Karcher SE 3-18 5Ah

Fantastic Cleaner – The SE 3-18 is a fantastic cleaner with lots of power for such a small compact unit. My wife was able to carry it around the house and car with not stress at all. I highly recommend buying the SE 3-18 for those tough stains and the occasional car cleaning task. Show details ·  1

Super Convenient! – I recently bought this unit, and I’m very impressed by its effectiveness! As someone who’s always dealing with accidental spills and stains, I was hoping this portable cleaner would be a game-changer, and it certainly delivered. The device is compact and easy to use. It’s suction power is surprisingly strong for such a small unit especially since… Read more ·  1

it runs on a battery. I used it on a variety of stains, from coffee spills on my couch to pet accidents on the carpet, and it did an excellent job lifting the stains without any additional scrubbing or hassle. The included cleaning solution worked well, but I also tried it with just water, and it still performed admirably.

One of the best features is the nozzle, which is designed to focus the suction on specific spots, so I didn’t have to worry about cleaning areas I didn’t intend to. The cordless nature of the unit provides convenience although the 5A battery lasts roughly 25 minutes but I think that’s plenty for the manner in which I use it.

Overall, I’m really satisfied with this purchase. If you’re in the market for a quick, effective solution for spot cleaning, I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s powerful, easy to use, and has definitely saved me a lot of time on cleaning sessions!

Unreal machine! – This is a ripping product which can tackle any nasty stains and spills. It's easy to carry and very compact which is great for storage. I especially loved using this machine in my car to clean my dirty seats. You should see the colour of the dirty water afterwards its amazing what comes out! Highly recommend trying the SE detergents too for maximum spray ex performance. Might have to look at the other Karcher battery products now Show details ·  1

I thought it was great at first, then realised it was leaking internally!!! – Pros - - Love the idea of the 18v battery - portable design, it last about 35 minutes which is impressive from the 5ah battery. - The length of the hose is perfect, especially for doing couches etc - Suction is impressive for how quiet it is. - Noise levels are amazing, much quiter than another branded spot cleaners Ive used. - I did one large… Read more

couch and with a 5ah battery, still had 50% to go. I loved the battery display, telling you how much battery life you have left in minutes. - Easy to clean everything, I really liked how easy the tanks were to remove and clean.

Cons - Well the first one I received leaks water, internally somewhere, had it on the ground and it went everywhere. Cant find where its leaking from unfortunately, but the water is clear. - Karcher replaced it but the second one had a faulty battery. This was replaced however, quickly and at no cost so happy with the warranty support, so greta job Karcher. - I see by some reviews online these issues seem to be common issue. - I wished that the head had bristles on it to lift stubborn stains.

If it didn't have the issues mentioned above, I'd probably gove this a 5 star review as it did an impressive job otherwise.

Twice the charm – Welcome to the Karcher SE 3-18 5Ah Spot & Spray! When approached to be a part of this product, I was more than happy. It’s a new product to the market, it’s a great and well-known brand, and it’s a product that I’ve been curious about for some time. But, it was not a smooth road here unfortunately. I don’t feel it’s worth making conclusion… Read more ·  1

online, but I will tell you that the initial Karcher Spot & Spray sent to me for this product review, failed. In fact, it didn’t work at all. I used the instruction, looked at every app, read the manual many times trying to work out what I did wrong… turns out the machine was a dud - a failure. After chatting with Karcher it was sent away, and a swift replacement sent to me about a week later.

Thankfully (and cautiously!) the replacement machine was set up and operated with no scientific investigation required to begin. Success!

The next job was to find some work to see what this baby can do. I took this job beyond just a bit of a clean - I found the best stain I could find. I must admit, the carpet was getting replaced soon, so there was no necessary rush or even pressure to perfor, but getting this carpet section in specific would be more than impressive. See the video/photo images below for the footage.

I am impressed. Very impressed. I was not expecting to have a very clean garpet.

Getting to know and understand how to use the machine for the first two or three uses, I had to learn what I was doing wrong. Wrong, being leaving the spray running longer than needed, using all of the product extremely quickly, and generally using too much chemical. Instructions Fail!

The instruction to put the machine together, where to fill and what the system does are well made and easy to read, albeit there was a little bit of guessing, but thankfully not many things to put together.

Rather than name every usage, flooring, carpets, spot, I focused on the worst that I could find and assess from the top and work down.

Would I use this machine again? Yes

Would I buy this machine again? Yes

Did this machine perform as advertised? Yes - in fact it has performed better than I expected, albeit with the machine not working for the first machine received.

Was the customer service prompt and easy to talk to during the warranty issue? Yes

The only setback to me would be the confidence in the machine not facing an issue like initially, although I’m confident this was a one-off.

Excellent spot cleaner and fabric freshener!!! – Using the Karcher Battery Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner/Revitaliser was equivalent to spending tens of thousands of dollars on new carpets, furniture etc. We used the Karcher Battery Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner to revitalise the fabrics throughout the large old house we live in. The carpets are decades old with many years old, perhaps… Read more ·  1

decades old carpet stains from years of use from people and pets. We moved in about 4 years ago and the house is from around 1950 and the carpets, curtains etc are all at least 50 years old.

There were black stains throughout the carpet and the carpet also smelled.

We have used the Karcher Spot & Spray Cleaner on baby seats, car seats, chairs with almost white upholstery and on carpets. My mum always told me not to but chairs and lounges with light coloured upholstery because it was impossible to clean - problem solved!

We were amazed at how light weight the cleaner was and how easy it was to assemble! The practical handle was probably the easiest and best handle we have seen on a cleaner of any sort that we needed to carry around.

The 5Ah battery was quick charge at about an hour and half for a full charge, which was great given it gave us about 45 minutes of use. The 18V battery ensured we had a very high power cleaner and our use showed this ensured it cleaned deep into the fibres of all our fabrics.

