I threw wine, tea and mud on my carpets to test out Shark’s newest carpet cleaner — but after using it, you wouldn’t know

Every so often, I like to give my carpets and my rugs a good ol’ deep clean. And as I don’t have the time (or, quite frankly, the patience) to get on my hands and knees and clean them by hand, I wanted to see whether the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Deep Carpet Cleaner with Spot Cleaner EX250UK would get the job done quicker and more effectively.

After testing, I can wholeheartedly say that Shark’s newest carpet cleaner is one of the best carpet cleaners out there. Alongside some major plus points I did have one or two niggles, though, so you can read my full review below for a more detailed explainer.

In a nutshell

The Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Deep Carpet Cleaner with Spot Cleaner EX250UK (yes, I wish Shark would simply the names of its products, too) is Shark’s newest carpet cleaner. And although the Ideal Home team has tested a couple of Shark carpet cleaners in the past, I would go as far as to say that this one is the best yet, especially if you share your home with pets.

Upon opening the box, the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX250UK looked like a typical carpet cleaner - not necessarily a good or bad thing - but I was suitably impressed with its cleaning power and the built-in spot cleaner. It tackled red wine stains, tea stains, muddy paw prints, and rugs with years' worth of dirt and grime on them with ease. And while it was heavy to carry upstairs and move around when not in use, it was surprisingly manoeuvrable when in use.

There’s no doubt that this model was built to handle pet hair, too. With anti-clumping, anti-clogging, and anti-tangle technology, I was surprised when not a single hair got caught in the roller. Instead, it all went directly to the hair cage in the water tank (which was embarrassingly dirty and filled with mud-brown water by the time I’d finished with the carpet cleaner).

And while I wouldn’t say that the Shark CarpetXpert EX250UK is perfect, there are way more positives than negatives when it comes to this machine. The carpets, rugs, and upholstery in my home haven’t been this clean in a long while, and my house is no longer covered in ingrained dog hair. So, it’s a yes from me.

Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Deep Carpet Cleaner EX250UK specs

• Watts: 1000
• Power cord: 2m
• Dimensions: D36.1 x H112.1 x W38.1cm
• In the box: Main unit, Tough stain tool, Crevice tool, Deep Clean Pet formula starter bottle
• RRP: £279.99

How I tested

Lauren Bradbury

I'm Lauren, Content Editor and Certified Expert in Training for Vacuums at Ideal Home. It's my job to test all of the best floor care appliances out there, including the best mops, wet floor cleaners, vacuums, and carpet cleaners.

I reviewed the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX250UK for two weeks in my home in Kent. I tested it during controlled tests (which involved throwing wine and tea on my carpet) and for the deep-cleaning of rugs and upholstery in my home.

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

I must admit I was a little taken aback when the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Deep Carpet Cleaner with Spot Cleaner EX250UK turned up on my doorstep. Although I’m Ideal Home’s Certified Expert for the best vacuums and the editor for all things floor care, the box that stood before me was larger than any I’ve received before. It came to just below my hip (I’m 5’2”, for reference) and weighed almost 13kg, too.

And while I managed to get it over the threshold without too much of an issue, it’s worth mentioning that this may be harder for those with limited mobility or strength. So, you might need a helping hand if that’s the case.

Nevertheless, one thing I will always give Shark credit for is how eco-friendly the brand’s packaging is. Everything in the box was encased in a big cardboard scaffold, and then the smaller components - the main carpet cleaner itself, the hose, handle, and hand tool - were wrapped in recyclable paper. Even the bottle of the Deep Clean Pet Formula is recyclable.

Image 1 of 5

However, while I was looking at the fine print on the bottle of cleaning solution, I realised that this model - and all Shark carpet cleaners, actually - aren’t suitable for use on wool carpets. Considering the whole upstairs of my home is carpeted in loop-pile wool, this came as a serious blow.

