- Home
- Cleaning
- Cleaning How-Tos
Get rid of years of dirt, debris, and set-in stains that you wish you didn't know you were living with.
By
Katie Holdefehr
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Katie-Holdefehrcopy2-ffc77706133348f6b20ed89c24229251.jpg "How to Use a Portable Carpet Cleaner on Your Sofa, Car Seats, and Rugs (1)")
Katie Holdefehr
Katie Holdefehr is the associate editorial director at Real Simple.
Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on August 16, 2023
In This Article
In This Article
- Frequency
- Considerations
- Sofa
- Car Seats
- Carpets
- FAQ
Even if your couch cushions and cloth car seats look clean, they may have embedded stains and debris lurking in them. One way to find out is to clean these upholstered surfaces with a portable carpet cleaner, which can remove years' worth of soil easily and effectively.
Unlike a vacuum, most portable or handheld carpet cleaners use water and a power-cleaning solution to flush out set-in dirt and stains. While full-size cleaners are available for some carpet-cleaning tasks—like home or car upholstery and for spot-cleaning area rugs or carpets—using a portable carpet cleaner makes the task easier.
Follow these steps for using a portable carpet cleaner on your sofa or other upholstery, your car seats, and carpets, and you'll find out exactly how dirty they really were. Caution: You might not like what you find.
How Often to Clean Your Upholstery and Carpet
No matter what type or size carpet cleaner you use, keeping a consistent cleaning schedule can make the difference between keeping upholstery, car seats, and carpets soft and clean or having to replace them often:
- Vacuum carpets weekly or twice-weekly to help keep them clean and fresh.
- For treating spots stains, clean as soon as possible.
- To keep upholstery, car seats, and carpets fresh and in good shape, use a carpet cleaner every 12 to 18 months.
- For large households or those with pets and children, step up upholstery and carpet cleaning to every 6 months.
Considerations Before You Get Started
While carpet cleaners come in many shapes and sizes, a portable oneis handy if you live in a small space or need to freshen up your couch or car interior. They are also great for spot-cleaning stains (especially on spills that benefit from immediate attention), for area rugs that are too big for the washing machine, and for carpeted steps or other hard-to-reach carpeted areas.
While portable carpet cleaners have their advantages, they can be cumbersome and time-consuming to use if you have a houseful of carpet due for a thorough deep cleaning. For this task, use a stand-up cleaner—available for rent from supermarkets (among other locations) or for purchase—or hire a professional carpet cleaning service.
Pre-cleaning Tasks
Before using a portable carpet cleaner, such as the BISSELL Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner, start by vacuuming any crumbs and debris using the crevice attachment on the cleaner. Next, fill the basin with water and cleaning solution following the guidelines on the tank and the instructions manual.
No matter what you're cleaning, it's always a good idea to test a small, inconspicuous spot first to make sure the dyes don't run.
Equipment / Tools
- Portable carpet cleaner
- Brush upholstery attachment
- Fan for drying (optional)
Materials
- Carpet or upholstery cleaning formula
Instructions
How to Clean an Upholstered Sofa Using a Portable Carpet Cleaner
Get ready to clean stains you didn't even know your sofa had. Use this method on upholstered sofas and chairs, but don't try this on velvet, silk, vinyl, or leather.
Remove Cushions
Start by removing the cushions so you can clean the entire surface of the sofa.
Spray the Cleaning Solution
Unwind the cleaner's hose, then spray the cleaning formula onto the upholstery using a slow, steady backward-and-forward motion.
Vacuum All Along the Fabric
Go over the sprayed area, sucking up the cleaning solution and stains along with it. (Check out how dirty the water is!)
Working in small sections, continue this process to cover the entire sofa or concentrate on specific stained areas.
Dry
Wait until the sofa is completely dry before sitting on it. (This generally takes several hours.) To speed up drying time, point a fan toward the fabric.
How to Clean Cloth Car Seats Using a Portable Carpet Cleaner
If you spilled coffee all over your upholstered car seat, a portable carpet cleaner can help with that.
Spray Cleaning Solution
If there are any serious stains, pre-treat them by spritzing a mixture of water and cleaning solution onto the stained area, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
Scrub Stains
Using the brush upholstery attachment, gently scrub any stains or debris.
Vacuum Up Solution
Pull the hand-vac tool toward you to suck up the cleaning solution. Repeat this process as needed, working in small sections until the stain is completely gone.
How to Clean Area Rugs or Carpet Using a Portable Carpet Cleaner
If you spilled milk on your favorite carpet, save those tears! A portable carpet cleaner makes it so easy to clean such a mess to prevent stains and odors.
Suction Up the Spill
Clean the spill as soon as possible. Using the carpet cleaner's hand vacuum, suction up the spill in slow, overlapping strokes, working from the outside of the spill toward the center.
Spray Cleaning Solution
For set-in stains, pre-treat the area by spritzing cleaning solution onto the spot and letting it sit for 3 to 5 minutes. You can also gently scrub the area with the brush attachment before suctioning up the liquid, dirt, and debris.
Rinse Out Tank
Once you're done using the appliance, remember to clean the water out of the tank—you will marvel at how gross it is!—and rinse out the tank so the machine is ready to use next time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to dry after using a portable carpet cleaner?
If you have an entire room's carpet cleaned, it takes from 6 to 10 hoursto completely dry. If you've used a portable carpet cleaner, dry-time is considerably shorter because the cleaned area is likely smaller.
Whatever size your newly cleaned damp area is, you can speed up the process by improving air circulation. Open windows and/or position a fan near the cleaned area to help it dry faster.
Can you use a portable carpet cleaner on leather car seats?
No, portable carpet cleaners are not designed to work on leather car seats or leather furniture and could damage them. Instead, use a vacuum and hand-wipe with a mild dish soap, baking soda paste, or commercial cleaner especially formulated for leather.
A portable carpet cleaner is also not appropriate for cleaning velvet, silk, or vinyl upholstery.
Should I buy a portable carpet cleaner especially designed to clean up after pets?
Most carpet cleaners designed for pets come with enzymatic cleaning solutions, which are formulated for cleaning organic messes like pet urine. Sold separately, you can purchase these pet-specific cleaning solutions to use with most portable carpet cleaners.
Besides the cleaning solution, pet-specific carpet cleaners may be more powerful than other models but otherwise work similarly to units not marketed to pet owners.
