the water and solution capacity is sensible, but if you have large rooms or many heavy stains you’ll refill more often. Drying time is reasonable on thinner carpets; thicker rugs will take longer.
Tips for removing poop stains
Pre-remove solids with a paper towel, then blot the area before using the machine. Work in short passes and extract as much moisture as possible to reduce drying time. Repeat cleaning passes rather than over-wetting once.
BISSELL SpotClean Pro Portable Cleaner
A professional-style spot cleaner with strong suction and good heat-up time, built specifically for spots and stains on carpets and upholstery. It’s compact and effective for pet accidents, though it runs louder than some alternatives.
Purpose and overview
This SpotClean Pro is designed for fast, professional style spot cleaning. It combines spray, scrub and suction functions to remove a range of stains from pet accidents to food and drink spills on carpets, stairs and soft furnishings.
Features that matter for pet owners
You’ll find it particularly handy for rapid response to accidents: spray, agitate and extract in a tight workflow. For pet odours and urine, multiple passes with the correct solution will improve results.
Usability notes and limitations
Noise is a commonly reported downside, so plan cleaning times if you have noise-sensitive pets. Capacity suits spot tasks, not whole-room cleaning — expect to top up the clean-water tank during prolonged sessions. For very stubborn or long-standing stains, patience and repeat treatments are required.
Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner
A compact, easy-to-store machine with good suction and a heat-assisted dryer that reduces drying time. It’s well suited to regular pet-accident management and small flats where storage and speed matter more than large-area capacity.
Who this suits
You should consider this if you want a lightweight upright for regular spot cleaning. It’s designed for quick intervention on pet accidents and everyday marks, offering decent suction and a brush roll that focuses on high-traffic areas.
Key features and advantages
These features mean you can run quick treatments on common pet stains and reduce the wait time before walking on the carpet again. The machine is pleasant to handle and performs well on short to medium pile carpets.
Practical drawbacks and tips
One recurring friction point is the access to the brush area removal takes screws, which makes routine maintenance slower. If you have heavy soiling across large areas, an upright full-sized cleaner is still preferable. Also budget for replacement formula pods if you intend frequent use.
How to Remove Poop Stains Like a Pro
When a poop accident happens, speed and the right approach matter. Do this first: remove solids carefully, blot excess liquid, and ventilate the room. Pre-treat with an enzyme cleaner if the mess is fresh or organic. Enzymes break down proteins and stop odours rather than just covering them up.
Choosing the right machine for the job
Technique: pre-treat, extract, repeat
- Remove solids and blot. Use paper towels and avoid rubbing.
- Apply an enzyme pre-spray over the stain and let it dwell for the manufacturer’s recommended time (usually 5–10 minutes).
- Use the spot tool or main cleaner. Run slow, overlapping passes to give the machine time to loosen and extract residues.
- Check; repeat if needed. For dried or set stains, repeat enzyme treatment and extraction cycles.
Drying and odour control
Maintenance and safety
When to upgrade or call in pros
If you repeatedly face large or soaked stains, or if odour lingers after two strong cleanings, it’s time to call a professional who can treat padding and backing or use commercial grade extraction. Otherwise, pick the Shark CarpetXpert for heavy, frequent use, and the Rug Doctor portable for tough spot extraction both give reliable, repeatable results for poop stains and the odours they leave behind.
FAQ
Remove solids first with paper towels or a scraper. Blot excess moisture. Then pre-treat the area with an enzyme pre spray if you have one (enzymes help break down organic matter). Run the machine to extract. Never rub that pushes solids deeper.
Enzyme based detergents are your best bet for odour. Machines like the Shark CarpetXpert and Rug Doctor do the extraction work, but you must use a good enzyme cleaner in the solution tank to neutralise smells, not just mask them.
Choose a machine with anti-tangle brush tech (Shark CarpetXpert). After each clean, remove hair from brushes and cams. For heavy shedding, run wide strokes and clear hair after every few passes to keep suction consistent.
Dry times vary. Powerful extractors (Rug Doctor, Shark) remove more water and typically reduce drying to 4–8 hours in good ventilation. Lightweight models with heat assist (Hoover PowerDash) may shorten surface dry time, but deeper fibres can still stay damp longer.
Not usually. Portables like BISSELL SpotClean Pro and Rug Doctor Pet Portable do great on spots, stairs and upholstery. For full room deep cleans you’ll want a full-size extractor or repeated portable passes the Shark CarpetXpert offers the most consistent whole room performance.
Call a pro for large areas of contamination, frequent recurrent accidents, or when odour persists after two professional strength enzyme treatments. Also get pro help if the carpet backing or padding soaked through.
Final Thoughts
Best overall: Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Cleaner — Choose this if you deal with frequent pet accidents and hair. Its high suction, anti-tangle brush tech and built-in spot cleaner give near-professional results on carpets and upholstery. Use it for whole room cleans and heavy soiling where extraction power and hair handling matter.
Best portable / toughest spot jobs: Rug Doctor Pet Portable Spot Cleaner — Pick this if you mainly tackle targeted messes: stairs, rugs, car interiors and single accidents. Its rugged design and very strong suction extract more liquid and grime than most portables, so it’s ideal for concentrated poop stains and repeat spot treatment.
If you need a lighter, easier to store option for occasional incidents, consider the BISSELL PowerWash Pet Carpet Cleaner good suction and portability for flats and cars.