The first use we had with the magical cleaner was with a light coloured fabric chair that had dark discolouration where people rested their head, down cracks behind the bum and on the seat. Many of these stains were years old and as per the attached photos, the Karcher Cleaner made even the worst stains disappear. The stains on the head rest and within the cracks completely disappeared and the fabric looked like new. The years old stains on the seat where people, babies, and pets have sat almost disappeared completely. The Karcher cleaner also removed some red drink stains from something like cordial or an icy pole.

The Karcher cleaner will leave the fabric feeling moist but in the middle of winter it completely dried by the next day. We were a bit unsure about how it would look while it was moist but it dried looking incredibly refreshed.

The hose was more than long enough and was super flexible. The distance from the cleaning unit to the end of the cleaning accessory is about 1.9 metres. The cleaning accessory had a spray underneath which was very easy to use and very convenient. The flexible hose and the swivel joint on the hose made it very easy to reach those difficult to reach areas and narrow spaces.

Next we tried a black baby seat which we had obtained second hand "free to a good home" with stains all over the place. The Karcher Spot & Spray Cleaner cleaned all the old stains as well as all the extra stains from our use.

The 2 tank system was incredibly easy to fill and empty. You will be shocked at the dirty colour of the water that is sucked up and the great thing is you can just pull the container out and empty without coming into contact with the dirt and grime. It is incredibly easy to top up the fresh water - in fact it is not much different to topping up a glass of water.

What really amazed us about our Karcher Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner is how it worked on carpets. Our carpets are about as dead as carpet will be without being in the tip - in fact many carpets in the tip probably outshine our carpet. Our carpet had decades old black stains everywhere, they smelled and they looked more like flat latex as opposed to carpet as the pile looked completely worn out.

We were shocked to see that after using the Karcher Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner that we actually had a standing up pile and the ugly and embarrassing stains had been eliminated. With some of the decades old stains in our carpet we did need to use the Karcher Cleaner more than once to completely remove the stain.

I have to say the Karcher Battery Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner was a bit of a slow burn for my wife and I and we didn't love it out of the box. It is extremely simple to use but the instruction manuals were confusing and not even labelled as manuals which doesn't help when the contents contain dozens of languages. There was a barcode to scan with a linking video which was easy to understand but a little more information with tips and hints would be useful. It was simple to use easy to workout for ourselves but it didn't create the best first impression. The Karcher Cleaner is incredibly easy to use but it did take a bit of experimenting before we got the hang of it.

The great thing after we finished cleaning was that it was easy to put away as all the accessories are attached to the cleaning unit. We have other cleaning units which are hard to store because they have poles and attachments floating around everywhere. This also made it easy when visiting my mum as she wanted to use it at her home and given the very sturdy and practical design I was able to very easy put in the boot of my car or in the backseat.

Convenient cleaning – PROS: > Well built; high quality > Easy to use > Cordless operation makes this unit really convenient > 5Ah battery consistently lasts over 30 mins > love the 'run time in mins' and 'time left to full charge' on the battery LCD display > Instructions were easy enough to follow > Cleaning solutions smelled nice > Surfaces not too wet after… Read more ·  1

cleaning (but drying time obviously needed)

ONLY REAL CON: I had to use less cleaning fluid than recommended as it foamed too much. This caused a little bit of leakage (so be careful where you sit the unit) and caused the waste-water cut-off to activate too early. This stopped happening when I used less solution.

OVERALL: I had some mixed results. While everything I've tried it on so far is definitely cleaner, I wouldn't say it was 'clean' in some instances. Unsurprisingly, some fabrics and stains were cleaned better than others. That said, this may sometimes be unfairly comparing to industrial cleaners (e.g. how my sofa cushions looked after a spot clean versus proper steam clean.) But for a battery cleaner at this price point, I'd say it's good. (See photos and judge for yourself).

Would love to try this on a 'fresh' stain or spill (not that I want to have one!) I think this is where this product would really shine. I will update the review in this unfortunate event! For now I'd say this is a quality product that produces good results.

Easy to use and very portable battery spot cleaner – I was really excited to be offered this Karcher SE 3-18 5Ah unit to be able to write a review for it via the Ambassador Program. It was just the thing we had been needing to help with cleaning up messes from the kids and the dog who has a habit of vomiting on occasion and always on the mats/rugs and on a few older stains that we could not get off… Read more ·  1

years ago.

That said, it’s great, and we cleaned up the lounge and it made quite a difference, but… being battery powered, it lacks the oomph of a corded unit, and a stronger suction would have helped a lot. But first, to the beginning.

The package arrived quite quickly, and the delivery driver even called me the morning of delivery to check timing.

The boxing is excellent, and the unit is kept very safe in the packing and certainly catches the eye being bright yellow, good for the shops so its sticks out from the rest. There was also a 2nd smaller box with a couple of bottles of cleaning solution, 1 was the Super-hero Stain Remover 500l in a concentrate form that makes up to 10 litres, and the 2nd was the Sticky Fingers Adhesive Remover, also 500ml concentrate to make up to 10 litres. Both are suitable for use in all the spot cleaner/spray extractor products.

In the main product box, it came with carpet cleaner liquid and stated to be a quick drying formula, essentially spray on and vacuum off in one motion, or for heavier soiling, leave on for 5 or so minutes and then vacuum out.

This unit came with the 5ah battery, which I was very happy to see, I think anything less just won’t be enough, and on this I feel I was proven right.

The battery is a little larger than most of my other battery-operated items, like my 6ah AEG power tool batteries. But the digital display on the battery itself is great. This display will tell you how much longer it needs to charge and when being used in the product, it tells you how much more use you have before needing a recharge. Much more accurate and more detail than any other battery and charging systems I have.

The unit was quite easy to put together and there are some reasonable instructions and videos to help where you become unsure.

Firstly, use hot water, as that will help greatly with the cleaning, but not too hot, the instructions detail what is acceptable.

We mixed in the cleaning solution into the freshwater tank and got to work on our lounge. I did remove the cushions and cleaned them outside, not knowing how much water would be used and I’m glad I did as you will get some excess runoff etc.

