If you want better Overall durability/longevity
Choose Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner Machine. It scores 4.8 vs 1.5 for Overall durability/longevity, with a 3.8 overall score.
Hoover Smartwash Automatic Carpet Cleaner Machine Review
Bottom Line
Choose the Hoover SmartWash if you value easy automatic washing, fast dry-only passes, removable brushes and pet/spot tools. Skip it if you need top-tier deep stain removal, manual spray control, or a cheaper cleaner with stronger lab-test results.
Best for
Best for pet owners and busy households that want automatic mixing, simple controls, fast dry-only passes, removable brushes, and strong spot/above-floor tools.
Not for
Not for buyers who want maximum deep-stain performance, full manual spray control, verified whole-house tank capacity, or the lowest-cost cleaner in comparative tests.
Verdict
The Hoover SmartWash earns its strongest marks for convenience: reviewers repeatedly liked the automatic wash/dry behavior, separate solution handling, removable brushes, easy tanks, useful hose tools, and fast dry-only passes. Pet-oriented reviews were especially positive about the Spot Chaser, pet tool, and real-world rug cleanup. The tradeoff is consistency. Controlled stain tests were less flattering, with one review finding weak upright stain removal and another pointing to the automatic solution system as speed-sensitive. Reliability evidence is also mixed because a used unit in two related reviews failed to sense forward/backward movement. Overall, the evidence supports a machine that is easy and versatile, but not the safest pick for maximum stain-removal performance.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
38 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.020 (53%)
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Positive 3.5-4.412 (32%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.43 (8%)
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Negative 1.5-2.42 (5%)
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Very negative below 1.51 (3%)
Pros
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Above-floor and spot cleaning were consistently praised, especially the hose, handheld/pet tools, and spot-cleaning performance.
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Maintenance was a major strength: reviewers repeatedly praised removable brushes, removable covers, easy tank cleaning, and easy cleanup.
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Ease of use was one of the broadest positives, with repeated praise for simple tanks, automatic operation, easy cleaning, and light handling.
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Accessories were a clear strength, with repeated praise for the hose, pet tool, Spot Chaser, and attachment usefulness.
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Drying was one of the strongest themes, with many reviewers praising dry-only mode, HeatForce, or fast usable carpets, despite one regular-cleaning caveat.
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Pet-focused reviewers liked the pet tools, Spot Chaser, and real-world cleaning on pet-heavy carpets and rugs.
Cons
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Reliability concerns centered on two reviews from the same reviewer where the automatic sensor failed and the unit had to be sent back.
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Durability evidence was negative in one used-unit review where the automatic wash/dry sensing failed badly enough to return it.
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Residue/streaking evidence was negative in controlled testing, where multiple stains and residue remained after repeated passes.
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Controls were mixed: reviewers liked the simple automatic concept, but two reviews reported the wash/dry sensing failing or misreading direction.
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Heating-related evidence was mixed: some reviewers praised faster drying, while others warned there is no true heater and described HeatForce as hot exhaust air.
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The liquid system divided reviewers: automatic mixing and dispensing were praised for simplicity, but sensor and speed-threshold issues hurt performance in some tests.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Carpet Cleaning Machines, this product is above average in Maintenance requirements, Accessories and Tools, Weight, near average in Floor Drying Time, Tool-change simplicity, below average in Support and Reliability, Overall durability/longevity, Controls and UI.
Comparison summary
35 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher13 (37%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts12 (34%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower10 (29%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support and Reliability | 1.0 | 3.8 | -2.8 |
| Overall durability/longevity | 1.5 | 3.3 | -1.8 |
| Controls and UI | 2.7 | 4.4 | -1.7 |
| Streaking / Residue | 2.0 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
| Maintenance requirements | 4.7 | 3.7 | +1.0 |
| Accessories and Tools | 4.8 | 3.8 | +1.0 |
| Weight | 4.4 | 3.4 | +1.0 |
| Upholstery / Above-Floor Pickup | 4.9 | 4.1 | +0.8 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better Streaking / Residue
Choose Hoover PowerScrub Carpet Cleaner Machine. It scores 4.9 vs 2.0 for Streaking / Residue, with a 4.5 overall score.
If you want better Support and Reliability
Choose BISSELL Revolution HydroSteam Carpet Cleaner. It scores 4.5 vs 1.0 for Support and Reliability, with a 3.9 overall score.
If you want better Controls and UI
Choose Shark CarpetXpert Upright Carpet, Area Rug & Upholstery Cleaner. It scores 4.2 vs 2.7 for Controls and UI, with a 4.2 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Bissell Pro heat
- Better: premium carpet cleaner recommendation The reviewer favored Bissell Pro Heat as the premium carpet-cleaner recommendation over Smartwash.
bissell spot clean pro
- Worse: pre-treatment spray usability The reviewer preferred the SmartWash Pet's Spot Chaser spraying method to the Bissell Spot Clean Pro approach.
hydro steam
- Compared: cleaning performance versus versatility The reviewer says Hydro Steam cleaned better, while Smartwash was more versatile.
FAQ
Does the Hoover SmartWash dry carpet quickly?
Most reviewers praised drying, especially dry-only mode and HeatForce-style airflow. One controlled review still found carpet wetter than average after regular cleaning unless dry mode was used afterward.
Is it good for pet messes?
Pet-focused reviews were very positive. Reviewers liked the Spot Chaser, pet tool, hair pickup on carpet, and the visible improvement on rugs used by pets.
How well does it remove stains?
The evidence is mixed. Some hands-on reviewers saw excellent improvement, but controlled tests reported weak results on tough upright stains and leftover residue on some sauces and syrups.
Is the automatic wash/dry system reliable?
When it worked, reviewers liked the reduced guesswork. However, two related reviews reported a faulty sensor, and one controlled test found the machine could switch to dry mode if pushed too slowly.
Is it easy to clean after use?
Yes, maintenance was one of the clearest strengths. Multiple reviewers praised the removable brushes, removable cover/nozzle, easy dirty-water tank handling, and simple cleanup.
Are the hose and attachments useful?
Yes. Reviewers repeatedly praised the long hose, pet/spot tools, and above-floor cleaning usefulness for furniture, cars, couches, and spot stains.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Youtube
- Review score
- 4.7
YouTube - Youtube
- Review score
- 4.8
YouTube - Youtube
- Review score
- 4.7
Article Reviews
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