How we made this guide: picks, prices and specs come from our catalog and the makers' published specs, owner quotes come from customer reviews on our product pages and every guide is checked and edited by Trevor Hall.
For most carpet, pick a heated extractor such as the Mytee BZ-102LXH Breeze at $2,916, because what the trade calls "steam cleaning" is hot water extraction: the machine sprays hot solution into the pile and vacuums it back out. Pick a rotary shampoo machine like the Mercury BOSS Multi-Tasker at $1,699.95, fitted with a shampoo brush (sold separately), when the carpet needs heavy agitation first.
A true vapor steamer, such as the Tornado VS4 at $950, uses very little water and is a spot and hard-surface tool, not a whole-carpet cleaner. That mix-up of names is why "carpet shampoo vs steam cleaning" is so confusing.
Quick answer
Extractor: sprays hot solution and pulls it back out. Shampooer: scrubs foam into the pile with a rotary head, then the residue has to be extracted or vacuumed. Vapor steamer: makes steam with little water, for spots and hard surfaces. Browse all carpet extractors or only the heated carpet extractors.
The three machines side by side
The specs below are the ones our product pages list. The machines do different jobs, so read each column as a description of that job, not a ranking.
| Spec | Mytee BZ-102LXH Breeze | Mercury BOSS Multi-Tasker | Tornado VS4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Heated portable extractor | Low-speed rotary floor machine with solution tank | Vapor steam cleaner |
| Price | $2,916 | $1,699.95 | $950 |
| Pressure | 220 PSI pump, 1.35 GPM | No pump: solution feeds from the tank | 87 PSI max steam |
| Vacuum | Dual LX motors, up to 250 CFM, 182 in water lift (second motor switches with the heater) | No vacuum | No vacuum |
| Heat | 1,600 W heater, 210°F max | No heater | 293°F max (boiler) |
| Tank | 10 gal solution tank | 4 gal solution tank | 0.6 gal steam tank plus 0.5 gal reserve |
| Power | Two 15 A cords, dual 50 ft | 1.5 HP motor, 50 ft cord | 120 V |
| Weight | 118 lb | 175 lb | 17.6 lb |
| Recovery | Vacuums into a 10 gal recovery tank | No recovery: extract or vacuum afterward | No recovery |
| Flow | 1.35 GPM pump | Gravity feed through the apron | 2.6 oz of steam per minute |
| Agitation | None built in: the wand glides | 13, 17 or 21 in apron at 175 RPM (brush sold separately) | Hand brushes and nozzles |
| In the box | Two 50 ft twist-lock cords, manual (wand not listed) | 3 aprons, 3 pad drivers, weight kit, 4 gal tank | Steam hose and gun, extension tubes, floor, detail and power nozzles, brass brush set |
What they share
All three loosen soil with moisture, mechanical action or both. None of them replaces a dry vacuum pass first. Dry soil comes off carpet fastest with a vacuum, so start there whichever machine follows.
All three are also commercial tools made for repeated use, not household appliances. The differences below are what decide which one belongs on a given job.
Difference 1: how the soil leaves the carpet
An extractor removes soil and solution in one machine. The pump sprays solution through the wand, and the vacuum motors pull it back into a recovery tank. Water lift measures how hard that vacuum pulls: the Breeze lists up to 182 inches, and the EDIC Galaxy 2000 lists 185 inches.
A shampoo machine does the opposite. Its brush works solution and foam into the pile, and the dirty residue stays in the carpet until you extract it or vacuum it out after it dries. That follow-up step is the main reason shampooing has a reputation for leaving carpet sticky when it is skipped.
A vapor steamer never recovers anything. It makes steam from a small tank, so the VS4 lists a steam quantity of 2.6 oz per minute, and the soil stays on the wand cloth or the surface it loosened from.
Difference 2: heat
Heat is the second thing people mean by "steam." On a portable extractor it comes from an in-line heater that warms the solution on its way to the wand. The Breeze lists a 1,600 W heater with a 210°F maximum. Mytee notes one trade-off: its Variable Switch System toggles between the heater and the second vacuum motor, so at any moment you choose heat or full dual-vacuum airflow on the two 15 A cords. The Galaxy 2000 is sold two ways: heat-ready for an external heater to be added, or with a 2,000 W heater.
The VS4 lists 293°F as its maximum, but it applies that heat through a small amount of vapor. That is why a steamer suits a stain on a stair tread and not a 400 square foot office floor.
