The Hoover Power Scrub offers the right mix of features and capabilities at the right price. Many of the best carpet cleaners weren't ideal all-rounder models. This machine, however, was noticeably good for almost everything we measured, and comes at a good price and with less weight.
Our tests confirmed that the Hoover Power Scrub carpet cleaner cleans effectively. With each pass, you can feel it scrubbing and doing its job. It did a good job in cleaning out stains from grape juice and it was also second best for water extraction, to the significantly bulkier Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner. It also has a heated air feature to help dry carpets even faster. Soggy carpets are one common complaint about using these machines, so getting water extraction right is a huge win for the Power Scrub.
Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet cleaner review: Price
This unit has a good price tag. You can find it for less than $150. That is more than fair for what you get. It offers lots of cleaning power for each dollar of that investment.
The cleaning path is over 11 inches, which will help you cover a lot of ground quickly but is not so wide it makes storage inconvenient. The cord length is only average compared to others, but 20 feet should be plenty. The tank capacity is 4 quarts, so you won't have to stop and empty it constantly, but it is not so big that the machine is heavy and hard to move.
Hoover backs up this product with lots of customer service options and a 2-year warranty. There were units with longer warranty coverage, but 2 years seems fitting for this machine's price point.
Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet cleaner review: Functions
The Power Scrub was easy to set up. There was no need to measure soap and water. You just fill the tank with each and the machine mixes it in the proper amounts for you. This machine is also easy to clean. It pulls apart in the spots that matter so you can empty and clean the tank, clean the brushes and refill it with little effort.
Carpet cleaners aren’t quiet, but some of them were so loud and high-pitched that we wanted earplugs just to stand near them. There were a couple machines that were quieter, including the Bissell PowerLifter Powerbrush and the Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner. That being said, however, the Power Scrub was not painfully loud.
This carpet cleaner comes with a long hose and a nice selection of attachments for cleaning your whole home, not just your carpeting. You get an upholstery tool, stair tool, crevice tool and spinning brush tool for stubborn messes. They can all be stored in a mesh bag that comes with the cleaner and hooks onto the machine. It lacks any specific brushes for getting the edges when cleaning carpets, but it seemed to get far enough into the corners in its normal mode. However, if you are picky about that, you can break out the hose and crevice tool for a trip around the edges.
This is not the lightest machine we compared, but it was still easy to steer around obstacles. It also has a built-in handle that will make it more portable if you need to take it up and down stairs.
Should you buy the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet cleaner?
The Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet cleaner took the top spot in our comparisons. It's a real all-rounder at an affordable price, and doesn't come with the bulk and inconvenience of many larger carpet cleaners. Although for many smaller models you get less power, we were still impressed that the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet cleaner delivered good stain removal and dry carpets comparable to that of far more expensive models.
