Jenny RisherCar and Driver
Our editors are constantly swapping in and out of cars they're evaluating, and sometimes, like most car owners, they leave messes behind. Some are parents whose kids leave behind crumbs from snack time, others are pet owners whose furry friends leave behind follicles embedded in the carpet, and sometimes it's just simple dirt and grime from treks across our home state of Michigan and other parts of the country that get our test vehicles dirty. We're on the hunt for the best way to clean up those messes, so we gathered up seven cordless handheld vacuums from popular brands to see which one we're signing up for duty to get the job done.
We put the vacuums through five tests: We crushed Cheez-Its and Cheerios to see how well they'd suck up your kid's messesor yours. Our local Petco provided us with a trash bag full of dog hair (no animals were harmed in the evaluation of these vacs) that we rubbed into carpet floor mats. And we used potting soil to imitate dirt and debris that'll get tracked into the car. To test suction power at each vacuum's strongest setting (some have two modes), we filled Ziploc bags with marbles, weighing five grams each, and recorded how many they could pick up. Lastly, we test the sound level of each car we test, so we used the same equipment to see how loud these vacs are.
Included attachments: hose nozzle, motorized brush, dusting brush, crevice tool
During our testing of these handheld vacuums, we found that motorized brush tools are the only attachments that can truly pick up deep-seated pet hair, and the Multi Auto comes with one included. We used this vac to clean up debris the other vacs left behind during our tests. Enough said. That's not its only advantage, though. It also has an extending hose nozzleand other helpful included attachmentsthat helps it maneuver in, under, and around seats to find runaway dirt and debris. It also has a user-friendly handle and flashlight to make it even better for using in the car.
Suction: 41 marbles
Sound: 80.1 dB
Included attachments: carpet cleaner, brush and wide nozzle two-in-one tool, crevice tool
The Dyson's carpet cleaner motorized brush is good for cleaning the house, too, making it the most versatile vacuum we tested, but it isn't as small as the Bissells or the Shark UltraCyclone's brush attachment, making it difficult to use in the car. Lots of scrubbing is required with the other two included attachments to clean everything up, which it does successfully, and in Boost mode (its strongest setting), the battery only lasts about six minutes.
Suction: 150 marbles
Sound: 67.6 dB and 76.0 dB
Included attachments: motorized pet power brush, scrubbing brush, crevice tool
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro +
We give the Shark UltraCyclone a silver medal because of its strong motorized brush attachment, which makes it easy to pick up pet hair and suck up dirt, but it isn't as versatile as the Bissell Multi Auto. The included scrubbing brush makes more of a mess with snacks, and the crevice tool is a bit narrow, though it did an adequate job sucking up snacks and dirt.
Suction: 52 marbles
Sound: 77.0 dB
Included attachments: motorized brush, upholstery tool, crevice tool
The name says it all. The Pet Hair Eraser is the best handheld vacuum if your pets lose hair like Britney Spears in 2007. However, it's really only good for deleting pet hair, which is why we gave the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ the second-place trophy. An odd flap in the nozzle makes it hard to suck up food messes, and it failed to pick up any Cheerios.
Suction: 66 marbles
Sound: 73.5 dB
Included attachments: none
Black+Decker 20V MAX* dustbuster AdvancedClean+
You seem to always drop french fries and other small snacks in between the seat and center console, right? The DustBuster's extending, thin nozzle is good for getting multi-year-old fries out of there, but you'll likely need to approach from the back seats, and we found that the extender doesn't stay put as well when trying to cram into tight spaces. You'll have to scrub a bit to root out the dirt and debris from the carpet, too, and pet owners should not buy this DustBuster. However, there are models available that come included with a powered pet attachment. At the vac's strongest setting, which only picked up 52 marbles, the battery lasts about 20 minutes.
Suction: 52 marbles
Sound: 75.0 dB and 78.4 dB
Included attachments: duster crevice tool, multi-service pet tool
We'd recommend this vacuum only if you drive a Smart. Its tank is so small it couldn't even hold an ant's crumbs. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it's really small. It surprised us with how strong its suction power is, though, picking up 224 marbles, but we were disappointed at how pet hair gets stuck on the bottom of the pet tool and doesn't get sucked up. It looks cool, though.
Suction: 224 marbles
Sound: 78.5 dB
Included attachments: none
DeWalt Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum
Even though the DeWalt shop vac has strong suction power, completing the job takes a lot of scrubbing because it has no attachments to help get the job done. The large tank and hose attachment help keep it in the mix, but it wouldn't be our first choice. And it's an awkward shape and expensive.