I pre charged the battery and plugged in the battery into the Karcher spot cleaner about 2 hours later. Firstly, I pushed the trigger to see what would happen, as expected water came out of the jet and this was fanned out by the shape of the cleaning head, with some pressure and you could hear the vacuum kick in, it is reasonably quiet and isn’t noisy, but it is a vacuum after all.

Originally I pushed the trigger and just let the sprayer do its thing and spray onto the cushion, I then stopped that and used the vacuum to bring the water out, in this way it seemed to struggle to get the water up into the hose, but when I placed the cleaning head on the cushion and squeezed the water on button and dragged it over the chaise cushion, quite a bit of water comes out and the vacuum readily sucks it back up, I then go back over the material again without adding further water so you can vacuum out the excess from the cloth, it does seem to struggle a bit to get the water to go back up the hose, so I tried to angle the head so it wouldn’t have a steep incline and use gravity as well.

I am glad I took the cushion outside as some excess water can and will drip on to the floor if you aren’t very careful, in fact, I don’t think you can stop it, so use a towel if you use it inside the house.

Firstly, use a normal vacuum cleaner to ensure there are no contaminates on what you want to clean. This chaise cushion had an old stain that I had previously tried to remove without success and this time was no different, but I probably set it in years ago.

Even though it didn’t remove the stain, it did certainly lesson it and the rest of the cushions came up looking so much better, the amount of dirt and grime that seemed to come out was incredible, the colour of the water shows it was doing a pretty good job.

I think if you have a spill or some other mess and you get onto it reasonably quickly this Karcher product is so very easy to setup and use and extremely portable, you will have no issues in either removing or minimising any possible stain.

The unit has a float system so that when the water tank is full of the dirty water from cleaning, it will close off the tank, but you need to also switch the unit off as soon as you hear the change in noise.

After use, you do need to tip the dirty water out of the container and rinse well, you then place fresh clean water into the appropriate container and the unit will do a self-clean, essentially stick the suction hose into the clean water container and it sucks through the clean water into the dirty water tank, this will ensure there are no contaminates or residues left in the attachments, hoses or within the unit and it does not take long at all.

The couple of attachments it comes with can be attached to the unit itself, but the cleaning head cannot be placed on the side properly and it has to point awkwardly to what I think is the wrong way, rather than neatly against the unit.

All in all, I was using it for about an hour and the battery was not quite empty but was close, so it lasts well, if you have the 5ah.

Do I like it, well yes, I do. Does it do a good job, yes it does, but not so much on old set in stains, it is a spot cleaner after all and when used appropriately the results are quite good.

Its very easy to setup, easy to use and easy to clean once used.

It will certainly assist in maintaining the lounge and the numerous mats/rugs and cushions we have through the house.

Great product and the battery is a game changer! – This is a fantastic product no doubt about it. I have owned Bissell spot cleaners in the past and the fact that this runs off a battery makes it SO much easier. Especially when using it in the car. Not having to worry about extension cords and coiling and uncoiling the cord makes me much more likely to attempt cleaning ;) It's very simple to use… Read more ·  1

but I did make sure to watch the video demo first which was handy. Everything feels well made and sturdy, no flimsy plastic or finicky switches.

The formula is not overly smelly which is good as some I find are way too strong. You seem to only need a small amount per tank so hopefully it lasts awhile.

I cleaned up kids messes (x 100) and even a dog accident and it did it all with ease. It was easy to empty the dirty take and the battery is very easy to put in and out.

I would 100% recommend this and its not often I don't have any cons. If I tried really hard I guess it would be good to have a cord as back up in case I want to use it for longer than 25 minutes but I could always just buy another battery!

An effective spot cleaner – Karcher Spot Cleaner Review This is an effective spot cleaner which would come in handy should you require lots of this type of cleaning, I.e pets and toddlers! The assembly of the cleaner is super simple, and you need to ensure the battery is charged before placing it in the machine. The instructions make this all very easy to follow, and there… Read more ·  1

is a video tutorial to follow as well.

I have a cream rug that was in desperate need of a refresh, so it was the first item to be cleaned by my new Karcher Spot Cleaner.

I used the Karcher stain remover solution diluted with hot water and by the time I had gone over the rug once, the water that filtered back into the machine was black with dirt. It was satisfying to see how much had come out! A whole charge got me two good goes over the large rug so one battery charge gets you a long way.

Cleaning the compartments of the cleaner is easy too, just follow the video tutorial and change the nozzle attachment.

The cordless function is great, especially with an active toddler running around, and the unit isn’t too heavy. I’m very happy with it. If I had to make a slight criticism it is the size - I had an Anko spot cleaner which was much more compact and easier to store away, but this is much more effective overall.

A very compact light cleaner – Update : 20/3/2026 1. We had the first replaced that we had to test . 2. Second time I went to use the battery would not charge they replaced and charging station . Worked for about 2 months I rarely use . 3. Battery replaced again worked for one charge 4. Battery won’t charge again . Just threw it away . Works amazing when you can get… Read more

it to work . Not worth purchasing a new battery.

The first spot cleaner i was sent did not work not a great start.. lol but . I rang Karcher and their customer service was excellent . They fixed the problem quickly and i had a replacement within 48 hours.

PLEASE NOTE**

The customer service person did not know at first that i was a reviewer at first so this is a honest feedback of the customer service . If you have read my other reviews it’s so rare to get good customers service.. you can have the best product in the world but sometimes the customers services or after service is just terrible.

The call centre no extra follow up was needed they quickly followed up with me and emailed as well as called..

On receipt of the second machine i watched the video link again which was great made by Karcher it was easy to follow. The machine is very straight forward. Not too much fiddling around .

We have a few dogs and cats, and foster animals. Yes so if you see what i have reviewed (not paid) i do love a vacuum.

Pros:

I put the battery (which i found out is also water proof from he videos) on charge .. it has a digital count on it so you can see how much its charged. The battery didn’t use up much life when i used it for many spots around my home.

