Few are the brands that you can easily rely on for producing an all-around great product. Hoover is definitely one of those brands and the Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner is the evidence for that. It is one of the lightest pet carpet cleaners out there and thanks to its power and cleaning capabilities, it also is one of the most sought for models on today’s market. For pet owners or people that just want to have a tool to easily clean their carpets this is, without a doubt, our top recommendation.
Our Verdict: If you are looking for a cheap, practical, compact, and most importantly powerful carpet cleaner, then the Hoover PowerDash should definitely be on your shortlist. Out of all its competitors it has the most functional design and is also the cheapest which is always a good thing. A few of the issues we had with it is that the brush can easily get stuck if faced with longer hair. This model is also not fitted for above-floor cleaning due to the lack of attachments. If those things don't bother you too much, this carpet cleaner is a great bang for the buck.
Table of Contents
Overview & Features – Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner
Without a doubt, one of the key features of this Hoover PowerDash carpet cleaner is its overall size and weight. It weighs 13 pounds with its tanks emptied, even though with its tanks full it can easily weigh more than 20 pounds. Still, the compact footprint, flexible hinge, and low weight make it one of the more compact choices in its class. If you want to move up both in terms of cleaning power and in size, you can check our Hoover SmartWash Carpet Cleaner Review.
Our Rating on Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner:
- Best price-to-value ratio on the market
- Very powerful
- Excellent for pet hair
- Cleans and dries excellently
- Dual-tank system to keep clean and dirty waters separated
- Compact design
- Removable nozzle
Cleaning Capabilities of Hoover PowerDash
Pro Tip: To treat old urine stains, spray the area with an enzymatic cleaner and allow it to sit for 15 minutes, then run the PowerDash over the area to completely eliminate the stain
In terms of cleaning power, the Hoover PowerDash is strong enough to take out hair and fine dust particles from deep within your carpet, even though it doesn’t have the largest cleaning path at only 10 inches. Still, it is far better than most spot cleaners in terms of area that you can cover.
Speaking of spot cleaning, this model is more than capable of doing that in combination with any of the spot cleaning solutions from Hoover:
- Free & Clean carpet cleaning solution
- Paws & Claws Spot Remover
- Oxy deep cleaning carpet shampoo
Despite this model being cheap, once you start adding any of Hoover’s solutions the price starts rising quite fast, so be careful which bundle you get.
The wet cleaning here is facilitated by the dual-tank system which keeps your clean and dirty waters separated at all times. That makes it easier to clean as well as doesn’t allow for the dirty water to recirculate back onto the surface you are cleaning. Both tanks have a total capacity of 0.5 gallons.
After the water solution does its job, the PowerSpin Pet Brush Roll picks up and sucks everything left in that area. That brush roll also has a antimicrobial coating which prevents from odor buildup or bacteria sticking to it. To round things off, the HeatForce drying technology quickly dries your carpet so that your pet doesn’t walk all over the wet surface and get it dirty again.
Materials & Construction
In terms of build quality the Hoover PowerDash is well built, even though we wanted more from it in terms of rigidity. Still, the construction is solid enough to support the lightweight frame. When the tank is full the cleaner becomes slightly harder to move around but it wasn’t too serious of a difference. The hinge system at the bottom works well and allows you to go under tables or narrow places.
Additional Features of Hoover PowerDash Carpet Cleaner
Some of the additional features we liked were the low profile foot, removable nozzle, and dual tank system. The low profile foot allows you to reach tight spaces, as we already pointed out, and is ideal for living room carpets that have couches and tables over them.
The PowerDash pet brushroll is specifically designed to tackle pet messes and pet hair, reaching deep down into carpet fibers to loosen dirt
The removable nozzle allows you to take it off, rinse it, and clean the dust and dirt out of it. After all that, you can just as easily put it back in its place. The dual tank system is also quite easy to take on and off adding to the overall ease of maintenance of this model.
What We Didn’t Like
Among the things we didn’t like was the fact that the brush roll struggled with longer pet hair and got clogged up easily. If you don’t have a long-haired breed that shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, long hairs aren’t a problem too but you will just have to clean the brush on a constant basis.
Another thing that might even be a deal-breaker for most people is that this cleaner doesn’t come with above-floor cleaning attachments (hose, extension sticks, etc). For people who want to clean their stairs or other furniture with their carpet cleaner this just won’t cut it.
If you want to check out other top models or learn more about carpet cleaners in general, head over to our full Buyer’s Guide. Now, let’s check out some of the most important pros and cons of this model…
Advantages & Disadvantages of Hoover Powerdash
HeatForce technology works to deliver a fast drying time for any space, preventing mold and mildew growth
Pros
- Best price-to-value ratio on the market
- Very powerful
- Excellent for pet hair
- Cleans and dries excellently
- Dual-tank system to keep clean and dirty waters separated
- Compact design
- Removable nozzle
Cons
- Doesn’t have Hoover’s Quick Clean Mode
- Not suited for above-floor cleaning
- The brush roll clogs up if your pet’s hairs are too long
Click here if you want to learn how to clean dog urine from your carpet.
Conclusion & Rating of Hoover Powerdash
Our Rating:
As a conclusion we can say that the Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner is definitely one of the better deals out there, unless you are looking for more of a 2-in-1 type of carpet cleaner. Hoover PowerDash can handle even the dirtiest carpets and is super lightweight, compact, and powerful. To complement all that, the price tag is also quite low which is unusual for the type of quality Hoover usually brings to the table.
If the lack of above-floor cleaning attachments and the easily clogged brush roll aren’t deal breakers for you, then you should put this model on your shortlist. We gave it a solid five out of five stars rating.
