Vacuums are great for everyday cleaning, but sometimes you need something that goes the extra mile. Carpet cleaners get deep into carpet fibers to lift dirt, pet hair, and hard-to-remove stains alike. Because cleaner fibers last long, a high-quality model can also help extend the life of your carpet.

While it’s possible to rent heavy-duty carpet cleaning machines from home improvement stores, purchasing a model that you can use more frequently is certainly more convenient—and more economical. Given how effective they are and that a full-size model is roughly the same size and cost as an upright vacuum, a carpet cleaner is a worthwhile addition to your cleaning arsenal. These are the best carpet cleaners we recommend.

Commercial-grade carpet cleaners have the largest water tanks and the most powerful scrubbing or steaming features to dislodge dirt and remove stains. The tradeoff is that they aren’t easy to store.

For most households, we recommend a full-size carpet cleaner for the occasional deep clean. They take up about as much space as a standard upright vacuum, with a gallon-size tank and approximate runtimes greater than 15 or 20 minutes.

If you have small rugs or sections of carpeting, a portable carpet cleaner is the way to go. They’re generally no bigger than a handheld vacuum and feature an attached hose and a handful of cleaning tools.