Best for whole-carpet hot water extraction
Mytee BZ-102LXH Breeze Heated Portable Carpet Extractor, 220 PSI
$2,916 · 5.0 from 1 review
Heated, two-cord portable that runs a long hose so the machine can stay at the door.
The only review on our Breeze page so far is a 5-star note praising its suction and light weight, so read it as one owner's view. It fits the spec rows: dual LX vacuum motors, 118 lb and 10 inch rear wheels.
Difference 3: agitation
Agitation is where shampooing earns its place. A rotary machine turns a brush or pad against the carpet at a set speed: the Mercury BOSS runs at 175 RPM with a 1.5 HP motor, and it carries a 4 gal solution tank that feeds the carpet from the machine. The weight helps the brush work. Mercury lists it at 175 lb, and the included weight kit adds up to 50 lb more. It comes with 12, 16 and 20 inch pad drivers but no brush: Mercury's sell sheet says to order brushes separately, so budget for a carpet shampoo brush that fits the apron you use.
A hot water extractor agitates less on its own. The wand glides over the carpet and the heat and spray do the loosening. When the carpet is heavily soiled, pros pair the two: agitate first, then extract. The machine that does both in one pass is a rotary extractor. A lighter way to agitate is a counter-rotating brush machine such as the Mytee CRB3010 Carpet Shark at $1,811, 36 lb with a 10 inch path. See all floor machines for carpet.
Best for rotary shampoo agitation
Mercury BOSS Multi-Tasker Floor Machine 1.5 HP Motor 175 RPM Brush Speed BMT-175-Y
$1,699.95
A 175 RPM floor machine that feeds solution from its own tank, with 5 years on the motor, gearbox and chassis. Brushes are sold separately.
Where a rotary extractor fits
The Mytee T-Rex Jr. is the machine that blurs the line. Its 12 inch head has 4 vacuum slots and 4 jets and turns at 80 to 180 RPM, so it scrubs and extracts in one pass. Mytee lists up to 720 cleaning passes per minute and an amp draw of 3.8 A at 115 V.
It is a tool head, not a standalone machine. It runs off an extractor, which supplies the solution and the vacuum, and Mytee's spec sheet says it gives its best results on a 500 PSI or greater extractor or a truckmount. It also lists its use as heavily soiled residential carpets, restaurant carpets and rugs. At 53 lb with a 50 ft cord, it is the lightest of the agitating options here. Neither 220 PSI extractor in this guide reaches that 500 PSI advice. In our range, the Mytee 1005LX Speedster at $3,667 is a 500 PSI portable with dual LX vacuums.
Best for scrubbing and extracting in one pass
Mytee T-REX Jr. Rotary Extractor, 720 cleaning passes/minute, 12″
$2,253
Runs off an extractor; Mytee advises 500 PSI or more for best results.
Where a vapor steamer fits
The Tornado VS4 is the top seller of the steam cleaners we carry. It holds 0.6 gal of water in the steam tank with a 0.5 gal reserve tank, tops out at 87 PSI and weighs 17.6 lb. It is the right choice for a different job: grout, edges, stair risers, tight corners and small stains.
It is not a whole-carpet cleaner. Its steam output is 2.6 oz per minute and it recovers nothing, so on a whole room it would loosen soil it cannot remove. Tornado's data sheet lists restrooms, kitchens, food preparation areas, floors and walls as its jobs, with 2 years on parts and 1 year on labor. On carpet, test a hidden spot first and keep the nozzle moving. If you want a quick, low-water tool for a spot, the VS4 fits. If you want a clean room, use an extractor. Compare the other steam cleaners we carry.
Best for spots and hard surfaces
Tornado VS4 Chemical Free Steam Cleaner (97102)
$950
A 17.6 lb vapor steamer for stair edges, grout and small stains. Not for whole rooms.
Drying time: which method leaves the most water
Dry time depends on the room, the airflow and how much water the extractor recovered, so no method has one fixed number. What holds in general: an extractor with a strong vacuum leaves less water behind, a shampoo pass leaves the carpet damp until you extract it, and a vapor steamer adds the least water of the three. For ways to speed the dry-down, see how long carpet takes to dry after cleaning.