I used the cleaner on carpet that we have been having lots of problems with getting rid of a cat smell and it actually worked. I had used another cleaner i had a few times and it didn’t work so success at last. I have waited a few days to see if the smell returned and it hasn’t. The cleaner revived the carpet where it had been left with stain buildup .

I used it on an entry rug and it was amazing.. now i need to clean the whole rug as it’s great the stain is out . It did not damage the rug either.

Very light even with the fluid in . I was able to move around the house easily it a really great size.. no cord so easy for inside and outside . Also I put the bottles next to the cleaner to show the size of the machine.

The cleaning fluid smells amazing. I have used a lot of different cleaning fluids over the years and i really like the Anti- bacterial (pet odour remover) . It’s a nice clean smell not overpowering and it does not linger .

Its very compact.

The fluid container is small i did get to about 5 stain removals of different sizes so it was ok .

It really is easy to set up and light so refilling it is not a problem.

It also has a self cleaning function . love it

Cons

I didn’t really have any cons to be honest. I used it and my husband used it and we found it all very straight forward and easy to use.

Maybe the option for maybe one more attachment with a wider scope on it.

Definitely lifts the stains and paw prints – I had fun cleaning up my dog’s messes with this. Brian, (the chocolate Labrador culprit) loves to run around and get muddy/ grass clipping-y/ dusty/ wet paws and then climb on the sofa. We foolishly bought a new sofa despite being fully aware of Brian’s predilection. The Karcher cleaned it up nicely! I didn’t use it exactly as instructed because I… Read more ·  1

didn’t feel that the default instructions provided a great clean. Instead of pulling the trigger and drawing the vacuum head towards me, I pulled the trigger and pushed it away. This meant the detergent and water had time to do its thing before I sucked it up. This is less a design flaw and more an instruction flaw. You can’t really expect the detergent and water to work in less than a second. You can’t get around the basics. I used it to clean the sofa, the car, and some carpet that the cat had soiled. It impressed me. The stains came up well and the dirty water tank spoke volumes about how much gunk was lifted. It was nasty by the time I emptied it. I particularly like how it cleans itself once you’re done with cleaning your surfaces. I asked my son to try it too. He said the Bissell had better suction but the Bissell was a plug in and far less portable. Getting a plug-in appliance out to the car is a pain. What you lose in suction, you gain in portability.

Effective spot cleaner in a compact package – This spot cleaner is great! Compact, lightweight and effective at spot cleaning, this little yellow cube is a game changer around the home. I have another spot cleaner, and the portability of the Karcher is so much better. Not having a cord to lug around and coil back up after use is so much more convenient and I find it so much less cumbersome… Read more ·  1

than my other cleaner. The square design is really neat & tidy and makes it easy to store, and it’s lightweight and so easy to move around the home and get all your spot cleaning done in one go.

Straight out of the box it’s intuitive and easy to assemble. It also doesn’t come with a whole bunch of accessories that you potentially won’t use and lose up the back of the cupboard. Charging the battery is straightforward, and the BRIGHT green indicator light lets you know when it’s good to go (husband was complaining about the light being ‘blinding’).

I also like how everything was usable for my tiny hands, something that drives me insane with so many other products. Everything clicks together firmly, but not so firm that it’s impossible to open / undo / detach again.

The only issue I encountered when unboxing was the measuring situation. It advises you use 50ml of cleaner to 1L of water, and the bottles of cleaner are marked out with handy 50ml increments. But the tank holds 1.6L… so you either only use ⅔ of the tank each time, or the 50ml measurements on the bottle are useless if you want to fill the tank. It also took me 10 mins to actually find a tank measurement as it just says “max” on the side of the tank, with no ml measurement (FYI it’s in the user manual).

The battery life is good, 25 mins worth on a full charge and I got loads done in that time. I like how you’ve got an indicator of how long is left in the battery too. The head has great suction, pulling the solution out of the fabric along with the stain. I thought the lack of brush on the head would make it ineffective, but it doesn’t need one. I actually prefer it now, as the other cleaner I have has a brush, but sometimes I worry that I will damage the fabric with too much brushing back & forth.

The spray nozzle is nice and direct, getting most of the solution on the item and not on the floor and walls around it. The head rotates on the end of the hose so you aren’t constantly fighting with the hose and turning it around so it’s not kinked. The button to spray the solution is firm to push which I liked, as I constantly bump the button on my other cleaner and disperse solution when I don’t want it.

The Super Hero cleaner was a game changer on my bar stools. They’re a light grey fabric and I’ve cleaned them with a different upholstery cleaner before, but they came up so much better with the Karcher. Literally like brand new.

I’ve had a Coke stain on the rear seat of my 1998 Sports Car for 6 months (thanks to the 9 year old) and the Sticky Fingers cleaner was great on that. It took a few goes of cleaning and leaving to dry, but it eventually came out well along with 25 years of grime. The water was black, and it was so satisfying to tip it down the sink!

The system clean function is quick and easy before you store it away, and everything attaches & wraps around so you end up with one unit to put in the cupboard. Overall I was really impressed with the functionality & effectiveness of this spot cleaner, definitely recommend.

Note: I've attached pics of: Original car seat, after 1 clean & after 3 cleans. Original stool, wet after 1 clean, dry after 1 clean.

An good way to get into spot cleaning – *Overview* I'm a bit of a tech oriented person; I enjoy using battery powered tools around the home. The Karcher SE 3-18 5Ah was a good and enjoyable introduction to spot cleaning. I used it with the general purpose cleaner to take on: - stains on carpets; baby sitting led to food being dropped - stain on cushion; chocolate - stained car seat … Read more ·  1

I like the portability of the unit. Freedom from cables is very good and is necessary.

The general purpose cleaner did a nice job with the carpet stains and didn't harm our polished soft wood floors.

