Anyone use 'Rug Dr" to clean carpet?

[Luck e 1]

My wife wants to rent one from Ace hardware...just wondering if anyone has used them and if they worked ok?

[PierBridge]

A friend of mine just did this and I'll say it was pretty impressive as far as I could tell. A house full of kids and animals and the carpet looked good as new to me. I know they were happy with the results and the price versus the professional cleaning bids they got made it a no-brainer! Hot water and pre-soaking any stains is key!

[PEATMOSS]

They work decent, not great. Be sure to spray all stains with some pre-soak first. Also use the "Ace" brand of cleaning solution to save a few bucks.

It wouldn't hurt to get a price from a pro before you undertake this job. Remember that you're not only going to pay to rent the machine, but you're also going to be buying alot of pricey cleaning solution to boot. The final cost will likely be more than you expect.

[sparkyaber]

They work way better than the cheapies you can buy at sears/ratmart/target etc. One recommendation, use the hottest water possible. On your stove, use a huge pot, like a turkey fryer pot and get a 2-3 gallons real hot, not quite boiling and use that water for the steamer. replace what you have taken out, and you will be all set. They really get you on the shampoo, but you don't have much of an option because it is a no foam style soap. The only thing that I have found to work on other carpet shampoos is a product that I use in brewing beer, it is called Fermcap-S. I can buy a 6 dollar GALLON of cheap shampoo, and use that fermcap stuff. I think they wanted over 20 bones for a half gallon of rug doctor brand shampoo. Good luck.

[Walleye Guy]

I recommend staying away from any rug shampoos. They leave a residue that dirt clings to. Pre treat the spots withe spot remover chemical and then rent a hot water or steam cleaner. you will get a better result and your carpet will stay cleaner longer.

[crothmeier]

I use my dirt devil upright shampoo machine and am very happy with it. the key is HOT HOT HOT water. As far as the residue, on my machine i usually run over an area 2-3 times with the soap and brushes, then move onto next area and let sit for a bit, then come back with the soap turned off(just the water on) and "rinse" the carpet back out, i havent noticed any residue. I do my carpets every 6 months or so and they look great even with 2 small housedogs and children.

[larryz]

we have used the Rug Doctor several times with great results. We used one last week on my brothers carpet that he had planned on replacing to sell his house. It had several stained areas ( bachelor pad ) that we pretreated. After cleaning he was very pleased how well it was cleaned and that he would not have to spend the money for new carpet. I would highly recommend the Rug Doctor!!!

[fishinchicks]

If you anyone in your house has sensitive skin, I would not recommend using the Rug Dr shampoo. I walked on a still damp section of carpet to unplug the machine, and ended up with hives all over the bottom of my feet. After that, I went out and purchased a home carpet cleaning machine, and use a shampoo for people with allergies.

[NCLaker]

Try to get the Wide Track version if there is an option. Cleans a wider area with each pass, and it has an agitator - something I don't thing the narrow version has.

[Luck e 1]

Well...I used it. It definitely got out the spot/stains...but now it looks like there are streaks in our carpet. We thought it was just wet so we didn't worry...but now it looks like they are there for good.

I am thinking of just having a pro come in to fix it.

[IFallsRon]

I prefer the type that Cub rents with a separate wand. It's less cumbersome and you can vac more moisture from the carpet.

[GotOne]

With the rental models you leave a ton a water on the carpet. Just think of how much water you put down and how little is sucked/vacuumed back up! All this moisture break down the backing materials, leading to delamination. The deep-embedded soil and residues that the DIY machines miss will can wick to the surface, causing the carpet to appear soiled very soon after cleaned. A properly cleaned carpet using hot water extraction (steam cleaning) should be dry in approximately 4 hours after cleaning.

[crothmeier]

the upright one i have sucks at least 3/4 of the water out. i run over the area without spraying soap or water thought at least 2-3 times after im done with the soap/water. mines usually dry in 4 hours as well, sometimes aided by a fan. i've been real happy with mine using Bissel brand shampoo with the scotchguard stuff in it.

[Myrt]

I RENTED RUG DR'S OUT FOR YEARS IN A STORE WHERE I WORKED. THEY WORKED OK. THEN WORKED FOR A STEAM CLEANER FOR A WHILE, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT...HOT WATER AND MOST IMPORTANT...EXTRACTION. I DO NOT BELIEVE A RUG DR IS STRONG ENOUGH TO EXTRACT WHAT YOU PUT DOWN. CHECK THE PRICE BETWEEN RENTING AND BUYING THE CHEMICALS, PLUS YOUR TIME, VERSUS THE QUOTE FROM A REPUTABLE PROFESSIONAL STEAM CLEANER...YOU WILL PAY MORE, BUT AS THE SAYING GOES.........

[Luck e 1]

Myrt...you are totally correct.

I would advise people to just have a pro do it from now on.

Coit came and got most of the lines out from the rug dr. I think they did a good job.

[GotOne]

I know a lot of people will still use a Rug Dr type cleaner. At the big orange box retailer they have Zep cleaning products that you can use-don't pay the high cost of the Rug Dr cleaning products. More is not better when using the cleaning products and go over area several times to just extract the moisture in the carpet.

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

I use to use the rug dr, but I borrowed my mom's Hoover from Sears, I think it does a better job. I bought one and use it all the time. I think if you have dogs in the house you should have your own. I clean my carpet about 3 times a year.

[deerminator]

I would think a professional would be the way to go. That said, we've never used one. We did borrow my in-law's premo Hoover steam cleaner and I used nothing but hotter than heck water in the tank. It got a lot of dirt out of the carpet from several years of our family in a three year old house. It also dried the carpet pretty quickly (6-8 hours). And the carpet was just mildly damp in the time inbetween. It really sucked up a lot of water.

What I like about doing it yourself is that you can do things at your own pace in terms of moving furniture and stuff. When the pros come, do you pretty much have to move everything out for them or remove everything from the rooms? If not, I might have to look into that option.

[setterguy]

We have two dogs, and small kids, I work outdoors for a living so needless to say our carpets take a beating. I rent the rug Dr.s about every three months, and they do work to an extent. I don't use hardly any chemicals, a little just to make the place smell good for a while. We do have the pros come out about once a year and there is a difference in how clean the carpets get.

[CrazyLabs]

Just be careful not to use a Rug Dr on new carpet, as it will void your warranty. We used Chem Dry when we first bought our house and it was amazing how clean it got the carpet!