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The rigid plastic bristles of this sturdy carpet rake dig down deep to help restore a shag or otherwise deep-pile carpet or rug to its former friskiness. It’s also good for untangling the fringe on rugs or other upholstery and can be used on artificial turf. And with a 51-inch handle, the rake will detangle tough-to-reach areas under your couch in no time.

Pros

• Rigid “teeth” penetrate even dense, thick rugs
• Push-pull motion loosens debris prior to vacuuming
• Creates a uniform, groomed look
• Long handle

Cons

• Some users say the three-piece handle comes apart

What to Consider When Buying a Carpet Rake

If you’re thinking of adding a carpet rake to your housekeeping repertoire, keep in mind that the rake won’t take the place of vacuuming, and it won’t keep your carpet from accumulating dirt and pet hair. But a good carpet rake lifts a startling amount of dirt and hair out of your rugs, and will give your flooring a nice groomed appearance.

Make sure you buy a carpet rake that’s suitable for your rug type. Oriental rugs (especially older ones), tightly woven Berber rugs and looped rugs are at the highest risk of being damaged by the wrong kind of rake.

Types of Carpet Rakes

• Rubber or Silicone Broom: Capable of collecting a stunning amount of pet hair by way of static electricity, silicone or rubber brooms are usually used as a precursor to vacuuming. However, they might not penetrate into dense pile carpets.
• Brush Brooms: With a gentle- to medium-strength scrubbing effect, carpet brush brooms help lift stains and caked-on dirt out of carpets and other textiles. Imagine a kitchen scrub brush with the benefit of a long handle, which means you don’t have to get down on your hands and knees to scrub.
• Plastic Bristle Rakes: Excellent for refreshing deep-pile and shag carpets that get a lot of traffic, plastic bristle rakes can dig down deep into carpet pile. While they’ll loosen dirt, they’re not as effective for cleaning as silicone brushes.
• Handheld Rakes: For cleaning small areas, upholstery or stubborn pet hair, a handheld carpet rake gets the job done.

How We Found the Best Carpet Rakes

As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject-matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.

FAQ

What is a carpet rake?

A carpet rake is a cleaning and grooming tool that loosens deeply embedded dirt, debris and pet hair, creates a uniform appearance on the carpet and helps spot clean stains. Most carpet rakes come with a long handle—similar to a broom handle—so you can clean the carpet without having to crawl around. A carpet rake may not look like a rake but rather a brush on the end of a long pole. Some have squeegee attachments, too.

What can a carpet rake do?

When used before vacuuming, a carpet rake can make vacuuming more effective by loosening pet hair and dirt from deep in the pile. After vacuuming, passing over the carpet with a carpet rake can make the fibers stand up more and create a uniform, groomed look. Other types of rakes help with loosening caked on dirt or picking up “sticky” pet hair that adheres to low-pile textiles.

Can I fluff my carpet back up with a carpet rake?

If you buy the right kind of rake, yes! A silicone rake will fluff up a carpet, as will a plastic bristle rake. But you have to be realistic—there’s only so much a carpet rake can do for an older, damaged or deeply-worn carpet.