The general purpose got the chocolate somewhat cleaned up, but not entirely. Karcher has other cleaner solutions, specially formulated to use with the Karcher SE 3-18. It'd be better to use the Super Hero mixture, on a chocolate stain. (It specifically lists chocolate as something it will deal with) It's the middle of Winter here (some days have a high of only 9 C). Sitting the cushion inside for 3 to 6 hours dried it off enough to return to the couch.

The old, ground in stains on the car seat didn't come up too well. I'm thinking if I had the spot cleaner earlier, the stains wouldn't have reached that age and would come up better. Note: The seat was left wet. I used a garbage bag over the seat when driving; off when I wasn't and windows open when home. 2 to 3 days later it had dried out.

Another tip, per the directions, use a regular vacuum cleaner before using the spot cleaner.

Some more thoughts

*Packaging* Strong branding with the Karcher yellow; inner packaging is recyclable and made from cardboard. Presents well. Goes well with other powered tools.

*Instructions and Set Up* 2 thick manuals regarding the battery. 1 skinny booklet which relies on pictures and also a QR code to a quick video. I found the picture only instructions hard to follow but the video quickly tied it all together for a quick start.

*Battery* It was a little confusing, but the display is on the battery, rather than the charger unit. This will tell you when charging, how much charge the battery has (percentage) and how long it has to get to full charge. When the battery is on the cleaner, it tells you how much charge the battery has (percentage) and how much running time you have left.

*Final* A good, powered based introduction to regular spot cleaning for your home, cars and other vehicles. A great way for the handy person in your household to be introduced to spot cleaning.

*Portable* When secured properly, the cleaning hose wraps well around the device, with the heads hooked into the unit. However you don't want to bump the hose when tired, as it can come free quite easily.

*Ambassador* Note that I got to keep the unit I tested, regardless of what I write in this review.

Replaced my corded Bissell – So, I was moving a box AC out of one of the bedrooms and a bunch of gunky rubbish landed on the carpet. I didn't want to go and set the Bissell up and then remembered that 3 days before this, I received this Katcher. I decided to grab it, Put it together and give it a run! I mean, the video speaks for itself! I used the unit to spray the carpet a… Read more ·  1

bit, then went over it and like that it was gone! This was me so I put the unit on charge and decided the next day to attack my Mini Cooper.

Just on the power side of things. The batter has an LCD screen that gives you information regarding battery percentage, how long it will take to charge when you place it on the charger and also the estimated duration the charge will last while being used. What I will say is that compared to my other 5-ah batteries, this one takes a lot longer to charge. I don't know if there is a quick charger that you can upgrade to but if there is then I would. For me, as this will be my only cordless Karcher item, I would get a second battery. Run time is about 20-30 mins. I had enough time to go over the seats in the mini off of one charge. Mind you, they are half leather so a full cloth seat would take longer.

The unit feels of absolute quality which I would expect, it's very easy to use, clean and carry around. I was expecting it to be heavier than it is but it really is quite manageable.

If you go through the reviews I have done, you will see the other spot cleaner I am comparing this to and hands down, it's this unit right here! I haven't tried the unit with a smaller battery but I can say for sure that I would not even consider it unless you will only be using this for small spots and not to do a lounge or car. If like me, you will be using this for a lounge set or car, get the bigger 5-Ah battery and maybe a spare too.

A bit underwhelmed – I really wanted to like this product, but I followed the instructions and the results, well, let’s be honest, it’s been a bit underwhelming….but let’s start at the beginning. Some of our upholstery chairs and car seats have a variety of unintended food stains and I guess some grime from constant usage. They are not what I would consider… Read more

‘difficult’ or ‘catastrophic’ gum, beetroot, grass, tomato sauce or oily/fatty stains, but with white chairs, here was a good test. My first gripe is that the instruction book has no text, only diagrams on what is what and how to assemble. Don’t get me wrong, it was easy to assemble, very well packaged etc, but when it comes to figuring out exactly how to use it, I would have preferred text or a Weblink via a QR code or something. First time I tried it, the nozzle dripped and the entire chair was drenched in water. I was expecting less water and more of a misty spray. You can see all the water on the Alfresco in one of the pics. That’s not me going crazy, it’s more of a fast water flow of the unit. Once I saw that, there was no way I was going to try it on the car seats, who knows how long it would take to dry incl the foam underneath and the last thing I wanted was a viable water stain border. Regarding the chairs though, did it get the stains out, well not really. (See for yourself). Have they faded, yes for sure, but not anything I couldn’t achieve with an upholstery foam and brush. Maybe it’s only good for reasonably new stains? It worked a bit better on the occasional armchair’s cushion, but didn’t do much to remove the sweat marks on the armrests….Anyway, I can’t really recommend it. The main reason is the amount of water that comes out of the slightly dripping nozzle. I may try it again on one of our rugs in summer when it will easily dry outdoors afterwards.

Where Quality and functionality meets convenience – Context: young family with 2 young kids, 2 large cars and carpeted flooring in 2 bedrooms, and many many rugs throughout the home. Pros: - very good suction, comparable to non-battery powered ones which aurprised me - it works very well to clean! (I had 2 month hand-sized yogurt stain on dark polyester carpet, a small 2 week sticky lolly stain… Read more ·  1

on dark car seats, and a strawberry stain on a white polypropylene rug), i used the ultra clean stain adhesive remover liquid and it works well for all the surfaces, smells nice too. - I actually enjoy cleaning with the product, quite satisfying. - sufficient run time to do an entire room 5x6m (10min). I recommend to remove furniture out of the way prior so you get uninterupted run time. With a run time of 25min, i can do the 2 carpetted rooms in 1 hit, perfect. - the machine itself is portable ans lightweight, this makes it super handy for car seat cleans AND you can do the entire car within the 20min easy. My wife is happy! - very easy to set up and discharge dirty water, mess free. The German designers have really throught abit it. - its a small and compact machine, so it takes up little room on my garage shelves, easy to fit in my hatchback car - The 5.0Ah holds its power well, ive used it 7 times now, my brother has used in 3 times, and my friend has used it twice. Its still doing 20-25 run times. - this product has really made me think about other Karcher products (im currently am Ozito user) - Nice ergonomic design, looks nice and rugged for many years of use - the battery has a screen which tells you how much time you have left, very useful - great attachments, you can tell the plastics are high quality and will last a long time (i have owned 5 vacuum cleaners in the past and a little expert/ neat freak when it comes to quality cleaning products) - the ultra clean stain adhesive remover and odour remover liquids work great! And smell nice too. Wife tells me the carpet look and feel brand new.

