We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.

--
Chris Green

wibbled on Wednesday 02 December 2009 22:02

We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general.

IME absolutely - I've used it several times. Haven't used anything better
that can be easily hired.

Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

Vax is OK, but it will not clean like a Rugdoctor - the latter has an
extremely viscious scrubber bar which does most of the work.

Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.


Get the official cleaner fluid (obviously) and some spot treatment for any
yuk bits.

You may have to make a couple of passes if the carpets are really yuk but it
will certainly pull crap out. You may wish to factor this in and buy extra
detergent or at least be ready to nip back to the hire place and get more if
needed.

--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

Tim W wrote:

wibbled on Wednesday 02 December 2009 22:02

We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general.

IME absolutely - I've used it several times. Haven't used anything better
that can be easily hired.

Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

Vax is OK, but it will not clean like a Rugdoctor - the latter has an
extremely viscious scrubber bar which does most of the work.

Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.


Get the official cleaner fluid (obviously) and some spot treatment for any
yuk bits.

You may have to make a couple of passes if the carpets are really yuk but it
will certainly pull crap out. You may wish to factor this in and buy extra
detergent or at least be ready to nip back to the hire place and get more if
needed.

I couldn't agree more.

Dave

Owain wrote:
On 2 Dec, 22:02, wrote:
We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.
So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. Â*Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?
Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.

The Carpet Cleaning article is one of the best articles on the Wiki
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...t_Cleaning_FAQ

Yes, I've taken a look at that, noted. Still, personal experiences
are useful too.

In summary, a Rug Doctor is better than a domestic carpet cleaner, but
if you have a frequent need to clean carpets at short notice (eg small
children) then having a machine in-house might be useful.

Small animals rather than children, but similar! :-)

--
Chris Green

Dave wrote:
Tim W wrote:

wibbled on Wednesday 02 December 2009 22:02

We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general.

IME absolutely - I've used it several times. Haven't used anything better
that can be easily hired.

Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

Vax is OK, but it will not clean like a Rugdoctor - the latter has an
extremely viscious scrubber bar which does most of the work.

Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.


Get the official cleaner fluid (obviously) and some spot treatment for any
yuk bits.

You may have to make a couple of passes if the carpets are really yuk but it
will certainly pull crap out. You may wish to factor this in and buy extra
detergent or at least be ready to nip back to the hire place and get more if
needed.

I couldn't agree more.

Thanks all, very useful.

--
Chris Green

wrote:
Owain wrote:
On 2 Dec, 22:02, wrote:
We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.
So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet
cleaner (probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?
Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.

The Carpet Cleaning article is one of the best articles on the Wiki
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...t_Cleaning_FAQ

Yes, I've taken a look at that, noted. Still, personal experiences
are useful too.

It was written with 30 years practical experience :-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

wrote:
We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.

The Rug Doctor is the DIY hire version of the self contained brush
extractors used in hospitals, hotels, exhibition halls, clubs etc.

It will bring filthy carpets to pristine standards with little effort.

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

'Which' know very little about carpet cleaning IMO. Bissel & Vax machines
are either dry foam, or minimum duty extractors. If you decide you want a
machine of your own go for a Numatic 'George'.

To prevent spots becoming stains use the Rug Doctor Carpet Shield. Does
what it says on the tin.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk


Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.

Owain wrote:
On 2 Dec, 22:02, wrote:
We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.
So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet
cleaner (probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?
Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.

The Carpet Cleaning article is one of the best articles on the Wiki
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...t_Cleaning_FAQ

Thank you kind sir :-)

BLUSH


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In article
,
The Medway Handyman
wrote:

'Which' know very little about carpet cleaning IMO.
'Which?' seem to know very little about #most# things. They
just pass on other peoples experiences and prejudices

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

wrote:
We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

Any/all experiences would be useful to hear.

Rented on last weekend to clean two bedroom carpets after fitting a new
and identical landing carpet then realising that they looked different.

The carpets had not had heavy wear but I was amazed at the amount of
dirt that I tipped out of the collection container.

So yes, in that sense works well.

Andrew

The Medway Handyman wrote:
wrote:
We're thinking of hiring a RugDoctor to clean some of our carpets.
This is to get them from filthy to acceptable rather than trying to
get them looking pristine.

The Rug Doctor is the DIY hire version of the self contained brush
extractors used in hospitals, hotels, exhibition halls, clubs etc.

It will bring filthy carpets to pristine standards with little effort.

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

'Which' know very little about carpet cleaning IMO. Bissel & Vax machines
are either dry foam, or minimum duty extractors. If you decide you want a
machine of your own go for a Numatic 'George'.

Yes, I don't read Which reports without a pinch of salt but they can
help point one in the right direction sometimes. They do actually
recommend the RugDoctor you know. :-)

--
Chris Green

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:02:09 +0000, tinnews wrote:
Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner
(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

We had/have a Bissell. It's complete and utter ****. Let's see:

1) The plastic-fantastic "faceplate" at the front of the machine cracked
and broke, reducing the already-meagre suction (it's pretty thin plastic
for something that has to withstand being bumped into walls etc.).

2) The waste-water tank seal always leaked a little, so there was always a
mess in the bottom of the machine to clean up afterwards.