Luckily, having to test all manner of floor care cleaners as part of my job means that I have countless carpet samples to hand. The majority of my hard flooring downstairs is also covered in two large area rugs (which are covered in dog hair). Plus, my dog’s bed is constantly dirty, and my sofa needed a serious spot clean. So, I knew that I’d still be able to thoroughly test this carpet cleaner without that little snag getting in the way.

This is something to note if you have wool carpets in your home, though, as it would be better to opt for a wool-safe model instead. For example, the VAX Platinum Antibacterial Carpet Cleaning Solution that comes with the VAX Platinum SmartWash Pet-Design Carpet Washer has been tested by the WoolSafe Organisation and approved for use on wool.

Image 1 of 4

Assembling the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet EX250UK was incredibly straightforward, largely thanks to the Quick Start guide printed on the top of the box. To start, you click the handle into the top of the unit before attaching the hand tool to the crevice tool. This just slots into place.

Then, you have to insert the hose into the back of the unit. The instructions state that this has to be clicked twice before you can move on to the next step to avoid any leaks, and I must admit that it does require some pushing to get this second click. The first is easy, but the second requires a little more welly.

With the hose attached, you then wrap it around the clips at the back of the carpet cleaner before aligning the hand tool to its designated home. Just below this hose wrap, you can loop the power cord, and I liked that everything could be stored onboard. After all, carpet cleaners aren’t small, but touches like that make them less of a nuisance to store.

When everything was assembled, I could take a step back and look at the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX250UK. As carpet cleaners go, it’s actually fairly compact and sleek. I wouldn’t say it was stylish (I’ve yet to come across one that is), but it’s not an eyesore either. It also feels incredibly high quality, which I’ve come to expect with Shark products, so I was eager to get started.

Using the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Deep Carpet Cleaner EX250UK

To use the Shark CarpetXpert for the first time, I took off the clean water tank and filled it with warm water until it reached the fill line. Then, I added the cleaning solution to the ‘concentrate’ fill line. I was a little taken aback at how much was required for one tank of water, and it made me wonder how quickly the bottle would need to be replaced.

Image 1 of 2

One thing I will also note is that this carpet cleaner is heavy when the water tank is reattached. I made the mistake of putting the whole thing back together before taking it upstairs to start cleaning, and it took some serious welly on my part to carry it up as it was so heavy. In hindsight, I probably should have carried the water tank and the main carpet cleaner separately.

Cleaning carpets

To accurately test the stain-busting power of the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro, I used a 90cm x 60cm carpet sample and tested it against three different stains - mud, red wine, and tea.

First, I made sure my dog got extra muddy on our dog walk and allowed him to walk all over the carpet sample, leaving it for 24 hours for the mud to cure and ingrain itself into the fibres. I then turned the carpet cleaner on and pushed it forward like a vacuum cleaner. The only difference is that the Shark CarpetXpert Hair Pro EX250UK releases the cleaning solution on the forward stroke and then vacuums up the residue and dirt on the backstroke.

I was instantly struck by how easy the appliance was to use, as I thought it would be difficult and heavy to move, considering its size and weight. However, I didn’t have any problems, and this first cleaning session also allowed me to appreciate the pet-friendly cleaning solution more, which has a scent I couldn’t quite place. Part of me liked it and found it to be quite fresh, but another part of me found it quite strange.

Image 1 of 4

All in all, it took three passes to get the job done, and while it didn’t soak the carpet sample, it made it suitably damp enough to extract the mud stains and leave the carpet as good as new. After using the Dry Only mode, the carpet was completely dry just three hours later.

Then, I poured 50ml of red wine onto the carpet and once again allowed it to set for 24 hours. It took around five passes (back and forth) before the wine stain disappeared, which was actually a lot less than I thought.

Again, the carpet sample wasn’t too wet after cleaning, and I believe that’s all thanks to the back stroke, which sucks up any excess cleaning solution before it has the chance to make the carpet damp and mouldy. In fact, the whole thing was dry again in five hours.