Cons: - it takes 1hr ish to fully charge a depleted 5.0Ah battery. - it would be great to have a corded attachment in case the battery runs out sooner than expected - Due to 20-25min run time, youd probably do only 2 carpetted rooms

Overall thoughts: A high quality product with highly thoughout design that actually functions to deep clean while giving great portability and convenience. A surprise and a must-have.

Add To Your Baby Registry, Wedding Registry, any Registry - A Must For Every Home – As a parent of young ones where there's spills here and there, I have been on the hunt for the last year for a steam cleaner. We are a very tidy, clean and over organised household but we’re also human and our home is not immune to such disasters. I was super thrilled when the Karcher Battery Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner arrived at my door and… Read more ·  1

I had the chance to try out its competitive edge. That competitive edge being that it only required battery power (battery pack is included).

I have had some spots around the home that have been merely cleaned using baby wipes - these included spills on ‘child proof’ carpet and a cream fabric couch. Unpacking the box was fun, the unit comes with two head attachments, one for general cleaning and the other for deep cleaning in crevices. Two housings keep the clean water (with cleaning solution) and the dirty water. There's no need to know what setting to use as there is simply ‘on’ and ‘off’ so you can't go wrong. I do note however, the downfall is that the unit does not come with a colour image Quick Start Guide, so did have to read the instructions a few times, but all in all, it is a fool-proof setup. I would recommend Karcher update this one for eager parents like me who want to get in and get it done.

I absolutely love that the battery charging was fast. The battery itself has a digital display letting you know at what percent the battery is charged at, then when you attach to the Karcher unit, it’ll let you know the running time left in minutes. This proved to be helpful as I started on our cream lounge in a very tough, dirty spot. I then in my excitement, moved to other parts of the lounge, then the rug in the same room. Seeing I had so much time left, I continued into the other rug in another room. The fact that the unit is so easily portable as it only requires battery power meant that it easily moves from space to space. It will not disappoint if we encounter another spill on our household fabrics as it is lightweight and works so easily that is it not a difficult unit to pull out from storage and only takes a moment to setup and fill.

Whilst this unit is not a steam cleaner, the results I would have expected from a steam cleaner, came from the Karcher Battery Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner anyway. This unit will become a permanent appliance in our home. When looking for a spot cleaner for your home, I do highly recommend the Karcher Battery Spot & Spray Extraction Cleaner due to its ease of use and results.

NOTE: My video illustrates me running the handle in a back and forth motion. The instructions indicate to use in a pulling motion only - this will help with better results. Before and after shows the same section of the lounge, with the after taken after the lounge had dried.

Where has this been all my life - love it!! – Where has this spot cleaner been all my life? I absolutely love it, it’s so useful for many applications! My cat is a serial vomiter, and of course he always chooses to vomit on the carpet. In the past I just used orange oil spot-cleaner and a sponge to clean the vomit stains by hand, which involved lots of hard scrubbing to completely remove… Read more ·  1

it, which has often ended up damaging the fibres of my thick carpet pile.

Since getting the Karcher spot cleaner, cleaning up the vomit stains is a breeze - I just spray it with the antibacterial pet odour remover, let it sit for a few minutes, and then repeat spraying it with more detergent while vacuuming up the residue, followed by a water vacuum to remove the residual cleaning product. All gone so quickly, and the carpet is refreshed by the vacuum pulling up the pile, but not damaged in any way. I’ve also used it on a few dried vomit stains that were never completely removed, and it’s worked just as well, just leaving it to soak slightly longer before the final clean.

I’ve also used the Karcher with the regular multipurpose remover to clean all my indoor door mats, which have come up a treat - so clean, and again, all the carpet pile is refreshed and not matted. Plus I’ve cleaned the arms of some of my most frequently used armchairs, and the upholstery of my car. The amount of dirt that has come out into the waste tank on each use makes me realise how much some of these things needed cleaning. I plan to use it regularly on high-traffic areas of my carpet too, just to keep it in good shape.

In all uses, even on the thick carpet pile, the area I’ve cleaned has dried very quickly, because the vacuum is very powerful, and I make sure to suck out as much of the moisture as possible.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s very easy to use, with a switch to turn on and off, and then just a button to control the spray, as well as the main vacuum head, and a crevice tool. I like the fact that it’s battery operated, so it’s very portable, while not being too heavy to carry. The battery has a clear readout, telling you how much charge it has remaining, and how many minutes you’ve been using it for. Occasionally when I’ve used it very intensively, the vacuum has cut out, so I’ve had to turn it off and on again to get the vacuum sucking again - maybe because it’s over-heated? That’s occurred only twice since I’ve had it, and it’s been fixed by just waiting a bit, so hopefully it won’t become a regular problem.

It’s always worth running a clean tank of water through the machine at the end of the run too, because I can see how some dirt also stays in the system and comes out with the fresh-water rinse. It folds up very neatly, with slots for the attachments to slide into the main body of the machine.

All in all, this Karcher spot cleaner has revolutionised my approach to cleaning the carpet, mats, upholstery, etc in my home. It’s so simple and easy, and has definitely resulted in everything being much cleaner than it ever has been before.