3) The waste-water tank design has some pathways that can never be
fully cleaned out because they can't be reached.

4) The seal for the cleaning fluid tank always leaked a little.

5) Once in a while it'd throw the brush belt - it wouldn't break, it'd
just come off the pulley, but it was a pain to put back on.

6) A range of attatchments on the hose part may have been a good idea -
except that after a while they seem to get stuck on there and are almost
impossible to remove (I'm not sure if that's bad latch design, or just
that sliding plastic-on-plastic joints in a slightly abrasive environment
was never a very clever idea)

7) It clogs up with dirt every so often, requiring a strip-down, clean and
rebuild. By "every so often" I mean after every four uses or so.

I actually can't think of a single product I've seen in my whole life
that's such poor value for money. It's a whole level worse than, say,
Microsoft products, or store-bought coffee machines. I'm just thankful
that we're in a house that's nearly all hardwood floors these days, and
the %^#*ing Bissell is dumped in a closet that we otherwise never use. I
should really pull the motor out of it (as it might come in handy for
something one day) and smash the living crap out of the rest with a big
sledge hammer.

OK, I feel better now. Rent a Rug Doctor. They work. :-)

cheers

Jules

Jules wrote:


I actually can't think of a single product I've seen in my whole life
that's such poor value for money. It's a whole level worse than, say,
Microsoft products, or store-bought coffee machines. I'm just thankful
that we're in a house that's nearly all hardwood floors these days, and
the %^#*ing Bissell is dumped in a closet that we otherwise never use. I
should really pull the motor out of it (as it might come in handy for
something one day) and smash the living crap out of the rest with a big
sledge hammer.

OK, I feel better now. Rent a Rug Doctor. They work. :-)

That caused a chuckle and brought a smile to my face. Thanks :-)

Dave

On 2 Dec, 22:02, wrote:

So, does the RugDoctor do a good job in general. *Alternatively would
we do better (or as well) if we bought a Bissell or Vax carpet cleaner

RugDoctor is great for "spring cleaning", obviously not so good for
"accidents" compared to keeping something at home.

Bissell is quite pitiful in comparison, but even a Bissell might
surprise you with what a "cleaned" carpet can look like, compared to
dry vacuuming. The older upright Vaxes have a poor reputation for
reliability, but the bigger & more recent models (mine's a 124) seem
to have addressed this and do a good job.

(probably going for one of the Which recommended ones)?

I've never been a fan of their recommendations. When they discuss
something I do know about, they talk rubbish. So I'm disinclined to
trust them when they discuss something I don't.

On Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:40:22 +0000, Dave wrote:
OK, I feel better now. Rent a Rug Doctor. They work. :-)

That caused a chuckle and brought a smile to my face. Thanks :-)

*doffs hat* It certainly made me feel better in typing it, and if it
means one less Bissell owner in the world, that's got to be a good thing! :-)

Owain wrote:
On 2 Dec, 22:37, wrote:
Small animals rather than children, but similar! :-)

Cuter and more easily forgiven the occasional woopsie though.

Which?

Andy

John Rumm
wibbled on Saturday 05 December 2009 05:11

Andy Dingley wrote:

I've never been a fan of their recommendations. When they discuss
something I do know about, they talk rubbish. So I'm disinclined to
trust them when they discuss something I don't.

My experience as well alas.



This is disturbingly familiar.

A mate of mine is a train driver (BR, Connex SE, GWR, someone else now). I
used to lodge with him many years back.

Every train incident, especially the ones in the south would cause him to
form exactly the same opinion about the media.

It wasn't that the media were setting out to lie. It seemed more like they
were hopelessly out of their depth trying to talk knowledgeably about
something they only had a superficial understanding of.



--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

Tim W wrote:
John Rumm
wibbled on Saturday 05 December 2009 05:11

Andy Dingley wrote:

I've never been a fan of their recommendations. When they discuss
something I do know about, they talk rubbish. So I'm disinclined to
trust them when they discuss something I don't.

My experience as well alas.



This is disturbingly familiar.

A mate of mine is a train driver (BR, Connex SE, GWR, someone else
now). I used to lodge with him many years back.

Every train incident, especially the ones in the south would cause
him to form exactly the same opinion about the media.

It wasn't that the media were setting out to lie. It seemed more like
they were hopelessly out of their depth trying to talk knowledgeably
about something they only had a superficial understanding of.

Exactly the same thing with the ambulance service. Front line crew are
encouraged to keep a scrap book of news cuttings covering events they have
attended. A form of therapy apparently.

In every case Bex has read the report to find almost every detail wrong, not
just medical stuff - which you could perhaps excuse, but things like the age
& name, location, time. Complete incompetance or bone idleness seems to be
the problem.

IIRC Which used to regularly slag off the Ford Escort when it was
consistently the UK's top selling car.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:

Exactly the same thing with the ambulance service. Front line crew are
encouraged to keep a scrap book of news cuttings covering events they have
attended. A form of therapy apparently.

In every case Bex has read the report to find almost every detail wrong, not
just medical stuff - which you could perhaps excuse, but things like the age
& name, location, time. Complete incompetance or bone idleness seems to be
the problem.

That is endemic in our local paper. It is titled 'The Lancashire Evening
News'. Known otherwise as the Lancashire Evening Liar.

Dave