Quick Answer: The best Hoover carpet cleaner in 2026 is the SmartWash+ Automatic (FH52000) — around $200 for a full-size upright with Dual FlexForce PowerBrushes, HeatForce drying, and an automatic push-to-wash, pull-to-dry action that needs no trigger. For spots, stairs, and upholstery, the CleanSlate Plus (FH14050) portable at ~$110 is the best pick; for tight budgets the compact PowerDash Pet Advanced (FH55010) runs ~$99-120; and shoppers who want a big tank and manual control should get the Power Scrub Elite Pet (FH50251) at ~$150. For set-in pet stains, the SmartWash Pet Complete (FH53000) adds a Spot Chaser pretreat wand.
Hoover is Bissell’s arch-rival in deep cleaning, and it hides its lineup behind three confusingly similar families — SmartWash, Power Scrub, and PowerDash — each with pet variants and near-identical model numbers. This guide compares every Hoover carpet cleaner worth buying in 2026 and decodes the naming, so you pay for the machine you actually need. If you’re still choosing brands, start with our Bissell vs Hoover comparison or the overall best carpet cleaner rankings.
Best Hoover carpet cleaners at a glance
| Model | Best for | Type | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmartWash+ Automatic (FH52000) | Best overall | Upright | Automatic wash/dry · no trigger | ~$200 |
| CleanSlate Plus (FH14050) | Best portable / spot | Portable | 40 oz / 23 oz dual tank · 18 ft cord | ~$110 |
| PowerDash Pet Advanced (FH55010) | Best budget / compact | Upright | PowerSpin Pet brush · lightweight | ~$99-120 |
| Power Scrub Elite Pet (FH50251) | Best value full-size | Upright | 1.25 gal tank · <45-min dry mode | ~$150 |
| SmartWash Pet Complete (FH53000) | Best for pet stains | Upright | Automatic + Spot Chaser pretreat wand | ~$250 |
1. Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic — Best Overall
Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner (FH52000)
- Automatic cleaning: push forward to wash, pull back to dry — no trigger to hold.
- Auto-mixing from a 20-oz solution flask plus a 1-gallon clean-water tank, so you just fill and go.
- Dual FlexForce PowerBrushes scrub with two brushrolls where budget uprights use one.
- HeatForce Technology directs heated air to speed drying and cut re-soiling.
- Low-profile foot cleans under furniture; 10-amp motor for full-size suction.
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The SmartWash+ Automatic is the Hoover most people should buy, and its trick is genuinely useful: there is no trigger. You fill the 1-gallon tank, drop in the 20-oz solution flask, and the machine auto-mixes and dispenses as you walk it forward, then extracts as you pull it back — the same motion as vacuuming. That removes the single most annoying part of carpet cleaning (holding a spray button for twenty minutes) and makes even coverage easier for anyone with hand or wrist issues. At about $200 it lands right alongside Bissell’s ProHeat 2X, and the two are the machines we cross-shop most often in our Bissell vs Hoover comparison. The honest trade-off: automatic mode uses solution generously, so keep refills handy on big jobs, and — like every deep cleaner here — rinse the tanks after each use.
2. Hoover CleanSlate Plus — Best Portable & Spot Cleaner
Hoover CleanSlate Plus Portable Spot Cleaner (FH14050)
- Dual-tank design: 40-oz clean-solution tank and 23-oz dirty-water tank, so water never mixes.
- SpinScrub multi-directional brushes scrub spots from every angle.
- HeatForce applies heated air directly to cleaned areas for faster drying.
- 7-inch WidePath tool for large areas plus a TightSpot tool for crevices; 18-ft cord.
- Just over 13 lbs — grab-and-go for accidents, stairs, car seats, and upholstery.
The CleanSlate Plus is Hoover’s answer to Bissell’s best-selling Little Green, and for most households a portable spot cleaner is the machine that actually earns its keep — most carpet emergencies are a one-square-foot problem, not a whole-room problem. Its 40-oz clean tank is notably larger than the classic Little Green’s, so you refill less on a flight of stairs, and the 7-inch WidePath tool covers ground faster than a typical 3-inch nozzle. It sprays, scrubs, and immediately extracts — no heating the whole room, no shampoo residue — which is exactly right for pet accidents, car interiors, and delicate area rugs. It anchors our best portable carpet cleaner rankings, and for pet households it’s a natural companion to a full-size upright.
3. Hoover PowerDash Pet Advanced — Best Budget & Compact
Hoover PowerDash Pet Advanced Compact Carpet Cleaner (FH55010)
- PowerSpin Pet Brush Roll delivers real scrubbing in a machine that weighs a fraction of a full-size upright.
- HeatForce Technology speeds drying so carpet is walkable sooner.
- Ships with a PowerSpin Pet Brush Roll and Paws & Claws cleaning formula for pet messes.
- Above-floor cleaning with the included pet tool for stairs and upholstery.
- Small tanks — expect more refills than a SmartWash on whole-house jobs.