It's ok but has lots of room for improvement – We got this 5 amphr device to test as part of the ambassador program in June 2024. We have used it to detail 2 cars (one being an ex- mining ute) and one a family car. I've also used it on floor mats inside the home. The pro's - Small size makes it easily portable. - Cordless makes it much easier to place in the area you are working without… Read more

worrying about running extension leads etc to be able to reach where you can plug it in. - Its not too heavy to lift even when full of water and is pretty easy and comfortable to carry - The water delivery rate was high which was good for saturating the item in a quick and efficient manner - It removed spilled pepsi, food residues and muddy paws on the cars carpet mats with no issues at all. Left no visible stains or stickiness from the drink. It also worked in hubbys car getting out most mud, dirt, sweat and some small light oily grime spills on the car seats (Which had been covered). - While in use, the machine isn't too loud. - Easy to clean and fill up, very self explanatory and simple to use. - Got odors and smells out of car carpets and car seats. (Using "Ultra Clean Super Hero Stain Remover" that accompanied the machine) Left the cars smelling clean and fresh without any strong chemical smell. - Easy to store because of its small size. Should fit neatly in a cupboard in most laundrys. - It comes with the nozzles you'll actually need for cleaning cars, couches etc. The small skinny crevice nozzle was particularly handy for the car uses. It allowed us to get right down in between the car sears in the "chippy strip". -The nozzles all attach onto the sides of the machine, so its all stored together in one neat package. - The cleaners we got with the machine work effectively and neutralized all smells and left the carpets clean, soft and smelling like they'd had a good scrub. A little goes a very long way with them in the machine too, only the tiniest amount is needed meaning the bottles should last us for a very long time.

Cons: - The battery life timer on the battery is handy in that it shows you easily how much battery in minutes you have left, however the constant display even when the machine is turned off means that the battery is being drained while not in use. So unless you keep the battery on the charge constantly between usese, it will be flat the next time you go to use it, which makes it anything but efficient. - The suction rate/power could be much stronger. It often struggled to pick up small pieces of grass in a car floor mat! I definitely would not recommend using this appliance without first vacuming the rug/car. Which to me defeats the purpose of the machine. (Especially when other cleaners/brands do actually have enough suction to remove debris and the water they inject) - I was very underwhelmed also at the amount of water left in the rug after going over (suction only) several times and applying enough pressure that the clear top piece of the handle came off. This was annoying. I didn't expect to be left with dry carpets/rugs however, I did expect it to be able to pick up the debris and suck out most of the water it pumped into them. - The initial charge time was 3hrs before we could even use it. Would be better if the battery issue was solved and we could use it straight out of the box. - It didn't work to remove the set in stains on the carpet car floor mats (see pics). Despite me going over the entire thing twice using the provided cleaning agents "Ultra Clean Super Hero Stain Remover". It was a satisfactory clean but I wouldn't rush out to use it again or to buy this model when there are other stronger, more powerful cleaners out there for a comparable price. - The black hose that goes from the machine to the handle could be longer. It is already a good length however, if I were to put the machine on the car seat it sometimes struggled to reach the back of the footwell in the front seats. - Its mostly made of plastic and feels quite cheap to the hand. I'd like to have seen the nozzle part be aluminium or the like, to allow you to put more downward pressure onto the rug/item to extract out more water. - Although it is not a full on carpet cleaner, I'd love to see it have a steam/hot function too. There were some areas that could really do with the added advantages of hot water/steam, especially in carpets.

Overall it's not a bad little device and did the job I needed it to do. Albeit with several extra steps needed by me. Eg vacuming all areas first and then leaving it all in the sun to dry for at least 24hrs.

German technology does not disappoint – German company Karcher is synonymous with engineering excellence. The Unit was designed and engineered in Germany, but made in Romania! Whether that will have any impact on the longevity of the Unit remains to be seen. Being the owner of Karcher High Pressure Washer and Karcher Window Vacuum, I can support my pronouncement with positive… Read more ·  1