Then, I repeated the process with 50ml of tea (a green tea infused for 30 minutes, to be exact), which was again left for 24 hours to really seep into the fibres. Surprisingly, this was tougher to remove than the red wine stain, and after about six passes, I realised that it needed a slightly tougher touch.

So, I used the spot cleaner to apply more of the cleaning solution and scrub it away with the cleaning brush. This worked a treat, and after just three passes with the main spot cleaner, it looked as though the whole tea stain had disappeared. It then took six hours to dry.

One thing I really loved during this stage was that I had the option to use the integrated spot cleaner, too. Some carpet cleaners don’t have this, which means you’d have to buy a spot cleaner separately, not only costing you more money but also causing more hassle and requiring more storage space.

Cleaning rugs

I also wanted to test out the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX250UK on my living room area rug, which I can honestly say has not been cleaned (apart from vacuuming) for the past two years. And as it’s in the room where my dog sleeps and spends most of his time, it’s filthy. In fact, it’s supposed to be white, but it’s become more of an off-white/grey over the past few years.

Thankfully, cleaning the rug with the Shark carpet cleaner was easy enough. The rug definitely looked cleaner after the first round of carpet cleaning, and it wasn’t too wet. In fact, it was just damp to the touch and took around five hours to become completely bone dry.

Image 1 of 3

Due to three years’ worth of dirt build-up, however, I did have to give it a second round of cleaning a couple of days later to get it to a point I was pleased with.

This is more of a me problem than a Shark problem, though, and if I were to keep on top of my rug cleaning, I do think one session would be enough to restore it to its former glory. It’s also worth noting that Shark doesn’t recommend using this cleaner on delicate rugs (including wool, cotton, silk, or antique rugs). If you’re unsure, it’s always best to test an inconspicuous area first.

Cleaning upholstery

After testing the Shark CarpetXpert Hair Pro Deep Carpet Cleaner EX250UK on carpet samples and rugs, I then tested it on my sofa cushions. Personally, I find cleaning a sofa really difficult as I find it such a hassle to remove the cushion covers and wait for them all to dry. Plus, I find that the washing machine doesn’t get rid of ingrained stains.

However, I was able to use the spot cleaner to remove all of the stains that had built up over the past few months, and it was incredibly easy to do. In fact, by this point, I was actually quite enjoying the whole process.

You can control how much cleaning solution you want to use with the spot cleaner, and I do think that I perhaps used more than I should have, as the cushions were quite saturated when I finished. But they were dry again in two hours, and they looked cleaner than I remember them ever looking before, so I would definitely use it again.

Image 1 of 4

I then used the spot cleaner on my dog’s bed. For some reason, we thought that getting a white, fluffy bed was a good idea when we’re the paw-rents of a mud monster, so it’s constantly covered in dirty paw prints. And while the cover is removable and washable, I wanted to see whether the spot cleaner could do the same job.

As these were dry stains, I followed the instructions to scrub with the bristles on the hand tool first before spraying on the cleaning solution, scrubbing, and then extracting. The end result was actually way more impressive than I thought it would be, and one pass (forward for scrubbing, backwards for suction) was enough to lift the mud stains.

The whole thing was clean in just five minutes, and I must admit that I would probably choose this method over washing it in the washing machine, especially as it was dry again in two and a half hours.

Cleaning and maintenance

The colour of the water that entered the dirty water tank was downright disgusting during testing. And while it was slightly embarrassing to see that much dirt had been lingering in my home (especially after cleaning my rug and dog’s bed), it was also strangely satisfying.

And although Shark states that the indicator light will flash blue and the machine will turn off when the dirty water tank is full, I never got to the point where it filled up that much.

But as recommended by Shark, I cleaned the carpet cleaner after every use. This was easy enough, as I simply removed the dirty water tank and lifted out the lid with the float (apparently, you shouldn’t pour out the dirty water until this float is removed). Then, I just poured the dirty water down the sink.