Suction: 83 marbles
Sound: 83.8 dB
More here:
We Tested 7 Handheld Vacuums for Cars and Picked Our Favorites - Car and Driver
- Dang Good Carpet and Furnace Cleaning Wins 2025 Consumer Choice Award for Carpet & Furnace Cleaning in Southern Alberta - Biloxi Sun Herald - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Cut Your Vacuuming Time in Half With This Smart Spring Cleaning Tip - CNET - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Dang Good Carpet and Furnace Cleaning Wins 2025 Consumer Choice Award for Carpet & Furnace Cleaning in Southern Alberta - Corsicana Daily Sun - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Hometown Elite Carpet Cleaning Shares the Secret Behind its Five-Star Rated Services - openPR - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Ecovacs' Latest Robot Vacuum Might Finally Fix the Carpet Cleaning Problem - Home Theater Review - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- 25 Amazon deals on things you *need* but hate buying up to 53% off toilet cleaners, laundry detergent & more - Yahoo Canada Shine On - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- We Tested Upholstery Cleaners And These Revive Your Upholstery The Best - Real Simple - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Spring cleaning made easy with Zerorez's revolutionary Z-R technology! - KEYE TV CBS Austin - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Our Cleaning Experts Love Bissell's Little Green, and It Just Got a Mini - Good Housekeeping - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- The best carpet shampoo for pets, spills and everyday messes - Chicago Tribune - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Our Expert Shares How to Tackle Spring Cleaning in Three Easy Steps - Popular Mechanics - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- If You Dont Want Your House To Smell Like Your Pets, Check Out These 26 Things - BuzzFeed - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- We Tried the Shark StainStriker, and The Results Were Shocking - Family Handyman - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- The best vacuums for pet hair in 2025: Expert-tested and owner-approved - Business Insider - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- I tried the bicarbonate of soda cleaning hack on my cream carpets and it didn't go to plan - Kent Live - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- HallelujahBissell Dropped a New Little Green Machine Mini, and Its Compact, Portable, and Only $95 - Real Simple - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Cleaning carpets was my least favorite spring cleaning task until I got this steam mop and professional cleaners thoroughly approve - Homes &... - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Clean carpets and remove grime with simple hack using one kitchen essential - Express - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Need a robot vacuum that actually works on carpet? These 3 performed the best in my home. - Mashable - February 8th, 2025 [February 8th, 2025]
- Dynasty discounts | KC-area cleaning companies offer discounts to keep Chiefs Kingdom looking sharp - KSHB 41 Kansas City News - February 8th, 2025 [February 8th, 2025]
- Sometimes, you just need to take a break and watch a guy unclog a drain - NPR - February 8th, 2025 [February 8th, 2025]
- Pick up the Bissell Little Green Carpet Cleaner for under $100 this week on Amazon - New York Post - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- 16 Target deals to shop this week from Vera Bradley, Ninja, Black+Decker, and more - NJ.com - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Rug 10 Years on a Garage Floor! Satisfying Carpet Cleaning Time Lapse - MSN - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Spot carpet cleaner that 'works really well on stains' has nearly 40% off - Express - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Confessions of a trauma cleaner: Ive cleaned crime scenes and hoarder homes - That's Life! - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Benefits of Professional Carpet Cleaning in Miami - substack.com - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Heres How Often You Should Be Cleaning Your Carpets, According To Experts - Southern Living - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- The Incredible Recovery of a Discarded Rug | Satisfying ASMR Carpet Cleaning - MSN - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- We Tested 20 Carpet CleanersAnd These 5 Are The Best At Removing Stains - Southern Living - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- The Vacuuming Rule My Mother Hasnt Skipped In Decades - Southern Living - January 13th, 2025 [January 13th, 2025]
- I bought this $7 cleaning tool after it went viral on TikTok here's my verdict - Tom's Guide - January 13th, 2025 [January 13th, 2025]
- Narwals new robovac will moonwalk your floors to get even the thickest carpets clean - TechRadar - January 13th, 2025 [January 13th, 2025]
- The Best Carpet Cleaners, According to Our Expert Testing - Good Housekeeping - January 13th, 2025 [January 13th, 2025]
- Sel From Jim's Carpet Cleaning Tells You About The Benefits Of Owning A Franchise [6ff63b] - Fathom Journal - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
- Amant's Floor Care Recognized as Best Carpet Cleaner - STL.News - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
