The 9 Best Carpet Stain Removers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. Oxy Stain Remover

$20 At Amazon $20 At Chewy $20 At Tractor Supply Co.

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  4.5/5
• Scent
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

The Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. Oxy Stain Remover is not only an extremely effective carpet stain remover, it also had us raving about its wonderful scent, easy application, and formula.

In our lab testing, the oxygenated formula removed dirt, urine, and pre-treated wine stains in one application. We found that application process to be straightforward, and it only took 12 minutes. It took two applications to get out our tougher, gooey barbecue and mud stains—and there was still a faint color left behind. But overall, the results were still impressive.

We'd be hard-pressed to name a cleaner that smells as good. If scented products aren't typically your preference, you'll be pleased to know that the scent isn't overwhelming. It's just a pleasant and welcome surprise, especially compared to some of the more standard, chemical scents commonly associated with stain removers.

This carpet stain remover is on the pricier side, but when you consider that you're getting a 32-ounce spray formula that's oxygen-infused (critical for eliminating and lifting stains and odors), we think the price is justified. Whether you're looking for a spray that's easy to apply or an effective stain remover to revive your favorite rug, this one fits the bill.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Not named}

Best Budget

Kids 'N' Pets Instant All-Purpose Stain & Odor Remover

$6 At Amazon $6 At Walmart $6 At Chewy

Even with a name like Kids 'n' Pets - Instant All-Purpose Stain & Odor Remover, you don't have to have children or furry friends to appreciate this cleaner's efficient performance.

Using this carpet stain remover is very straightforward. Shake the bottle, spray the cleaner on the stains, let it sit for 10 minutes, and blot away. To remove old stains or odors, completely saturate the messy area with the formula to penetrate the fibers, then allow the carpet to air-dry. This process took about two hours in the Lab, so if you're hoping to wipe up a set-in stain quickly, just know that it will take some time. One of the end results is that it will eliminate pet urine odor, too—we saw first-hand in our testing.

This affordable cleaner is also biodegradable, and never tested on animals. We noted that even though it took two applications to eliminate most of the fresh stains, this product is one we'd recommend to friends or family members. It worked well and left a pleasant, gentle scent behind.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Fresh scent}

Best Eco-Friendly

Biokleen Bac-Out Stain + Odor Remover Spray

$16 At Amazon $18 At Walmart $14 At biokleenhome.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  4.5/5
• Scent
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Looking for a powerful stain remover that's eco-friendly? Biokleen Bac-Out Stain and Odor Remover is the way to go. This plant-based formula is unscented and biodegradable, and after only 10 minutes, it was able to lift up fresh and set-in wine stains, as well as pet urine. It took a few passes to remove the tough barbecue sauce and mud stains, but we were still impressed with its effectiveness.

We also found the spray nozzle on this product to be noteworthy. It's sturdy and makes it so easy to target the stain (unlike some of the more flimsy, leaky options we've tested!). However, different nozzles sometimes ship when placing second or third orders.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Lime Essence}

Best for Pet Owners

The Spruce Stain & Odor Remover

$12 At Amazon $12 At Walmart

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Scent
  5/5
• Value
  4/5

Our brand's very own, The Spruce Stain and Odor Remover, delivered when tested among its peers. The formula was very effective at breaking up stains and odors we left in its path, and it left behind a gentle scent while doing so. If you're a pet owner, you might have heard of the wonders of enzymatic formulas, because they are usually best at thoroughly cleaning up pet accidents. That's because they break down the stain and odor at the source, so your pet won't have a repeat accident in the same spot.

We found that the product worked best when excess liquid was blotted up from the stain before application. After that, it quickly removed the pet urine stain and didn't leave any unpleasant odors behind. It took a couple of applications to get up the red wine stain, and it struggled to remove gooey barbecue sauce and mud stains.

However, a pet parent will appreciate that its standout performance was the elimination of the pet urine stain and related odor in only eight minutes, which will make sprucing up your rugs a lot easier. The ingredients are plant-derived, so it's a particularly eco-friendly cleaning product as well.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Apple, neroli, and orchid}

Best for Upholstery

Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. Stain & Odor Eliminator

$20 At Amazon $34 At Walmart $20 At Target

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Odor Elimination
  5/5
• Scent
  3/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5

While it's not unusual for carpet cleaners to work on upholstery, Rocco & Roxie Supply Co.'s Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator really blew us away with its upholstery-cleaning power. The wine stain completely disappeared before our eyes, and this spray eliminated the other stains with only a tiny wipe-down. The waiting period for this disappearing act was longer than those of others on this list, at 36 minutes, but that's really the only downside to this product. It's a bit pricey, but it's worth splurging on, since it's very effective.

