Rug Doctor & Rug Dr PRO

I wouldn't use any of them. You can't ever get the water as hot as a professional cleaner does so the carpet doesn't get that clean. Also it doens't suck up as much water so the floor stays wet longer and the more you walk on wet carpet the faster it will get dirty again. The wet carpet actually attracts dirt. My mother has bought a rug dr in the past and she ended up using a service. I would call around to a couple differnt services and see what they have to offer. A great small family owned one is Cosmopolitan Carpet Cleaning. They are my inlaws so I know they are great. Dalworth is also a really good company. I hope this helps I would hate to see someone spend money on something that won't be worth it.

I have two dogs that bring in dirt/mud right into my white carpet. I have the Hoover Steam Vac V2. I LOVE it. I don't see how anyone with dogs and children can live without one. For the longest time I would rent a Rug Dr. They run $30 for a 24 hour period. It is great if you don't have the kind of traffic (and dirt) like I do and you just have one or two rooms to clean. Once you use one of these carpet cleaners, you will be grossed out on how dirty the water in the bucket is. I find myself now cleaning my carpets every 3 months - which gets kind of expensive when renting. It is also very exhausting cleaning the livingroom and bedrooms all in one 24hr. period. I also find myself using this vacuum for stubborn spots that I can't get out by just using a towel and cleaner (i.e. vomit, urine, jello) It's amazing what this machine can get out. My steam cleaner is a little more pricey (I think around $300, but I got mine cheaper on Ebay). I got this one because it seems to suck up more of the water than the cheaper models. It also automatically measures out the soap output. And unlike the Rug Dr., with this Hoover, you can switch from soapy water to non-soapy water with a switch of a button. It is very important to get all soap out otherwise the soap left in the carpet attracts more dirt. If you do end up getting a Rug Dr., keep in mind that the wide track might be harder to navagate in certain corners. I haven't seen any stores rent out the Pro, but I do know what you are talking about. Yes, I am embarassed to say that I do know my dirt and carpet. Hope this helps.

E.,
I have to say I'd go the professional route too. Call TLC Carpet Cleaning, they are wonderful and very reasonable.

It's a small family owned business, with good workers, so you get personal service.

Their number is
###-###-####

We have used our Bissel so much and LOVE it. I think it's called Heat Pro or something. It's black and gets somewhere around 25 degrees hotter than standard cleaners, and it scotchguards, and it has the apolstry attachments. I don't think we'll ever use a different brand. I will also add that we've never had any luck with those rental rug drs, and you have to stop and empty them so often. I would suggest purchasing one. It will pay for itself after 2 or 3 uses.

I have used the rug dr works great for me .. I have 3 kids and 2 dogs and 1 cat and a sugarglider. My carpet gets pretty messy but after using that machine it looks great. I can do it on my own and carry it also its good size and works great. Its at kroger and I pay 19.99 for it for 24 hrs. but people at kroger dont mind if you end up with it a couple of extra hours.. They always work with me as far as the time goes.

Try it you wont be disappointed.

Good Luck!!!!
S.

We have a rent house (and you know how people don't take care of rental properties, they could care less) and have used the Rug Dr. and Pro wide versions. We rented them from a local dealer (check grocery stores, lumber yards, etc) at very reasonable prices (under $30 per 24 hrs). They have gotten out EVERYTHING, even when my husband thought we would have to replace the carpet. They got up the worst pet messes (and pets aren't even alowed in our rent houses) and made the carpet look brand new again! One lady I ran into at the store even told me it got up where her dog left a stain after having puppies (though I would have replaced that carpet myself).

I have found them pretty easy to use, a little awkward to fill and dump, but not hard. Follow the directions (easy to do) and you will get a good result. And I have never had a problem with them leaving the carpet too wet. I just well-vent the room after usuage (ceiling fan on high and windows open or an extra fan for air), and I even go over the carpet multiple times and still have never had a prob. The carpet feels damp but not wet after use.

Hope this helps!

Hi E.! I am so glad to finally see someone I can help. This is my first time since joining. Anyways,if your carpets are really bad then I would definitly go with the RugDoctor. I own one and it is great.It has rows of super vibrating brush heads that clean great. I have also owned a couple of store bought brands and have to say out of the ones I have owned I like the Bissell best. The only thing is,you have to get the one that has the built in heater and solution dispenser. They are most definitely worth it. I had the plain version and hated it. It just did not clean as good. The heater makes the difference and the dispenser is so.so nice(CONVENIENT).All you do is fill the tank with water and go. Oh yeah, it also has only one tank to deal with rather than two. It has a bladder inside the dirty water tank. You fill the bladder with water and as it is used the bladder empties into the surrounding tank. Magic!!! The RugDoctor is now being sold to individuals through infomercials and online. It is just a few payments of $25 so it is very affordable and you get to keep it rather than return it in 24hrs. I also wanted to tell you that if you have spots that are tough you should try the Fantastik Oxy Power stuff. It is in a dk blue spray bottle. This stuff is a miracle in a bottle. I got desperate once and tried it. I sprayed a little on the spots and seriously just rubbed it with my fingers and VOILA!! They were gone like magic!!! It worked on everything. Even stains professional could not get out. You might try it.I hope this info helps. Good luck!!!

We have 2 dogs and our carpet can get pretty bad. We have the Dyson Animal DC14 for our regular vac and every couple of months rent a carpet cleaner from home depot ($18 for 24 hrs I think) and that works great for us.

The rental machine at home depot works very well, but keep in mind that these machines don't fluff your carpet like the professionals do. They only clean the carpet. We love them and always go this route, since it saves SO much money. Buying a machine is way out of our range and this works just fine, I just wish we could also fluff the carpet to give it that new look.

Try the walmart. They have cleaners and machines @ there customer service desk. They are pretty cheep. Use there cleaner too its good. You will have to bring 2 forms of i.d. to get it. Its worth a try. Good luck. When i did it i got to keep it for 24hours. I think I pd. 40.00 for it.
T.

The Rug Doctor works great. I rented it from Walmart for 24hrs and it did the job very well. It wasn't expensive at all. Not sure the exact price but it was less than $50 and they have different types of cleaners to go with it too. and they have too sizes too but of course the bigger is a lil more. They told me their selves that everyone that rents them always get the small one and it does the job as good as the big one. Their is lots of places you can rent them. I believe Albertsons does also But I think Walmart would probably be cheaper cuz everything else is there.

It depends on how often you will be cleaning your carpet. Also depends on if you want to do your entire house or just a room or two. We have the Hoover Steam Vac hot water extractor and it works great. True, it's not as good as professional cleaners. But you will pay $100-$200 or more per cleaning for a professional depending on the square footage. Our Hoover cost about $200 about three years ago. Mine doesn't get the water hot, but I put hot water in the tank and it seems to work fine. If you want to spend a little more you might get one that heats the water. I don't know if those are better or not. I also have a Bissell Spot Bot that I use in between larger cleanings. I love that too. Hope that helps.