Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner (model CDCW-SWXS)
Our verdict · The easiest whole-house upright to use, with the same 6-year cover as our top pick for around £70 less.
Buy it if
You have large or open-plan family carpets and want the least tiring whole-house clean for the money.
Skip it if
You specifically want maintained warm water or an out-of-the-box pet stain-and-odour kit - step up to the Pet-Design or the Bissell.
Where to get it
Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner (model CDCW-SWXS)
From £179.99
Indicative price at the time of review.
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The SmartWash is our value pick because it takes the effort out of doing a whole floor. Its triggerless, motion-sensing design automatically washes on the forward push and dries on the pull back, so you are not squeezing a trigger for the length of a large room. FLEXFORCE brushbars drive into the pile, a Quick Dry mode is quoted to leave carpets dry in around an hour, and Vax states it kills over 99% of odour-causing bacteria when used with its Platinum Antibacterial Solution. A 2.5m hose with a SpinScrub hand tool and a 2-in-1 antimicrobial tool cover stairs and upholstery. The trade-off against the Bissell is that it has no HeatWave temperature maintenance, so the wash water cools as you work, and it sells its pet solution and pre-treatment separately - if you specifically want a ready-made pet setup, Vax offers the pricier SmartWash Pet-Design (CDCW-SWXP) at an indicative £349.99 with an integrated pre-treatment wand. It weighs 8.6kg and carries a 6-year guarantee. Price is indicative at £179.99 (was £299.99).
The good & the bad
Pros
- Triggerless auto push-to-wash, pull-to-dry is genuinely less tiring than squeeze-trigger uprights over big areas
- 6-year guarantee matches the best cover on the list, at a lower price than the Bissell
- Vax states it kills over 99% of odour-causing bacteria with its Platinum Antibacterial Solution
Cons
- No HeatWave warm-water maintenance, so the wash water cools as you work, and no ready-made pet bundle - the pet setup is the pricier Pet-Design variant
- Bulky full-size upright to store
How it compares
| Pick | WATTB Score | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro (model 20666) | 89/100 | From £249.99 (indicative) | overall for pet households |
| 2.Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner (model CDCW-SWXS)This pick | 88/100 | From £179.99 (indicative) | value upright |
| 3.Shark CarpetXpert EX150UK | 86/100 | From ~£158.99 (indicative; RRP £249.99) | stairs, upholstery and fast drying |
| 4.Bissell SpotClean Pro (model 1558E) | 81/100 | From ~£126.99 (indicative; RRP £149.99) | portable spot cleaner |
| 5.Vax Dual Power Pet Advance (model CDCW-DPXA / ECR2V1P) | 79/100 | From ~£94.99 (indicative; RRP £109.00) | budget upright |
Good to know
- Price
- From £179.99 (indicative)
- Operation
- Triggerless SmartWash auto push/pull
- Brushbars
- FLEXFORCE
- Drying
- Quick Dry mode, ~1 hour
- Above-floor
- 2.5m hose + SpinScrub hand tool
- Weight / warranty
- 8.6kg / 6 years
Researched by WATTB
- Published
- 15 September 2026
- Updated
- 18 September 2026
- Last verified
- 18 September 2026
- Sources
- 13 sources
We research and rank options from public data, official information and published reviews. How we research →
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