Best Spring Cleaning Deals on Vacuums, Carpet Cleaners, and More

The portable Blue Pure 211i Max features an indicator light to alert you when you need to change or clean the filter. It also has a dirt sensor and four speeds. On its higher setting, it’s terrific at removing dust, pollen, and smoke, but expect a bit of noise. Try it on low and you’ll have more quiet while still experiencing top-notch results. This model is designed for use in a large space of 350 to 650 square feet and costs about $109 a year to maintain—just more than half that of the Pure 211+. It also weighs just 17 pounds, making it easy to move around. CR members found Blueair air purifiers highly reliable and were quite satisfied with their purchase.

Looking for an air purifier for a very large space? This model from AirDoctor is rated for 650 square feet or more, and it’s CR Recommended. Most air purifiers are going to be loud and this is no exception, but it is among the quietest (relative to other models) that we’ve tested when running on its highest speeds. It’s also better than most at removing particles at any speed, earning it a very good score overall.

The HoMedics AP-T200 has impressive performance and an attractive design. This model is designed for medium rooms of 150-350 square feet. It performs impressively on both high and low speeds and it’s easy to use, but you should expect a fair amount of noise while it’s running.

The Shark CarpetXpert EX201 isn’t exactly quiet—it earned a middling rating in our noise test—but it boasts strong performance in cleaning stains. It also did well in our dryness test and is excellent at removing cleaning solution from carpets. It comes with a hose that’s 60 inches long to get into tight spots.

If you don’t mind the fact that the Bissell TurboClean PowerBrush 2987 Carpet Cleaner is noisy, this model is great at cleaning and will keep your carpets dry. It earned a very good score for convenience and has separate tanks for clean and dirty water.

A high performer among the portable carpet cleaners we tested, the Shark StainStriker PX201 Carpet Cleaner is decent at cleaning stains and impressive at removing cleaning solution from carpets. It comes with a 57-inch hose and other attachments, including pet tools.

The Shark Vertex DuoClean AZ2002 picks up pet hair especially well, has exceptional suction power, and does a solid job containing small dust particles, which is important if you have allergies. It also has a lift-away canister, which makes cleaning hard-to-reach places easier.

While upright vacuums excel at cleaning carpet, the Kenmore BU1018 actually does a bit better on bare floors, which makes it a good option for handling hardwood floors, among other types of surfaces. And if you have a pet, it’s a great pick. This wallet-friendly vacuum also has nice extras like a HEPA filter and a full-bag indicator, and it weighs 21 pounds, which makes it easy to move about.

The Haier QDHR35LZ medium-capacity dehumidifier is designed to remove 35 gallons of water a day, so it’s best suited for an area of 600 to 800 square feet that’s slightly damp or has a musty smell. Its water removal performance is very good, and it’s fairly quiet. It also earns a top score for energy efficiency. It’s not the most convenient of models, though: Its 10-gallon tank is fairly small relative to its claim to pull 35 pints of water from the air per day. Haier dehumidifiers earn middling ratings for predicted reliability and are unimpressive for owner satisfaction.

The LG CordZero All-in-One A949KTMS is a cleaning powerhouse that scored excellent ratings in our bare floors, edges, and pet hair tests. It also edges out its competitors in cleaning carpets. The vac comes with many conveniences, including an automatic empty feature that cleans the bin after each use.

This powerful, high-end Dyson vac features a laser light on its soft roller powerhead that reveals the dust in its path. The laser feature works best in low light or on dark flooring. A sensor detects the sizes of particles that are picked up and a chart on the display shows the particle count size. In CR runtime tests, the vacuum runs for about 70 minutes per charge on low mode and 8 minutes on high mode.

The Shark Rocket HV322 corded vacuum, which has dipped $30 in price in recent weeks, excels in pet hair pickup but is only so-so at cleaning carpet. It converts to a hand vacuum and comes with a bare-floor tool and a motorized small-brush accessory. This model can be stored compactly, and the dirt chamber can be emptied in just one step. Plus, surveyed owners gave the brand high marks for reliability and satisfaction.

The Shark HydroVac Pro XL Cordless Mop scored very well in all of our cleaning tests, though our evaluators pointed out it’s not the easiest to clean after you use it. Its battery life is on the shorter side, with an average of 22 minutes, but it’s fairly lightweight, at just 9 pounds.

The price fluctuates quite a bit, but this does tend to be the lowest we see, and Amazon is the only major retailer with this price.

The Bissell Symphony 1543A is excellent at removing stains and earns top marks for convenience. The mop’s nifty features include a 25-foot-long cord and a ready indicator light. With a full tank of water, the steam mop can produce steam for 20 minutes, longer than many of the other models in our ratings. Though it’s both a steam mop and a vacuum, in our testing, we only tested its steam mop abilities.

The Kenmore 400 Series 81414 earns top marks for cleaning bare floors and removing pet hair and is almost as good at cleaning carpet. It gets only an average score for emissions, so if you have allergies, consider a vacuum that scores higher in this test. Suction through the hose is impressive, making this a good choice if you often use attachments. This Kenmore is a bit noisy, though. In our member survey, Kenmore canisters earn solid ratings for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.