Rug Doctor Mighty Pro

It ranks #4 (A tier) on our consolidated carpet cleaners board, drawn from 6 independent outlets.

It is for pet owners and anyone facing the worst carpet on the board. Reviewers name it the best for pet messes, credit it with handling the most extreme cleaning challenges and note its low failure rates in long-term testing, and its large water tank means fewer refills on big rooms. If your carpets are merely dirty rather than disastrous, the Tineco CARPET ONE Smart Carpet Cleaner Machine in S tier is the better all-round pick and adjusts itself to the carpet.

Yes, it is the pick reviewers name for pet messes on our board. Its cleaning power and large tank suit repeated passes over urine and muddy paw traffic, and the community keeps showing it on the most extreme jobs. Treat fresh accidents quickly with the hand tool and then do a full pass over the area once it has been blotted.

It has low failure rates in long-term testing, which is one of the reasons it holds A tier. The brush and pump are the normal wear parts on any carpet washer, so rinse the machine after each use and check the brush a few times a year. It is a heavy machine, so lift it by the handle rather than the tank to avoid cracking the housing.

Buy the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro. The Pet Edition adds pet-specific features but reviewers report faster brush wear and a higher failure rate within two years, and its warranty excludes brush replacement. That puts the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro Pet Edition in D tier while the standard machine sits in A, and the standard machine is already the best pet pick on our board.

It is the consumer version of the commercial upright many people have rented, built in the same style with a large tank and a rear-facing brush. Owning one suits households that need to clean several times a year, because a pet accident needs treating the same day rather than the next time you pass a rental counter. If you clean once a year or less, renting remains the cheaper route.

Empty the dirty water tank, rinse it, run clean water through the machine and hand tool until it comes out clear, and let the tanks air dry off the machine. Pull hair from the brush and wipe the spray jets so residue does not block them. Store it upright and dry with nothing left inside.