Spot cleaner Best Buys
Best Buy: OzKleen Carpet PowerWe tested the spot cleaners for their ability to remove fresh and dried stains first time from pale wool-blend and nylon carpets and compared the results with washing-up liquid and soda water. Our Best Buys are effective overall and didn't discolour the carpet.
Vanish Oxi Action, £3.29 from supermarkets, is the best choice if you slop your drink, working well on coffee, red wine and Ribena. This spray foam for carpets and upholstery is easy to direct at the stain. Like most products, it's not good at removing felt pen, shoe polish or wax, but sees off other stains in two applications. It's equally effective on fresh and dry stains and on wool-blend and nylon carpet.
OzKleen Carpet Power, £3.68 from Tesco, is good at removing mud. It smells pleasant and foams well, but is hard to aim. It works equally well on fresh and dry stains and two applications is usually enough. It's better at removing stains, especially coffee, from nylon than wool-blend carpets.
Rug Doctor Spot Remover is a good all-rounder. The fine spray is easy to direct but covers a wide area. You leave it to work overnight. It's equally effective on fresh and dried stains, but is better on nylon than wool-blend carpets. Call 01903 235558 for stockists.
To remove felt pen or shoe polish, consider 1001 Troubleshooter Stain Remover, £2.49 from supermarkets. But it lightened our dark synthetic carpet slightly
Carpet shampoos on test
Best on Test: Bissell Wash & Protect for Carpets & Upholstery
There is little difference between the cleaning power of the carpet shampoos that we tested.
Despite the six years' worth of dirt from people, dogs, brick dust and spillages that coated our test carpet, all of the products did a good job. But it is worth picking one that can be used in a carpet-cleaning machine, as this makes shifting the grime easier, especially on large areas. The Vax and Bissell products can all be used in a machine.
Bissell Wash & Protect for Carpets & Upholstery, which has a pleasant citrus aroma, is a Best Buy, pipping the others to the top of the table by being an excellent cleaner that is easy to dilute for use in a cleaning machine. It costs £17. Call 0870 2250109 for stockists.
Bissell Wash & Protect for Carpets & Upholstery 17.00 92
Vax Spring Clean AAA Carpet Cleaner 2.99 84
Bissell Lavender Essence Fiber Cleansing Formula 14.50 84
1001 Shampoo Large Area Cleaner 2.59 83
Astonish Shampoo for Carpets and Upholstery 1.19 66
(Final figure there is a percentage score so the Vax & 1001 stuff look like good value!)