One thing I did really like when cleaning was the fact that all of the hair and larger debris caught in the hair cage, so I could simply get my hand in there and plonk that in the bin rather than letting it go down the drain and potentially clog it up in the process.

Image 1 of 4

After that, I rinsed out the dirty water tank and removed the filter to clean it with soap and water before letting it air dry for 24 hours and returning it to its rightful home.

As the brush roll gets pretty gross and grimy during the carpet cleaning process, I also removed it after every use. To do this, you pull the latch to remove the nozzle cover and then lift the tab to slide it out. Then, I just rinsed off the brush roll, cleaned the brush roll cover with a damp cloth, let it all air dry, and put everything back in its place.

All in all, the whole cleaning process was pretty easy, all things considered. Of course, the main elephant in the room when it comes to this carpet cleaner is the size and where to store it. But unless you want to opt for a stand-alone spot cleaner that’s significantly smaller, I don’t think the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX250UK is any less convenient than the other carpet cleaners out there.

How does it rate online?

Despite being a new release, the Shark CarpetXpert EX250UK already has 18 reviews on the Shark website at the time of writing. It also has an average rating of 4.8 stars. However, it’s worth noting that most of the customers who have reviewed this carpet cleaner so far received it as a gift from Shark, although they are under no obligation to provide a positive review.

Most customers praise the carpet cleaner’s impressive power and the results it offered them, as well as the fact that it has a built-in spot cleaner for tougher stains or more targeted cleaning.

The 4-star reviews (which are the lowest at the time of writing) complain that the cleaning solution is expensive to buy when you run out, and another customer has stated that the carpet cleaner struggled on their thicker rug and could benefit from a self-clean function.

How does it compare to similar models?

First and foremost, it’s important to note that this particular carpet cleaner isn’t the first Shark CarpetXpert cleaner to make its way out into the floor care world. We previously tested an older model, the CarpetXpert Deep Carpet Cleaner with Built-In StainStriker EX200UK, which is slightly cheaper at £229.99.

During testing, our reviewer gave the older model a similar 4.5-star review, praising the built-in spot cleaner and the fact that it was relatively small for storage. However, she did note that the dirty water capacity was quite small.

Of course, as the Carpet Xpert EX250UK is a newer model, you’d like to think that the performance and suction power have improved. And the older model only came with a pet cleaning solution, rather than the hair collection cage, too. So, this newer model would be a much better choice for those with pets.

It’s also worth comparing the Shark CarpetXpert EX250UK to our ‘best overall’ carpet cleaner in our guide - the Vax Platinum SmartWash Pet-Design Carpet Washer, which was awarded a perfect 5-star rating. Another carpet cleaner suitable for pet owners, this one also comes with seven accessories, an odour-eating solution and Heatblast Technology that uses warm air to speed up drying.

All Vax cleaning solutions are also wool-safe, which means it can also be used on wool carpets - which was one of my niggles for the Shark offering. So, if I were to choose, I’d say that the Vax would be a better investment if you can afford the significantly higher price point of £349.

Should you buy the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro EX250UK?

All in all, I was very impressed with the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet EX250UK. Like all carpet cleaners, it’s a little clunky and on the heavy side, but it’s easy enough to use and offers incredible carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning. In fact, the indicator lights on the appliance make it easily accessible for everyone and make it impossible for you to go wrong.

The fact that it has an in-built spot cleaner is also a major plus, saving you from having to buy two separate appliances and allowing you to tackle tougher stains with ease. And this particular model is also ideal for pet owners, from the pet-safe cleaning solution to the hair cage that catches both pet and human hair alike.

Do I think it’s the best carpet cleaner on the market? Probably not, but it’s certainly up there as one of the best, especially if you’re looking for an entry-level carpet cleaner that won’t cost you a fortune. And no matter whether you buy it for stain removal or to freshen up the carpets and rugs in your home, I do think it’s a worthy investment.