The complete guide
The Russell Hobbs RHCC5001: A Buyer's Guide to Simple Carpet Washing
Some carpet washers are built to impress with modes and attachments. Others are built to just work, every time, without a learning curve. The Russell Hobbs RHCC5001 is firmly the second kind, a lightweight upright carpet washer that covers the essentials well and gets out of your way.
A simple wash-and-lift cycle
The mechanism is straightforward. A 24 cm wide jet spray forces water and cleaning solution into the carpet, a bristle brush works it into the fibres, and the machine vacuums the dirty result straight into a separate tank. There are no modes to choose between, just fill, push, and the machine does the cycle in one pass.
Why the twin tanks matter
Clean and dirty water stay separate throughout, in a 1.8 L clean tank and a 1.75 L dirty tank. That separation is what keeps the spray fresh from the first minute to the last, rather than gradually recycling dirtier water as the session goes on. A full clean tank gives up to 30 minutes of cleaning, generally enough for a decent-sized room.
Reach and portability
An 8.5 m power cord is a genuinely useful length, letting you cover more of a room, or move between rooms, without repeatedly hunting for the next socket. At 5.8 kg the whole unit is light enough to carry up stairs or move between rooms without it feeling like a chore, and it stores away easily when you are finished.
Emptying and upkeep
When the dirty tank fills, you simply unclip the handle and pour it out over a sink, no disassembly required. After each session, rinse both tanks and let them air dry before putting the machine away, which keeps odours from building up between uses.
Who it suits
If you want a straightforward carpet washer without a long list of modes to learn, and your main job is regular whole-room carpet cleaning rather than upholstery or car interiors, the RHCC5001 is built for exactly that. It comes with a 1 L bottle of cleaning solution included, so it is ready to use the moment it arrives, and a guarantee that extends to 2 years with free online registration.