Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner Review

For years I contemplated the cost of buying a home carpet cleaning machine–I’d pay carpet cleaners to come to my home once or twice a year to do carpet cleanings, but when we brought home a new puppy I quickly realized it was beyond time to get a home carpet cleaner. But what is the Best Carpet Cleaner and who makes the best carpet cleaning machine?! Which is the better carpet cleaner Hoover or Bissell? And is it worth the cost?! Today I want to share with you my Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner Review and why it’s been a godsend for my family!

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Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner Review

We got the Hoover SmartWash a few months ago and I’ve waited a while to post this until I had used it several times to ensure it worked properly and I understood how everything worked. Trust me, this isn’t your run of the mill vacuum cleaner. The Hoover Smartwash + Automatic Carpet Cleaner was my first choice because it had great reviews on all the sites that I checked… plus it was a great price. I also liked that it was made to deep clean and neutralize pet stains–which was the main reason I was getting it. Seriously – pet messes are not fun to clean up without an automatic carpet cleaner.

How does the Hoover SmartWash work?

The Hoover SmartWash is super easy to use. Before you use the SmartWash, be sure to thoroughly vacuum your carpet or any upholstery. The SmartWash is not meant to be vacuuming your carpet…sucking up large particles into the system isn’t good for it. Don’t worry though – the SmartWash will get all the dirt that your vacuum can’t reach.

Firstly…

To start, you fill up the water soltuion tank with clean, hot water.

Secondly – Next up, you add the Hoover Cleaning Solution to the back container.

Then, you turn the machine on. You push forward and the wash button will light up and you’ll see the water being pushed into the carpet. When you pull backward, the “dry” button lights up and it sucks the water back up. The cool thing is when you see the dark, dirty water being sucked up into the machine… that’s when you know it’s working! Seriously, no guesswork here with this automatic cleaning technology – carpet cleaning is officially as easy as vacuuming!

Then…

So here’s a little peek at the space that I am cleaning in my sunroom. It gets all the traffic in and out of the backyard so it’s always dirty!

BEFORE: Near the door there are noticeable spots and my daughter dropped slime on the ground, so it’s there for good (no carpet cleaner can get that up sadly).

DURING: Here’s after one pass over part of the stain. You can see the dirty part on the top and the clean line on the bottom.

AFTER: The stains are fully lifted, but not the slime…and I didn’t expect the slime would lift.

And here’s what the water looked like after cleaning the area…

Pretty gross, yet oddly satisfying, right? And when you dump it out, it’s actually much more disgusting and also still oddly satisfying knowing that all that crap is out of your carpet now!

Other cool thing about this carpet cleaner…once you get done washing, if you notice there’s a lot of water in the carpet still, you hit the “Dry Only” button on the machine and you can go back over the carpet just sucking water out of the areas you washed. So what I like to do is thoroughly clean the carpet and then go over in Dry Only mode about 2 times to ensure all the extra water has been extracted that I’m able to.

So now onto your questions…

Is the Hoover SmartWash any good?

I’ve been extremely happy with this machine! It’s easy to use, easy to put together, and it’s been a godsend in my household. Our puppy had diarrhea recently (so gross!) and the job was so much easier to clean up and know it was thoroughly cleaned with this machine. Normally after this happened, I’d likely have a huge stain on my carpet and the carpet would be matted where we’d been scrubbing, but instead I cleaned up as much as possible with a paper towel and then I used this machine and just kept going over the spot and it was so simple to clean up a huge mess. In the past, I would have gone to the store to rent a Rug Doctor – which never truly did a deep cleaning on my carpet.

I also love that the Hoover is full size and an upright carpet cleaner – it makes going over the cleaning path so much easier. It also has a 1-step removable nozzle which makes it really easy to clean the brush bristles. Also, you don’t need to pretreat any of the spots which is nice. I really love the auto mix that mixes and then dispenses the solution – it’s really hands off and simple!

If you are a pet owner or have kids then I think this is 100% a great option for you!

Which is a better carpet cleaner Hoover or Bissell?

I don’t have much experience with the Bissell, but I think the cordless Hoover is great and I have no issues at all with it. So my recommendation from personal experience is the Hoover.

The Hoover SmartWash is so versatile. I think it’s great for carpets and area rugs…and the triggerless design makes it so simple to use. Seriously, I believe it wasn’t dubbed the SmartWash pet complete automatic carpet cleaner for nothing…that is not a title that is taken lightly when dealing with floor care!

Does Hoover SmartWash heat the water?

It does not. You are putting hot water into the machine yourself.

How long does it take for carpet to dry after using Hoover?

It takes less than 24 hours to dry…if not less. I’d say it took about 6-8 hours for them to dry, but it just depends on the carpet and how bad the stain was. Faster drying obviously happens in smaller areas, too. The auto dry is a great plus, though…such powerful extraction!

Where to buy the Hoover SmartWash pet carpet cleaner?

I recommend purchasing off Amazon, which is where we got ours.

Seriously, go checkout right now – you won’t regret it. Let me add that when you purchase a Hoover SmartWash, it comes with a 5 year warranty and protection plan. Obviously we loved ours, but the Hoover team has a 30-day credit return policy if you’re unhappy with the purchase.

How much is this carpet cleaner?

The carpet cleaner ranges from $250-$300 with the cleaning solution.

The carpet cleaner ranges from $250-$300 with the sample bottle of cleaning solution included. A 2-in-1 antimicrobial pet tool, 8 foot hose and an accessory storage bag are also included when you purchase the Hoover. It’s easy to find the carpet cleaning solution online once you run out…I found some for around $25.

How to clean the Hoover?

Once you are done cleaning your carpets, I recommend cleaning your Hoover so it stays in tip top shape. You start by emptying the dirty water tank and cleaning the filter that is inside the container…you want a clean water tank. After that, you take the cover off where the brush rolls are and rinse that out. Let both parts air dry and then store. It’s very simple!

I hope this review really helped you–sometimes it’s nice to have a real person telling you about a product. Especially, when it’s an upright vacuum that acts as a shampooer, spot cleaner and stain remover all in one :). Please know that this post is completely unsponsored and unaffiliated with Hoover, I’m just writing to help inform you of a great products that’s verified and worked well in my home. If you have questions, drop them in the comments below…I’d love to see your clean carpets!!