experience. I was thus eager to review, as a member of the Product Review Ambassador Program, this new Karcher product. I hasten to add, that being associated with the Ambassador Program had no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of this review. PACKAGING The Unit was carefully and cleverly packed in an attractive box in corporate colour yellow. No polyurethane was used which shows that the company cares for the environment. Only recyclable packaging was used. Well done Karcher! BATTERY The 18V Battery Power is the energy platform for this Unit, which was supplied with an outstanding 5AH battery. Whilst the smaller 2.5AH battery allows for maximum 24 minutes of running time (which, although sufficient for car cleaning, may not be sufficient for larger jobs,) the 5AH battery provides significantly more running times. So, customers are well advised to spend about $100 more on the more powerful 5AH battery, particularly if the Unit will be often used. In my trial run I still had 76% of battery left after 18 minutes of cleaning, starting with 100% charge. The battery itself is the state-of-the-art incorporating a very useful feature-LED display keeping you informed about battery percentage and time remaining. Naturally the compact charger was supplied. It is very easy to slid the battery into the charger and then into the Cleaner. INSTRUCTION MANUAL The Instruction Manual is comprehensive, logically progressing from task to task, easy to understand, and supported by illustrations. Other manufacturers could learn a lot here as understanding manuals is often the most challenging task. Not in this case though! However, there is one thing I have to complain about, and that is the size of the print. It is so small that I had to use a magnifying glass to be able to read it. Karcher should take into account the needs of older people or simply customers wearing glasses and produce their manuals in larger print! THE UNIT This is a compact Unit designed to tackle smaller jobs. It is a "Spot Cleaner" after all. Thus it is easy to carry around by the folding handle. It is reasonably light weight, easy to use and clean. The quality is exceptional as one would expect from Karcher. The Unit houses two plastic tanks: a Waste water tank and a Fresh water tank. Both are easily removed from the body of the Unit. The Upholstery nozzle, Crevice nozzle and the Spray/Suction hose with rotating handle are part and parcel of the Unit. Thanks to its compact size, the storage of the Unit is no problem. However, I found it fiddly and indeed a bit frustrating to wind the Spray hose around the body of the Unit. Otherwise everything is very easy to assemble and relatively easy to clean. Speaking of cleaning, the Unit boasts of self-cleaning function which still requires input from the user. This is clearly explained in the Instruction Manual. In my view, cleaning of the Waste water tank cap and separator as well as the Fresh water tank are time consuming, yet necessary tasks ensuring longevity of the product. Now, the most unsatisfactory thing is the coupling of the attachments to the Suction hose. Believe you me, it takes a mighty effort to attach either the Spray/Suction hose or the Crevice nozzle to the Suction hose!! And removal from the Suction hose is equally demanding task which will be most difficult to be performed by older people or those suffering from arthritis. Somehow I doubt that this will improve with time. This is the most disappointing feature of the Unit. Karcher should learn from for example Dyson about the click on attachment of different tools. As against some other reviewers I have not experienced any leaking problems. CLEANING RESULTS This is where the Unit really shines! Please remember, this Unit is designed for SPOT CLEANING! So do not expect that you will be able to clean the whole carpet with it. It is an absolute must for pet owners or little children crating mess on the carpet. Incredibly good on car matts. So, it is the smaller tasks where the Cleaner performs very well. I used the cleaner on filthy patches on my garage carpet and on the spots on my sofa with great results. Same great result on my heavily soiled car carpets. They came out as new!! Incredible! Obviously, you have to mix about 50 degrees of hot water with the concentrate of either Super-Hero Stain Remover or Sticky Fingers Ultra Clean Stain Adhesive Remover (both 500 ml bottles supplied) to achieve good results. Other Karcher cleaners are widely available on the market costing around $18 per 500ml bottle.) Non-Karcher cleaners are not recommended as they may void the warranty. Karcher cleaners are all made in Australia. It takes a little while and patience to use the Unit correctly. It is a matter of trial and error. One should make sure that the Spray/Suction hose is fully engaged inside the Unit. Otherwise under pressure it will get disengaged and your carpet will be flooded. That happened to me on the first try. Equally important is to add only the small amount of cleaning agent to the water. In my haste I added a bit to much and the machine stopped as the thick foam formed in the Waste Water tank. Equally important is to press the lever for spraying when you work on the material and release the lever when you do not work on it. Otherwise you continue unnecessarily spraying in the air quickly depleting the cleaning solution in the tank. It is important to first vacuum the lose particles on the material before you use the Cleaner as the Cleaner itself is not a vac. When finished cleaning it is advisable to somehow dry the damp material. I did it with a large and thick microfibre towel with a reasonable result. VERDICT KARCHER SE3-18 is an excellent spot cleaner. The word "spot" here is the buzz word as it is not designed for use on large areas. It is fantastic on car carpets and stains on the carpets or sofas. Unfortunately it seems that the photos I have attached do not depict the real outcome of the cleaning. As any other product it is not without its shortcomings. The difficulty in connecting and disconnecting the tools to the Spray/Suction hose is pronounced. There are couple of fiddly things to put up with such as winding the Spray/Suction hose around the Unit for storage and time used for cleaning the Unit. Notwithstanding these, I do not hesitate to fully recommend the Unit.

Better spot cleaner with some room for improvement – The Karcher SE 3-18 is a compact, powerful carpet cleaner designed for residential use. It stands out in the home cleaning appliance market for its blend of portability, efficiency, and ease of use. This review is based on my personal experience of using it thus far… 1. Design and Build Quality The Karcher SE 3-18 boasts a sleek, modern design.… Read more ·  1

Its compact, yet slightly bulky in my opinion form factor makes it easy to manoeuvre and store, while the solid plastic casing ensures durability without adding excessive weight. Included with the SE 3-18 are high-quality accessories. These attachments cater to various spot cleaning challenges.

2. Features and Functionality

The Karcher SE 3-18 features advanced spray-extraction technology, which sprays a mixture of water and cleaning solution into fabric and then immediately extracts it along with dirt and grime. This ensures deep cleaning, removing not just surface dirt but also embedded allergens and bacteria.

A standout feature is the dual tank system, which keeps clean and dirty water separate. The transparent tanks allow easy monitoring of water levels, with a 2-liter clean water tank and a 2.3-liter dirty water tank, sufficient for most household cleaning tasks without frequent refills.

The SE 3-18’s powerful motor provides impressive suction power, ensuring faster fabric drying and reducing mould and mildew risk. Additionally, it operates at a relatively low noise level, making it suitable for homes with children or pets. However, “with great power comes great responsibility: . I found that the battery and charger are slightly not in very good match to the powerful motor unit equipped with. The battery depletes within 20 to 25 minutes of operation and takes 3 hours to charge.

3. Performance

The Karcher SE 3-18 excels on various surfaces. On fabrics, it effectively lifts stains and cleans seemingly well. The spray-extraction method works wonders on embedded dirt and revitalises carpet fibres removing foul smells as well.

The machine’s versatility extends to upholstery and car interiors. Using the appropriate attachments, the SE 3-18 cleans sofas, chairs, and car seats effectively, removing dirt and odours.

4. Ease of Use

The SE 3-18 is designed for user convenience. The setup process is straightforward, and the controls are intuitive. Its ergonomic handle and lightweight design make it easy to carry around the house, while the long power cord provides ample reach, reducing the need to switch outlets frequently.

Maintenance is simple with detachable tanks that are easy to clean, and washable filters ensure long-term performance without frequent replacements. A handy storage compartment for accessories keeps everything organised and within reach.

5. Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- Compact and lightweight for easy manoeuvrability and storage. - Effective spray-extraction technology for deep cleaning. - Versatile for carpets, hard floors, upholstery, and car interiors. - User-friendly design with easy setup and maintenance. - Quiet operation.

**Cons:**

- Battery and charging are not a great match to the powerful unit. - No heating element to enhance cleaning performance. - Slightly higher price point compared to some competitors. - Instructions are beyond basic and may be a struggle for older people.

6. Conclusion

The Karcher SE 3-18 is a well-rounded spotcleaner that delivers impressive performance across various surfaces. Its compact design, powerful cleaning capabilities, and user-friendly features make it an excellent choice for maintaining clean and healthy living spaces. I’d recommend it over the Bissel spot cleaner based on my experience. More in the video attached. https://youtu.be/e8NnY9jZpQc