Alice
Cleaning is serious business. You can create a profitable enterprise out of cleaning specialist items, which normal hoovers, mops and solutions can’t reach. Carpets are something that everybody has, and everybody struggles to keep spotless. Whether due to creative kids, muddy pets or everyday spills, it’s easy to spoil a carpet with a stubborn stain. Commercial cleaning machines offer a much higher standard of cleaning; with these machines, you can give your clients the thorough carpet-cleaning service they want, and reap the financial rewards. However, with so many different makes and models on the market, it can be hard to know which cleaner is the right investment for your business. That’s why we’ve reviewed thousands of products to bring you the top five commercial carpet cleaners for any cleaning startup. Here are our recommendations!
Product Comparison Table: Best Carpet Cleaner for Small Business
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | Bissell Big Green Pet Carpet Cleaner | $$ | 5 stars | Best for Pets | Amazon |
 | Hoover FH52000 Smartwash Automatic Carpet Cleaner | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Value | Amazon |
 | Mercury Floor Machines PRO-12 Carpet Cleaner | $$$$ | 4 stars | Best for Large Areas | Amazon |
 | Vapamore MR-750 Ottimo Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner | $$$$ | 4 stars | Best Steam Cleaner | Amazon |
 | Bissell Big Green BG10 Commercial Carpet Cleaner | $$ | 5 stars | Best Overall | Amazon |
Bissell Big Green Pet Carpet Cleaner
The Bissell Big Green Pet Carpet Cleaner claims to out clean the leading rental, and has several innovative features that make it extremely powerful against pet dirt, odor, dander and hair. It features a unique registered XL DirtLifter PowerBrush with 8 rows of bristles, which works with powerful suction to remove embedded dirt and stains. There’s also a 9-foot long reach hose and a 6 inch tough stain tool, so you can easily clean stairs, upholstery and other hard-to-reach areas. The two large tanks keep clean and dirty water separate. Best of all, each purchase of this cleaner supports the Bissell Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets.
Pros
- Pet-focussed cleaning technology
- Supports animal charity
- Includes upholstery and stair accessories
Cons
- Heavy, bulky build
- Dries slowly
Verdict
The Bissell Big Green Pet Carpet Cleaner is the best option for pet-focussed cleaning. The included features and technology are precision-engineered to provide the best results on hair, stains and – crucially – odors. If your cleaning business is planning to focus on homes with pets, this is the best commercial carpet cleaner you can get. The only issues are the bulky weight, and the fact it dries fairly slowly.
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Hoover FH52000 Smartwash Automatic Carpet Cleaner
The Hoover FH52000 Smartwash Automatic Carpet Cleaner uses automatic cleaning technology; just push forwards to clean, and pull back to dry. This motion-sensing design means you always know which parts are completely cleaned, and speeds up the whole process. When you push forward, the Flexforce powerbrushes remove deep-down dirt, as easy as vacuuming. When you pull back, auto-dry delivers powerful extraction with fast Heatforce technology. Even solution mixing is automatic, as the machine precisely mixes and dispenses solution internally for optimal results. However, the vacuum-style design means it has a smaller tank than other machines.
Pros
- Push forward to clean, pull back to dry
- Automatic solution mixing
- Great value low price
Cons
- Small tank needs frequent refills
Verdict
If your business is very new, focussed on small spaces or even just doesn’t have much money to spend, the Hoover FH52000 Smartwash Automatic Carpet Cleaner is the best value option available. For new businesses, the vacuum-style design means you don’t need a lot of technical knowhow to get a professional finish. The performance also makes it a solid choice for cash-strapped enterprises. However, the small tank means you won’t be able to take on large jobs, as it needs to be refilled very frequently.
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Mercury Floor Machines PRO-12 Carpet Cleaner
The Mercury Floor Machines PRO-12 Carpet Cleaner is a heavy-duty large machine for large spaces. The easy-fill 12-gallon detergent solution tank cleans 600 square feet without moving the extractor, while a powerful 100 psi solution pump delivers a steady supply of extracting solution to the carpet. The dual high-velocity vacuum motors with over 160-inch of lift easily remove huge amounts of tough dirt. As for accessories, there’s a 25-foot vacuum and solution hose, a steel wand with 9-inch vacuum head for hard-to-reach places, and a single removable spray jet. Lastly, although the whole unit weighs a huge 144 pounds, there are 10-inch pneumatic transport wheels to help it move around.
Pros
- Extra large tanks
- Long hose and strong vacuum
- 10-inch pneumatic wheels
Cons
- Very heavy build
- Doesn’t come with upholstery arm
Verdict
With the Mercury Floor Machines PRO-12 Carpet Cleaner, you can easily clean very large spaces. This carpet cleaning machine is designed for custodians of large buildings, such as schools, offices and hotels. If your company is lucky enough to win such a contract, this machine should serve you well. The biggest issue is the weight – this can make the machine hard to move around, but the strong wheels really help.
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Vapamore MR-750 Ottimo Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner
The Vapamore MR-750 Ottimo Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner has an expansive 4 liter/1 gallon stainless steel boiler with a heavy-duty 1600 watt heating element, capable of bringing the steamer to its max temperature of 280 degrees Fahrenheit in just minutes. The unique electronic solenoid valve opens and closes the steam flow from the machine electronically, keeping the lines as dry as possible for cleaner, hotter steam. On top of this, the Vapamore machine is entirely chemical free; this makes it suitable for bathrooms, kitchens, ceramics, and automotives. There’s also over 20 onboard attachments to make cleaning any of these a breeze.
Pros
- Large water tank with efficient heating
- Chemical-free, suitable for a range of tasks
- Comes with 20+ attachments
Cons
- Expensive
- Using heat can be more dangerous
Verdict
The Vapamore MR-750 Ottimo Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner is light and easy to transport, on top of several other great benefits. Steam-cleaning in general is preferred by some professionals for its versatility, and the fact it limits both your customers and employees’ exposure to harsh and potentially dangerous chemicals. The one issue is the risk of burns; it’s best to make sure you and your workers are fully trained before using steam cleaners.
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Bissell Big Green BG10 Commercial Carpet Cleaner
The Bissell Big Green BG10 Commercial Carpet Cleaner might sound familiar; that’s because it’s the bigger cousin of the Bissell Big Green Pet. However, on top of the Big Green Pet’s precision-engineered cleaning technologies, this model also has some extras: the commercial deep-cleaning 2-motor design doubles the cleaning power. It also has an adjustable handle, and an extremely large tank capacity of 1.75 liters. There’s even a handy flow monitor to let you know when water and cleaning solution levels are low, so you can get the most out of each tank refill. However, despite all this, the BG10 doesn’t come with an upholstery hose, and the compatible Bissell professional formula cleaning solution is not included on purchase either.
Pros
- Motion sensing, not magnetic
- Silent and high decibel modes
- Can connect up to 50 sensors
Cons
- Doesn’t come with hose or fluid
Verdict
The Bissell Big Green BG10 Commercial Carpet Cleaner goes even further than the Bissell Big Green Pet, and outperforms many other carpet cleaners on this list, too. The large tank makes it very suitable for medium-to-large sized jobs. Also, the two-motors rival much more expensive machines for power, delivering a professional deep cleaning service every time. The price is still great value even with the additional purchases of the hose and fluid added on. These features and more combine to make the Bissell Big Green BG10 Commercial Carpet Cleaner our best overall commercial cleaning machine for small businesses.