- I've been using this Bissell carpet and upholstery cleaner for two years, and it's amazing value on Black Friday with 34% off - TechRadar - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Relaxing ASMR Carpet Cleaning: Feel the Freshness of a Deep Clean - MSN - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Just 30 Terrifyingly Good Before And Afters Of Cleaning Products Doing The Dang Thing - BuzzFeed - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Black Friday Is the Best Time to Buy That Vacuum, Air Purifier, or Other Pricey Cleaning Device - The New York Times - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Accidents are no worry with Hoovers CleanSlate Plus portable spot cleaner at $90 Amazon low - 9to5Toys - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- After Testing Hundreds of Vacuums, These Are My Top Recommendations - Good Housekeeping - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Robot Mops Make Floor Cleaning Easier. These Are the Best Weve Found. - Good Housekeeping - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Carpet Cleaning ASMR The Sounds of Fresh and Clean! - MSN - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- 28 Products Thatll Make You Feel Like You Can Tackle Even The Grossest Of Cleaning Projects - BuzzFeed - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Clean It Up: Best Upholstery Cleaners for 2024, Tested - Car and Driver - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- We Tested 27 Top Wet-Dry Vacuums These Were the Most Effective at Cleaning Up Stubborn Messes - PEOPLE - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- 8 best carpet cleaners of 2024, according to experts - NBC News - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- A Plus Carpet Cleaning Expands Service Range to Meet Growing Demand in Central Ohio - openPR - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- No time to vacuum? We tested out the best robot vacuums to cut down your chores list - TechRadar - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- The 5 Best Carpet Cleaners for Pet Stains, Tested and Reviewed - Family Handyman - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- Genius 5p carpet cleaning hack that will leave your floors spotless - Express - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- This is the Most Satisfying Part of Carpet Cleaning! - EloraFergusToday - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- These Portable Machines Make Cleaning Carpet and Upholstery Easy - Good Housekeeping - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Stop Vacuuming Back and Forth and Try This Method for a Cleaner Home - CNET - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- The best robot vacuums for pet hair of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed - ZDNet - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- 7 practical tips for maintaining your commercial carpets - Architecture and Design - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- When Is the Best Time to Buy Anything? Top 12 Times of the Year to Save - Reader's Digest - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- The 7 Best Bathroom Rugs and Bath Mats of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter - The New York Times - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Woman Not 'Satisfied' With Carpet JobThen Cleaner Shared the Before Photo - MSN - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- We Tested 39 Carpet Stain RemoversThese Are the 9 That Work - Real Simple - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- The 3 Best Handheld Vacuums of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter - The New York Times - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Hurry! We Found the 6 Best Amazon Deals to Shop Today, Including Bissell, LOreal, and More - PEOPLE - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- 8 Best Steam Mops to Clean and Sanitize Your Floors With Just Plain Water - Good Housekeeping - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Bissell's Little Green Carpet Cleaner is a must-have for tackling stubborn stains and it's down to $99 - AOL - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- 4 best robot vacuums for carpet and rugs in 2024 - Mashable - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Best vacuum cleaners 2024 UK our expert buying guide and reviews - Good Housekeeping uk - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Carpet Cleaning - Find Local Carpet Cleaners | Chem-Dry - April 5th, 2023 [April 5th, 2023]
- How To Clean Carpet - The Home Depot - April 5th, 2023 [April 5th, 2023]
- Carpet Cleaning Experts | Zerorez Pittsburgh - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- 2021 Carpet Cleaning Prices | How Much Does Carpet ... - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- Johnsons Dry Cleaners | UK Dry Cleaning & Laundry Service - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- Carpet Cleaning in Naperville, IL | Executive Green Carpet ... - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- The carpet stain removal hack that only requires you...to buy some beer - Real Homes - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- This Viral Carpet Cleaner Has Been All Over TikTok But Does It Work? - Yahoo Lifestyle - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- TikTok Shopping and the Rise of 'Social Commerce' - The New York Times - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- Readers' Choice 2021 winners announced - The Andalusia Star-News - Andalusia Star-News - October 5th, 2021 [October 5th, 2021]
- Carpet Cleaning Services - Carpet Cleaners, Rug Cleaners - July 28th, 2021 [July 28th, 2021]
- Residential Carpet Cleaning | Oxi Fresh - July 28th, 2021 [July 28th, 2021]
- Carpet Cleaning | Jim's Carpet Cleaning Services - 131 546 - July 28th, 2021 [July 28th, 2021]