After it cleaned the stains off of our upholstery fabric, we checked to see whether it also eliminated the urine odor. We were happy to report that the odor was gone and only a light, clean scent was left behind—nothing too overpowering. It's not surprising that this product performed so well, since it's from the same brand as our best overall pick. This one has a slightly longer waiting period, and it doesn't feature an oxygenated process that essentially lifts stains off your fabrics. Still, we'd trust it as a reliable upholstery cleaner in our homes.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Not named}

Best for High-Traffic Areas

OxiClean Carpet Stain Remover

$16 At Amazon $7 At Home Depot $5 At Walmart

Our Ratings

• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Value
  5/5
• Scent
  5/5
• Odor Elimination
  5/5

The power of OxiClean is real: This carpet stain remover uses oxygenation to get to the source of the stain and lift it away. We could actually see stains lift off of the carpeting after a few minutes. While it has a longer waiting period than others we've tested, at 21 minutes total, this product thoroughly lifted stains away and outperformed most of the other products in the lab.

OxiClean Carpet Stain Remover was highly effective at lifting stains, as well as eliminating odors from a pet urine spot. On top of that, it left a light, fresh, laundry-like scent behind, and is reasonably priced. With such a powerful stain remover on standby, you can use this with confidence in all of the high-traffic areas of your home—family rooms, hallways, bedrooms, and more.

Just keep in mind: This spray lifted the dried wine stain more quickly than the fresh wine stain in our testing. If someone spills a wine glass at your next book club get-together, brush it off and tend to the stain after your guests leave. You'll be a cool, calm, and collected host with a freshly revived carpet soon enough.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Not named}

Best for Odors

Nature's Miracle Advanced Cat Stain & Odor Eliminator Foam

$10 At Amazon $10 At Chewy View On PETCO

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Effectiveness
  4.5/5
• Scent
  4/5
• Value
  5/5

If you've spent any time around a friendly feline, then you know that the smell of cat urine is one of the most pungent around, and it's also extremely difficult to remove. So, if an odor remover can eliminate cat odors, you know it can handle most other kinds, too. Nature's Miracle Advanced Stain and Odor Remover, is a great cleaner for cat messes and proved to be great at removing stinky pet smells in the lab.

Unlike some of the other cleaners we've tested, this one comes in an aerosol can and sprays out a stream of foam. We didn't love this application method and thought it was hard to target a specific area. However, once the foam was applied, we waited 15 minutes as instructed and wiped away stains fairly easily. The Nature's Miracle remover completely cleaned up fresh and set-in wine stains. And while it didn't totally lift all of the barbecue sauce and mud stains, it proved to be an effective odor eliminator.

_{Type: Foaming aerosol spray | Scent: Not listed}

Best for Fresh Stains

Carbona Oxy Powered Carpet Cleaner

$16 At Amazon $5 At Walmart $9 At Ace Hardware

There are several features that make Carbona Oxy Powered Carpet Cleaner an excellent stain remover. First of all, it comes with a built-in scrubbing brush to help gently agitate the stain so the product can work quickly. Second, it's so easy to use because the brush activates the foam technology, so you don't have to deal with any messy foam application. But perhaps most importantly, this cleaner completely removed our fresh stains from the testing carpet in less than six minutes.

We were amazed at the quick results on both carpeting and upholstery stains, and we appreciated the built-in brush, but we did need to clean it often when removing the stickier stains (to prevent the mess from spreading around more). That takes away a little bit of the hands-free cleaning fun, but it's still an extremely helpful tool. While this formula worked well on fresh stains, it struggled a bit on the tougher, set-in stains, so this is a better option for quick cleanups around the house.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Not listed}

Best for Wine Stains

Emergency Stain Rescue Chateau Spill Red Wine Stain Remover

$20 At Amazon View On Hatestains.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Scent
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

We love when a product delivers on its claims, and the Emergency Stain Rescue Chateau Spill Red Wine Stain Remover does just that. It cleans wine stains when you're in a pinch. In our testing, we found that this cleaner quickly and efficiently removed fresh and set-in wine stains from carpet and upholstery. The wine stains on the carpet were completely gone after 10 minutes, and the upholstery stains disappeared in just six minutes. We hardly had to blot any of the stains since this remover eliminated them so well.

The concentrated formula is neatly packaged in a travel-size bottle, so you can stow it in a cabinet or throw it in your bag if you're anticipating a particularly fun wine night soon. We found that the initial spray was a tad leaky, but after a few sprays, the product worked flawlessly.

While this is an amazing red wine stain remover, it struggled on the tougher barbecue and mud stains and didn't eliminate the pet urine odor, so this stain remover is truly formulated particularly for wine. It's unscented, which is great for this specific cleaning purpose, since wine has its own scent that you likely don't want to mix with an artificially scented cleaner.

_{Type: Spray | Scent: Unscented}