Rented a Rug Doctor for years. Took the plunge, and bought a used one on fleabay. (How much use would a home unit get? - Certainly less than the rentals, and the rentals have a 10 year lifespan!). You have to read the instructions to use. And yes, it is heavier.... it carries a lot of cleaning solution! It's a heavy-duty cleaner - better than the lightweights from competitors (had a Bissel and it was useless). Only downfall... is the plastic upholstery 'wand' on the end of the hose. It is prone to cracking and you can't buy just the replacement wand from rug doctore... you have to buy the wand and hose. The fix for a broken plastic wand? Fleabay sellers sell a stainless steel wand (will never break!) which is far superior to the plastic wand offering from rug doctor.

MauiPete

Calgary, AB

Instruction Manual did not address this issue as far as telling you to make sure the cap was screwed on Waste Water Tank. Borrowed a friend's Rug Doctor Deep Clean machine, another friend and I read instructions and filled tank as instructed. Used first in bedroom, once the clean water tank was empty there was nothing in the waste water tank ~ we ran machine again over cleaned area hoping to pull out some of the water ~ nothing~ after inspecting machine my friend discovered there was no suction because the grey cap was not attached on Waste Water Tank ~ Once she attached it ~ Good to go~ Great Suction

ReneeF

Fairview Park, OH

Cleaning - I am fairly happy with the Rug Doctor's ability to clean our carpets. It didn't get our deep older stains, but I don't think anything would really. It did get our surface stains out with ease and only 1-2 passes. We have 6 indoor cats and light grey carpet. Orange/brown cat vomit stains are a real trial. It picked all of the newer ones up quickly. Our everyday toddler stains came out well too. Overall, I am very happy with it's ability to clean. The gross water color is a great indicator as well. We have been using a Hoover pro pet for awhile and didn't realize how well it wasn't doing. I rarely think that the RD goes deep into the carpet pad. Water suction -It's suction ability is really lacking compared to our old machine. We put down about 4 gallons of water and it only sucked back up 2.5ish. Our carpets were still pretty soggy after several passes and no extra water put down. I was really disappointed that the our living room was still wet over night and into the next day. Handling - This is a very heavy, bulky, hard to maneuver machine. I am 5ft4in and had a very hard time with it. I hate that you can only clean going in a backward movement and not forward. For me, it made things very difficult. It felt card to use and after about an hour of use my shoulder and thumb are hurting. The water pray button is in a very awkward place for my small hands and left it hard to spray and fight with the machine backward. Size -The 'extra wide' track is really only extra wide to Rug Doctor I'm guessing. I would have to see the size of the normal one if this one were not the wide version. It is the same size as my old machine. Tanks-The tanks are a bit awkward to maneuver. I do love how much the clean water tank holds, but it puts out so much water so quickly that it really doesn't matter it took 4 gallons to clean my 400sq ft living room. At a 2 gallon capacity, I had to refill halfway through. To do this you have to remove the dirty water tank, which is heavy,

kastreet

Indiana

I have used the rug doctor carpet cleaner quite a few times. I have used it in high traffic areas in businesses I cleaned as well as in homes. In the winter time carpets get very dirty and mud season tends to really put a hurting on the carpets. I always vacuum the carpets thoroughly before using the rug doctor and it's truly amazing/ disgusting how much dirt is hidden in the carpet fibers! For people with pets or children this is a good thing to use once in a while. I have cleaned houses that are always clean before we even start and also very messy houses. The amount of dirt in the carpets is comparable. The amazing part is that homes that are super clean even benefit from a carpet cleaning. Even the cleanest looking carpet will produce dark colored dirty water. As you are going along cleaning you can see the difference in what parts you have done versus the parts you haven't touched yet. It is time consuming and a bit difficult to shampoo a carpet but the benefits are well worth it. After the carpet is dry it looks much brighter and feels softer as well as smelling fresh. The machiene is bulky and the water tank has to be dumped out and refilled fairly often when doing high traffic areas. The water sometimes even smells bad and is very dark brown colored. Its pretty creepy when you see what your vacuum is missing. I highly recommend buying the products they offer on the rug doctor display they work well and they have a nice scent to them. I have rented them before and when I went to fill it up found dirty crumbs in the extraction tank so I recommend checking it out before rental and cleaning the machiene before use because of germs. They offer the hand tools at an extra charge but you most likely will need them as the machiene is not good for corners or small areas. The attachments are worth the cost. After shampooing it's always a good idea to make sure you have suctioned as much water as possible before moving on to the next spot to avoid water seepage.

lindsey4488

Vermont

After years of use, my SteamVac gave out and needed to be fixed...and I had a puppy. Hence, I went and rented myself a Rug Doctor. It did a good job on the messes that my children and pets left behind, but it also left the carpets wet for a long time. These are also heavy and very difficult to maneuver. It's not my first choice, but it's not bad when you don't have another option. Maneuverability This thing is gigantic and heavy. It is good for empty square rooms. For everything else, you need to also rent the attachments. They are unnecessarily small. There's just no happy medium here. Ease of Maintenance This thing is a beast to clean. Suction Performance The carpets felt very wet, even after going over it several times. For the amount of cleaner it puts out, it should have better suction. Versatility With the proper attachments, you can clean just about anything. Durability This thing is a beast. I imagine that I could run it over with my car and it would still clean carpets. It's very heavy and definitely made for heavy use.

