Rug Doctor - any good?

[Exemplar]

We are getting the keys to the house my sister bought this Thursday.

The carpets will need cleaning. Do we get a rug doctor for 2/3 days or pay someone?

Thoughts from anyone that's used one?

TIA

 

[nheather]

It's probably because I'm expecting too much but every time I've used a carpet cleaner I've been disappointed.

I think it is because if you have carpets that are marked in distinct areas they will still looked marked after cleaning.

If your carpets have had even wear and have become ingrained with dirt evenly over the years then the years then a carpet cleaner will deliver good and pleasing results.

My advice would be to hire a cleaner for a day or two and see how you get on.

Many carpet cleaning companies are shysters in the way they operate. Some will offer you a great price to get into your house but then will roll out "this is bigger or more complicated" or the favourite "well we could do it at that price with our standard product but if you want the job doing well you should upgrade to our super product"

Hard work, and be prepared for slightly damp carpets afterwards - the cleaners do remove most of the water but they can only do so much.

And clean before you move furniture in if possible.

Cheers,

Nigel

An example of what I'm talking about. In my lounge we have a beige carpet which was bought new, mid-price, scotchguarded. After a couple of years it showed an ingrained dirt 'path' from the doorway, and a patch where my children would sit on the floor playing XBox.

Tried hand cleaners, then a rug doctor like machine and finally got the professionals in. Although overall the carpet got cleaner the marks are still very evident.

So yes they clean the carpets but don't expect the carpet to look new and unmarked when finished.

 

[Simba]

iv used rug doctors quite a few times...not that expensive and they have done a good job for me. can restore some of the plushness too....its worth a shot...

 

[Deleted member 51156]

A pro carpet cleaning company will do a much better job than the rug doctor... By the time you've finished driving about picking the machine up, faffing about setting it up, actually doing the cleaning, a pro will have done the job whilst you take the wife and kids out..

 

[FZR400RRSP]

I agree with nheather, I only feel cleaning works if the carpet is 'uniformally dirty'
Any patches will stay.
We've also found that once you clean a carpet, it seems to get dirty really quickly again after.
If it's just a general clean to get rid of the 'feeling' of the previous tennants though, fair enough.
Look for someone with a truck mounted system, and look for them to be IICRC certified.
Anything less than a truck mounted system won't be any better than you hiring a Vax, and IICRC certification at least means they've done some education on the subject.

 

[Simba]

what about that vanish carpet sprinkle stuff....anyone used it? looks likes it would ruin the hoover/ clog the filters etc...

 

[Saymyname1]

I'd agree with the others and just get a company to do it for you , end results are a lot better.

I hired one if those machines to do it and has someone else stated the faffing about would be worth it if the end result was there .

My wife wasn't happy with it so ended up having to pay somebody anyway.

 

[jonna]

Which is the best method, steam or chemical cleaning?

 

[Deleted member 51156]

Anything less than a truck mounted system won't be any better than you hiring a Vax,

Don't be silly, yes a truck mounted system is better for the person doing the job but a £2000 carpet cleaning vac plus the correct testing of the fibres with correct chemicals will beat a vax any day..

Just like to add that patches can be removed with the use of a rotating carpet cleaner which is more suitable for badly soiled carpets, depending on carpet fibre type..

 

[bluedroog]

what about that vanish carpet sprinkle stuff....anyone used it? looks likes it would ruin the hoover/ clog the filters etc...

I was surprised at how effective that stuff was when I tried it.

 

[SBT]

They're not much kop. They're usually filthy from the previous customer.
I have a Bissell and it does a great job. Plus it's yours to keep and you can guarantee the day after you take back the hire machine, someone will spill something

 

[nheather]

They're not much kop. They're usually filthy from the previous customer.
I have a Bissell and it does a great job. Plus it's yours to keep and you can guarantee the day after you take back the hire machine, someone will spill something

I have a Bissel too. If you want to go this way Bissel sell reconditioned models at about half price

BISSELL Reconditioned Vacuums | Refurbished Carpet Cleaners | Bissell Shop Direct

I got a decent Bissel machine for just a little more than the cost of hiring a Rug Doctor for the weekend.

It came brown boxed rather than retail packaged and if you looked hard you could tell it wasn't brand new but it comes from Bissel themselves and is guaranteed.

It really depends on how much you have to do. If you just need one day and that's it I'd still go for the Rug Doctor but we had several rooms to do in a largish house and didn't like the idea of being rushed to complete it in a weekend.

It's hardwork - much more so than pushing a vacuum around.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[NewfieDrool]

Which is the best method, steam or chemical cleaning?

I've a Polti steam cleaner and while it does kill germs and good for tiles I don't rate it for my rugs. It does bring back the pile but does not clean all that well on carpets.

I've had 2 vax machines and again I cant rate them even though they pulled the dirt out. Carpets and rugs were left wet and take a while to dry and I also found they get dirty quicker.

Tried the Sebo Duo powder and that did ok but I don't have a machine to work it in but found it does a good job on fresh stains.

Used a rug doctor at the nursing home which was ok but I think a good company with proper equipment for the flooring do a better job.

Last month I sealed my parquet flooring to make life easier as I mop behind my dog. It did look good when finished but a month down the line big bad boy has already marked it big time. The joys of having a giant breed!