Not really powerful enough to really clean carpets. Better for wiping the interior of the house or other smooth surface. Edit: will change that. After a few months the car is running very well. For carpets, make sure you use the brush at the right angle to loosen things up and it picks up a lot. Don't expect the performance of a car wash vacuum and use it accordingly. You'll see how much it cleans if you knock the dust out of the filter (do this after each use).