yhamacek

USA

I was thrilled when I saw that a local discount store had the Rug Doctor for sale to the public at a great price so I jumped at the chance to buy one. My carpets are over 3 years old and have normal wear and tear with the addition to toddler abuse of food and juice spills. The first time I used the Rug Doctor on my carpets I was very amazed at how well it lifted the dirt out of the carpet. Literally every time I dumped the old water it was brown like coffee. The Rug Doctor is very easy to use, it has a place to add the chemicals and hot water, which I boil on the stovetop to make sure it is very hot. When using the Rug Doctor, a button is pressed at the handle, this releases water and solution while the brush rotates, you slowly pull back the Rug Doctor, and it cleans the carpet. Then you lean the machine back on the wheels and roll forward and do it all over again. It is always suctioning water. This machine will not clean pushing forward. Only backwards. I bought attachments to use on the furniture. I couldn't believe at how well the Rug Doctor cleaned the furniture also. After shampooing the carpets they were completely dry 24 hours later and my carpets looked close to brand new. I am so thrilled with my purchase and think it's the best carpet cleaner I have used. Maneuverability The handle adjusts to your comfort level and it has wheels on the back to roll. It can be hard on the back if you have back issues. Ease of Maintenance Very easy to clean. Suction Performance Wow does this have great suction! Can pull water up off a floor and be completely dry. Design It is a boxlike carpet cleaner. There's nothing pretty or fancy about the Rug Doctor, but it is built to clean carpets. Durability I think this will be a very long lasting machine. This product is built with quality but is a simple machine to use. There's not a lot of fancy parts that may break later down the road.

AprilTolley

USA

The Rug Doctor Carpet Cleaner has been wonderful. It does a suburb job cleaning even the dirtiest carpet. With kids and pets and just all the stuff that gets dragged in by them, my carpeting can get dirty, really dirty, fast. I have used the Rug Doctor on it when I didn't think anything could clean them and to my surprise they look great when I am done. The Rug Doctor is very big and bulky so I do mainly use it in larger rooms, but it can really be used anywhere. It even gets really close to getting the edges even, closer than other steam cleaners do for sure. One of the best features about this machine is that it is powerful so it extracts the water really well and my carpets dry very quickly and also doesn't leave behind any residue from the shampoo. The machine is heavy too but it does go back and forth with little effort. It is a quality machine that I have gotten a lot of productive use out of.

sassey1111

Toledo, OH

This is a really great carpet cleaner it cleans deep and deodorizers the only issue I have is the emptying and filling of this cleaner. Maneuverability It moves easily from front to back you can not go side ways which really isn't needed since you clean in a line. It is heavy and bulky though so it would be hard to use for someone who is not capable of moving heavy objects. Ease of Maintenance It is easy to clean the water tank but it is a pain in the butt to empty. It is heavy and you get wet and dirty from the water. I have not been able to find an easy way to empty this carpet cleaner and I have been using this brand for years. Suction Performance It really cleans well. The suction gets up dirt and grim that has been cakes into your carpet. After one go over the carpet looks as good as new and it is barley wet. It really picks up excess water and dirt well. Design The design could be better. It is big and shaped like a block but if you want a product that works well the design is not the biggest deal. I wish they had more color varieties. I personally would like a pink one. Durability They are tough and built well. I have never had an issue with a rug doctor not performing well or falling apart and I have been using them for about 8 years now.

AmandaLynne

USA

My husband got this for Christmas a few years ago, and I love it. I used to rent the Rug Doctor from the store about twice a year, but it wasn't often enough for me. I love having clean carpets, but I don't like to expect people to take their shoes off in my house. So this is a perfect solution. It performs great, I like to use the upholstery attachment to clean my furniture and stairs. I have also used it on mattresses. It is easy to operate and gets the job done quickly. Maneuverability Not so wide that it can't get into most places. Ease of Maintenance I haven't had any maintenence issues. Versatility There are many things that you can use it to clean besides carpets, like furniture, mattresses and blinds. Durability It has held up very well in the three years that I have owned it.

comicdaisy

Battle Ground, WA

I have had Kirby Shampooer, which was good.  And Hoover, which was good.  But The RugDoctor Mighty Pro, is remarkable at getting out stains and dirt and leaving your carpeting smelling sweet and clean and it looks great!  I've never used anything better, it is commercial grade.  It is easy to use.  The RugDoctor cleaners are also great.  This was an expensive buy, but then I save money evertime I clean my 4 rooms of carpet and my upholstery, and it looks as good as any commercial carpet cleaning business could do.  I love it! Linda L. Bell of New Palestine, IN.  

bellbpm

New Palestine, IN