Shark StainStriker Portable Carpet, Upholstery & Area Rug Cleaner with Pet Mess Tool, Stain & Odor Remover, Perfect for Car Interiors, Includes 3 Cleaning Tools & Cleaning Solution, White, PX201

As a parent and pet owner, I needed a portable cleaner that could actually remove stains and odors, not just mask them. The Shark StainStriker PX201 exceeded my expectations. It’s compact, powerful, and makes cleanup a breeze whether it’s carpet, car seats, or a messy couch.🔹 First Impressions:The unit is sleek, lightweight, and ready to go right out of the box. It includes 3 different attachments and a starter cleaning solution, which was a nice touch. Everything snaps together easily, and the instructions were clear.🔹 Performance:This little machine works. It tackled old pet stains and recent spills like a pro. The dual-tank system keeps clean and dirty water separate, and the suction is surprisingly strong for such a compact design. The included Pet Mess Tool was especially helpful for targeting ground-in grime and odor.🔹 Cleaning Attachments:Wide-area tool worked great for rugs and larger spacesDetailing tool got into tight corners and car interiorsPet Mess Tool handled tough stains and pulled up odor effectively🔹 Pros:Lightweight and easy to carry aroundStrong suction power removes deep stainsTools and attachments make it versatileCleaning solution smells fresh, not overpoweringEasy to empty and rinse after use🔹 Cons:The water tanks are a bit small, so for big jobs you’ll need to refillCord length is average — could be longer for reaching around furniture🔹 Final Thoughts:If you have pets, kids, or just a high-traffic home, this cleaner is a total game-changer. It’s easy to store, quick to use, and powerful enough to keep furniture, car interiors, and rugs looking (and smelling) fresh. Highly recommend!

We grabbed the Shark StainStriker for those “uh-oh” moments—think pet messes, mystery couch stains, and whatever chaos kids manage to spill. Right out of the box, this machine impressed. It’s lightweight, easy to carry room to room, and the included attachments make quick work of everything from upholstery seams to wide carpet patches.What I Liked:• Suction power is no joke. It pulled deeply embedded gunk out of our area rug like a pro.• The dual cleaning solution (no premix needed) feels like magic—squeeze the trigger and let the foamy vengeance begin.• Tools are versatile and well-designed, especially the wide path and pet-specific attachments.• It’s small enough to store in a closet without needing a new zip code.What Fell Short:• The clean/dirty water tank sizes are decent, but not huge. For bigger jobs, expect a few refills.• If you’re switching tools mid-clean, you’ll want to keep a towel handy—some dripping is inevitable.Pro Tip: Use a slow pull when extracting liquid—going too fast won’t give the suction time to do its best work. And always flush the system with clean water when you’re done to keep things smelling fresh.Overall, if you’re dealing with pets, spills, or just want your furniture to look less… lived on—this little machine is a solid investment.

The pet mess attachment is great. I got rid of my old machine because I couldn’t clean it. The pet mess attachment keeps the mess contained in a small reservoir that can be fully cleaned. The instructions were easy to follow. The cleaners smell good, and the crevice tool is really helpful when your dog likes to throw up on the carpet next to the baseboards.. The stain lifted right out. The machine is smaller than the one I had before, easy to carry, doesn’t leak, and fits nicely under the sink. Exceeded my expectations.

::EDIT:: This review is for both the PX202 and the PX251 HairPro.PX202 -- I initially bought the PX202BRN to replace an old Bissell that has started leaking from the clean water container (second tank I bought for it...I've had several Bissells and they all leak after a while). After looking at pretty much every review and Youtube video I could find, I picked this Shark PX202 because it had all of the features I wanted including a self-cleaning attachment for the hose. My old Bissell didn't have any way to clean the hose and it was disgusting after several years of cleaning up pet messes.When I unpacked it I discovered that it was missing the self-cleaning attachment. I searched the reviews here and it's a pretty common issue. Other reviews mentioned that Shark did not have the part available when they were contacted about it. Shark also doesn't show this part on their website so it's not even available to buy separately. I found this unusual because you can find parts for pretty much any Shark product all over the place. Parts for their carpet vacs in general seem to be hard to find though.It's possible that Shark customer service can send this part out if you call them but I didn't want to deal with the hassle so I ordered a PX251 HairPro instead.PX251 HairPro review -- 5 stars for this one. It had all the accessories and attachments as advertised. Fortunately or unfortunately I got to try it out right away because my dog got a very upset stomach and woke us up at 1:30 a.m. when he had a pretty large accident on the carpet. I grudgingly work up, filled up both tanks and got to work. Everything worked great, first with the pet mess tool, then with the regular cleaning head. It picked everything up without any problems and was much easier to clean the dirty water tank and the cleaning heads than my old Bissell.The self cleaning system on the PX251 is very easy to use and doesn't require the external attachment like the PX202 does. Just press the cleaning head or plain nozzle on the top part of the cleaning tank and it does its thing and flushes out the hose. Very well designed system.Very happy with the PX251. The only minor negatives are that the PX251 doesn't come with a lot of cleaning solution and niether the PX202 or PX251 come with anything in which to store the extra attachments. A minor but noticeable oversight. In contrast, the PX202 comes with almost double the amount of cleaning solution than the PX251. You would think the more expensive top-of-the-line one would come with more solution. But that's minor because I usually just make my own DIY solution. I'll be buying more of the Oxy Multiplier though.Overall both are a good choice but be aware that the PX202 might not come with the cleaning attachment. If that is important to you like it is for me, the PX251 is the better choice.So, 5 stars for the PX251 but rated everything 4 stars overall because of the missing attachment on the PX202, the lack of any storage for the various cleaning attachments, and the miniscule amount of cleaning solution the PX251 comes with.I like Shark products and have several of them including a stick vac, a regular upright vac that is still working great after almost 15 years, a robot vac, now the PX251. Overall I think they make decent stuff for the money.