Which to pick by job
| Job | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-room carpet, regular soil | Heated extractor (Breeze) | Hot solution plus vacuum recovery in one tool |
| Contractor carpet work, long days | EDIC Galaxy 2000 | 12 gal solution and 11 gal recovery tanks, 5 years parts and labor |
| Heavy traffic lanes and restaurant carpet | Rotary extractor (T-Rex Jr.) on a 500 PSI extractor such as the Mytee 1005LX Speedster | Scrubs and extracts together |
| Carpet that needs shampoo agitation | Rotary floor machine (BOSS) | Brush action with the solution tank on the machine, then extract |
| Spots, edges, grout and hard surfaces | Vapor steamer (VS4) | Little water, small footprint |
Best for contractor carpet cleaning
Edic Galaxy 2000 Portable Carpet Extractor - 220 PSI
$3,748
Heated Galaxy 2000 with 220 PSI, 185 in lift and 5 years parts and labor. Machine-only starts lower.
The Galaxy 2000 machine-only version is $2,428, and it is heat-ready, so you add the heater later. The version with a stainless steel wand and heater is $3,748. Name the variant you want when you compare prices, because the spread is wide.
Lower-priced heated extractor for small jobs
Mytee 8070 Lite Heated Carpet Extractor, 120 PSI, 4 gal
$1,475 · 5.0 from 9 reviews
120 PSI, 1,000 W heater and 4 gal tanks: stairs, rugs, upholstery and small rooms.
“Also the water fill feature is an improvement. Same good suction.”
Mytee 8070 Lite Heated Carpet Extractor owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Common mistakes when choosing
The first mistake is buying a steamer to clean a whole carpet. The VS4 holds 0.6 gal in its steam tank, and with no vacuum to recover soil it moves dirt around instead of removing it. The second is shampooing and then skipping the extraction pass, which leaves residue in the pile. The third is comparing pump pressure across machine types: the Breeze lists a 220 PSI pump and the VS4 lists 87 PSI of steam, and those two numbers describe different things.
The last is ignoring the cords. The Breeze lists two 15 A cords, and the T-Rex Jr. adds 3.8 A at 115 V to whatever extractor runs it, so check the circuits at the job site before you load the van.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a steam cleaner and a carpet extractor?
An extractor sprays hot solution into the carpet and vacuums it back into a recovery tank. A steam cleaner makes vapor from a small tank and recovers nothing. For whole carpets, an extractor is the right tool.
Is steam cleaning better than shampooing carpet?
If "steam cleaning" means hot water extraction, it is the better fit for most carpet because it removes the solution and soil instead of leaving residue. Shampooing wins when heavy agitation matters, and it should be followed by extraction. For a closer look at the methods, read hot water extraction vs encapsulation and low moisture cleaning.
Is an extractor better than a household carpet cleaner?
Household and rental carpet cleaners are small extractors, so they work on the same principle. The commercial difference is in the hardware: pump pressure, vacuum motors, heater wattage and tank size. A 220 PSI pump, dual vacuum motors and a 1,600 W heater that switches against the second vacuum, as on the Breeze, is a different class of machine.
What is the most effective way to clean a carpet?
Vacuum first, then pre-treat heavy soil, then extract with a heated machine. Add rotary agitation for traffic lanes. Our step-by-step guide to how to use a carpet cleaning machine covers the passes and settings.
How does a carpet steamer work?
Most machines sold as carpet steamers do not make steam: they are extractors that spray hot water and solution into the pile and vacuum it back out, the same principle as the Breeze on a smaller scale. A true vapor steamer such as the VS4 heats water in a sealed boiler and releases it as steam through a hose and tool. It lists a 0.6 gal steam tank, 87 PSI and 293°F maximum. Because it recovers nothing, it suits spot work only. Wool needs a different approach, covered in how to clean wool carpet and wool rugs.
What's the difference between dry cleaning and steam cleaning carpets?
"Dry" carpet cleaning is a low-moisture method: encapsulation, bonnet or absorbent compound cleaning puts down a small amount of chemistry, agitates it and leaves residue to dry and be vacuumed. "Steam" cleaning is hot water extraction, which rinses and recovers. Low-moisture methods dry faster, and extraction removes more soil from heavily soiled carpet. The trade-offs are in hot water extraction vs encapsulation and low moisture cleaning.
Can you use a handheld steamer on carpet?
Only for small spots. Test a hidden area first, keep the nozzle moving, then blot or vacuum the loosened soil. Keep high heat off wool. For anything bigger than a spot, use an extractor.
Choose the machine that matches the carpet
Related guides
- Hot Water Extraction vs Encapsulation and Low Moisture Cleaning: Which to Use When
- How to Use a Carpet Cleaning Machine: The Pro Extraction Steps, Passes and Settings
- How Long Does Carpet Take to Dry After Cleaning? (And How to Dry It Faster)
- How to Clean Wool Carpet and Wool Rugs Without Shrinking or Browning