At around $99-120 the PowerDash Pet Advanced is the cheapest way into a real Hoover upright, and it’s the machine Consumer Reports lists in its carpet-cleaner test roster (model FH55010) rather than a no-name budget unit. It’s compact and light enough to carry upstairs with one hand, and the PowerSpin Pet brush plus Paws & Claws formula handle the everyday pet-hair-and-accident routine that defines most cleaning. What you give up versus the SmartWash is tank size and the no-trigger convenience: you hold a trigger, you refill more often, and there’s no auto-mix flask. For an apartment or a single carpeted living room it’s plenty; for a whole carpeted house, spend the extra ~$80-100 on the SmartWash+.
4. Hoover Power Scrub Elite Pet — Best Value Full-Size
Hoover Power Scrub Elite Pet Upright Carpet Cleaner (FH50251)
- Large 1.25-gallon tank — more cleaning between refills than the SmartWash or PowerDash.
- 12-inch cleaning path covers rooms quickly.
- Two modes: Quick Clean dries carpets in under 45 minutes per Hoover, plus a Deep Clean mode.
- Includes a 2-in-1 antimicrobial pet upholstery tool and hose for stairs and sofas.
- Trigger-operated — you control exactly where and how much solution goes down.
The Power Scrub Elite Pet is the value pick for people who want a big-tank, full-size cleaner and don’t need the SmartWash’s automatic gimmick. Its 1.25-gallon tank is larger than the SmartWash+‘s, so you spend less time at the sink on whole-house jobs, and the Quick Clean mode’s sub-45-minute dry time (per Hoover) gets a living room back in service fast. It’s been reviewed by Consumer Reports (model FH50251), and reviewers like its straightforward trigger control — you decide how much solution set-in stains get. The trade-off is exactly that trigger: heavier hands and more manual work than pushing the SmartWash back and forth. If control and tank size matter more to you than hands-free convenience, this is the smarter ~$150.
5. Hoover SmartWash Pet Complete — Best for Pet Stains
Hoover SmartWash Pet Complete Automatic Carpet Cleaner (FH53000)
- All the SmartWash automatic wash/dry convenience — push to wash, pull to dry, no trigger.
- Spot Chaser Pretreat Wand sprays pretreatment solution directly onto set-in pet stains before you clean.
- Dual-tank auto-mixing and auto-dispensing with a 10-amp motor.
- HeatForce drying and Dual FlexForce PowerBrushes carried over from the SmartWash+.
- Priciest Hoover here — worth it only if pretreating pet messes is a regular chore.
The SmartWash Pet Complete is the SmartWash+ with a built-in pretreater — the same job Bissell’s CleanShot does on the ProHeat. Its Spot Chaser wand lets you blast concentrated solution onto set-in urine, vomit, and mud stains before you run the machine over them, which is the single most effective thing you can do for old pet accidents. At around $250 it’s the most expensive Hoover in this guide, and it only earns that premium if you’re pretreating pet messes often; occasional pet households are better served by the plain SmartWash+ plus a bottle of enzyme cleaner. It sits alongside Bissell’s pet machines in our best carpet cleaner for pets guide.
Hoover’s model names, decoded
Hoover splits its deep cleaners into three families that are easy to confuse. Before you buy, know which one you’re looking at:
- SmartWash family (automatic): FH52000 (SmartWash+), FH53000 (Pet Complete, adds a pretreat wand) — push-to-wash, pull-to-dry, no trigger, auto-mixing.
- Power Scrub family (manual): FH50251 (Elite Pet), FH50150 (Elite) — trigger-operated, bigger 1.25-gal tank, lower price.
- PowerDash family (compact/budget): FH55010 (Pet Advanced), FH55000 (Advanced) — lightweight, small tanks, cheapest uprights.
- CleanSlate family (portable spot): FH14000 (CleanSlate), FH14050 (Plus, bigger tank + tools), plus a CleanSlate Pet variant — handheld deep cleaner, not an upright.
How to choose your Hoover
- Whole rooms regularly, hands-free → SmartWash+ Automatic. No trigger, dual brushes, HeatForce.
- Spots, stairs, car, upholstery → CleanSlate Plus. Most homes honestly need only this.
- Tightest budget, still want an upright → PowerDash Pet Advanced.
- Big tank and manual control at a low price → Power Scrub Elite Pet.
- Frequent set-in pet stains → SmartWash Pet Complete with the pretreat wand.
- Formula: any low-foam extractor solution works mechanically, but Hoover ties warranty coverage to its own formulas — see our best carpet cleaner solution picks for both routes.
The bottom line
The Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic (FH52000) is the best Hoover carpet cleaner for most homes in 2026 — full-size cleaning power and a genuinely useful no-trigger automatic action for about $200. Most spot-and-stairs households are better served by the CleanSlate Plus portable at ~$110, while the PowerDash Pet Advanced covers tight budgets and the Power Scrub Elite Pet wins on tank size and value. Pet households with set-in stains should look at the SmartWash Pet Complete and its pretreat wand. Whichever you pick, match the family — SmartWash, Power Scrub, or PowerDash — to how you actually clean. Next: see how Hoover stacks up against its arch-rival in our Bissell vs Hoover comparison, compare the whole Bissell lineup, or browse all brands in the overall best carpet cleaner guide.