Stains and spills are an inevitable part of life, especially if you’re someone who lives on the clumsier end of the scale (welcome, friends).
No matter how careful one is with their new white shirt, by the end of the week, you could mount and frame it and send it off to the Tate as a Jackson Pollock tribute piece.
Keeping your home clean isn’t as straightforward as freshening up your wardrobe - in many cases, you’ll have trouble cramming things like rugs into your washing machine’s drum.
Luckily there are plenty of solutions to reach for to keep floor coverings looking and smelling as fresh as a daisy. A vacuum may do the trick for short-term cleaning, and while most models can masterfully slough off dirt and grime, scents are a whole other ball game. To get rid of bad odours, only a deep clean will do.
Professional carpet cleaning services in London don’t come cheap, but the good news is that there is a wholly affordable DIY option in the form of specialised rug cleaner sprays.
Packed with stain-busting chemicals and detergents, these sprays promise to send strange and unpleasant smells and stains packing, all without fading or ruining your rug.
If you’re not sure where to start but need to revive your favourite carpets and area rugs, it’s ES Best to the rescue. We’ve rounded up the best-performing rug sprays and cleaners to help you banish unsightly stains, leaving not a trace of their existence behind. Naturally strong chemicals are part of the equation but we’ve taken care to include some gentler solutions for homes with pets and children.
Roll up those sleeves, assemble your sponges and check out the best rug cleaner sprays below.
Shop now
M&S Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner Almond & Sweet Orange 750ml
If you’re not wild about filling your home with potentially harmful chemicals, help is at hand with M&S’s plant-based cleaner, specifically designed to bring carpets and furniture upholstery to new. It promises effective stain removal alongside odour neutralisation, helped along by botanical essential oils. Suitable for vegan households.
Buy now £3.20, Ocado
Astonish SE Carpet Trigger
Never frown at red wine or coffee stains again thanks to Astonish’s carpet cleaner, which is designed for spot stain removal. While hardworking, the formula is kind enough to use on wool rugs and upholstery while also stopping weird smells in their tracks.
Buy now £2.50, Dunelm
Zoflora Linen Fresh Carpet Fresh and Care Foam, 600ml
Beloved by Mrs Hinch and her clean-fluenced disciples, Zoflora has experienced newfound joy as the darling of domestic cleaning. Its range of beautiful scents paired with dirt-tackling formulas make it an easy brand to reach for.
If you’ve got messy carpets and rugs to clean, Zoflora’s carpet foam is the spray to reach for. Expect a deep clean and a pleasing scent of fresh linen after use.
Buy now £5.00, Amazon
Dr Beckmann Carpet Cleaner & Brush 650ml
From laundry detergents to floor care, Dr Beckmann is a leader in home cleaning supplies. Its portfolio of cleaners extends to this carpet solution which, very handily, comes with a built-in brush to assist in getting the formula right down into the fibres - good news if you’re trying to clean a rug with a particularly plush pile.
Buy now £4.48, Amazon
Rug Doctor Oxy Power Stain Remover, 500ml
Using a formula triggered by air, this rug-safe cleaner works by disrupting the chemical bonds of stains, giving a whole new meaning to a deep clean. This is the big gun to call when you’ve run out of side tables and cushions to hide ingrained stains like red wine, ink, grease and pet accidents. It’s multi-use too; as well as rugs and carpets, it can also be applied to soiled upholstery, drapes and used in the car as well.
Buy now £4.99, Amazon
Vax Original 1.5L Carpet Cleaning Solution
As one of the best-known carpet cleaning vacuums on the market, Vax needs little introduction. What it does need, however, is a cleaning formula made specifically for its devices. Enter this Original bottle containing a litre and a half of tough stain-removing cleaner. It’s gentle enough to be used on even gentle carpets and rugs, including those made with wool and leaves behind nothing but a rose fragrance.
Buy now £10.00, Argos
Tesco Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner 500ml
Proving you needn’t dig deep to enjoy a deep clean, Tesco’s own-brand carpet cleaning formula gives you plenty of change from a fiver. The cleaning agent triggers upon contact with oxygen, so one spritz is all you need to get it working. Leave it on for no longer than five minutes before running over it with a vacuum. This is one cleaner best saved for synthetic rugs rather than wool, velvet, silk, antique or leather fabrics.
Buy now £2.00, Tesco
1001 Carpet Stain Remover - 500ml
When calamity strikes, reach first for 1001 Stain Remover. It can equalise everything from merlot spillages and coffee mishaps to tougher, stubborn patches.
Simply apply the foam formula to the offending area, wait for the formula to work its magic and blot the excess off after five minutes have passed. Gently rinse the area with a wet cloth being careful to not oversoak, before vacuuming as usual.
Et voila, a domestic magic trick of the most pleasing kind.
Buy now £4.69, Robert Dyas
HG Stain Remover Extra Strong
What it lacks in schmoozy packaging (and really, who wants that from a cleaning brand anyway?), HG more than makes up for in strong, hard-hitting formulas. Everything you need to know is on the front of the bottle while a spritz will prove all the claims true. This stuff works on everything from wine spillages, coffee stains, pen leaks, tracked-in mud, chocolate smears and more. While it works on most rugs, the brand doesn’t advise applying this to Oriental rugs or very delicate textiles.
Buy now £6.75, Amazon
Vanish Oxi Action Carpet Care Vacuum Up Powder 650g
Put your faith in pink, and you’ll be rewarded with sparkling carpets and rugs that feel brand new. Vanish’s Oxi Action product makes cleaning up spills and stains a breeze, taking just 30 seconds to blitz accidents. Sprinkle over rugs in a well-ventilated room and leave for around 30 minutes for a deep clean. Then vacuum it all away and marvel at your shiny, like-new rug. There are powerful chemicals at play in this one, needed to attract dust and dust from the rug’s fibres, but the end results are worth it.
Buy now £13.27, Amazon
