Anyone hired a Rug Doctor?

The web site video suggests that the carpet will dry within 2 hours - is
this accurate?

How close to the skirting boards can you get?
The video skips over cleaning around the edges.

I have used Vax carpet cleaners and similar which are reasonably effective -
how much better is the Rug Doctor?

Anything to watch out for, or better alternatives?

TIA

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 27/06/2011 08:22, David WE Roberts wrote:
Anyone hired a Rug Doctor?

Not that make, but I've used plenty of 'self contained extractors with
power brush'.


The web site video suggests that the carpet will dry within 2 hours - is
this accurate?

Depends entirely of the type of carpet pile fibre. Wool can absorb 40%
of its own weight in water, nylon less than 1%. No vacuum can suck
water from the fibres.

However, since the cleaning is faster - due to the brush - less water is
used per sq mtr so less water to dry out IYSWIM.

How close to the skirting boards can you get?
The video skips over cleaning around the edges.

Dont know, but you get a hand tool & hose with the package.

I have used Vax carpet cleaners and similar which are reasonably
effective - how much better is the Rug Doctor?

Several hundred percent I should think.

Anything to watch out for, or better alternatives?

Get the detergent dilution right - use a measuring jug - not 'a few glugs'.

More info here;
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...t_Cleaning_FAQ


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

David WE Roberts wrote:

Anyone hired a Rug Doctor?


Yep - they're good, if not rather heavy.

The web site video suggests that the carpet will dry within 2 hours - is
this accurate?

Depends - in todays Southeastern heat it might. Normally, because I had to
scrub the sh*t out of mine (babies) it would take most of the day.

How close to the skirting boards can you get?

Couple of inches - you can use the hand tool if you need to get right up
close.


The video skips over cleaning around the edges.

I have used Vax carpet cleaners and similar which are reasonably effective
- how much better is the Rug Doctor?

Anything to watch out for, or better alternatives?

If you have bad marks such as dropped food or grease, it's best to get the
spot cleaner spray too and zapo some of that on. I used fairly warm water
too which helped.


TIA

Dave R


--
Tim Watts

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...
Anyone hired a Rug Doctor?

The web site video suggests that the carpet will dry within 2 hours - is
this accurate?

How close to the skirting boards can you get?
The video skips over cleaning around the edges.

I have used Vax carpet cleaners and similar which are reasonably
effective - how much better is the Rug Doctor?

Anything to watch out for, or better alternatives?


Thanks for the helpful responses so far.

We are debating cleaning the nice light coloured carpets which we think were
fitted by the previous owners to market the house, or lifting them and just
having floor boards which would be much more practical if the boards are
good.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

In article , David WE Roberts
writes

We are debating cleaning the nice light coloured carpets which we think were
fitted by the previous owners to market the house, or lifting them and just
having floor boards which would be much more practical if the boards are
good.

IME you're more likely to see problems cleaning to the edge with a light
carpet than with a dark one. The strength of the rug doctor is the brush
based cleaning action but the edging tool doesn't have that so can only
clean as well as a regular carpet cleaner there. For a heavily soiled
light carpet that can mean a darker band at the skirting. Also, in
contrast to John's experience, I've found that older draughty properties
have dirtier edges on the carpet due to underfloor dust being blown up
at the carpet edge. There you need to avoid sending cleaning jets under
the skirting gap then sucking (very) dirty water into the edge of the
carpet, making the problem worse.

Overall score for rug doctor 8/10, it's all I would hire now, but they
do try to get you on the consumables.


--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's ********

On 29/06/2011 09:00, fred wrote:
In article , David WE Roberts
writes

We are debating cleaning the nice light coloured carpets which we
think were
fitted by the previous owners to market the house, or lifting them and
just
having floor boards which would be much more practical if the boards are
good.

IME you're more likely to see problems cleaning to the edge with a light
carpet than with a dark one. The strength of the rug doctor is the brush
based cleaning action but the edging tool doesn't have that so can only
clean as well as a regular carpet cleaner there. For a heavily soiled
light carpet that can mean a darker band at the skirting. Also, in
contrast to John's experience, I've found that older draughty properties
have dirtier edges on the carpet due to underfloor dust being blown up
at the carpet edge. There you need to avoid sending cleaning jets under
the skirting gap then sucking (very) dirty water into the edge of the
carpet, making the problem worse.

Overall score for rug doctor 8/10, it's all I would hire now, but they
do try to get you on the consumables.

Agreed about cleaning efficiency; and ISTR hiring one from somewhere and
they *insisted* on flogging you the matching cleaning fluid

David

On 29/06/2011 16:53, Lobster wrote:
On 29/06/2011 09:00, fred wrote:
In article , David WE Roberts
writes

We are debating cleaning the nice light coloured carpets which we
think were
fitted by the previous owners to market the house, or lifting them and
just
having floor boards which would be much more practical if the boards are
good.

IME you're more likely to see problems cleaning to the edge with a light
carpet than with a dark one. The strength of the rug doctor is the brush
based cleaning action but the edging tool doesn't have that so can only
clean as well as a regular carpet cleaner there. For a heavily soiled
light carpet that can mean a darker band at the skirting. Also, in
contrast to John's experience, I've found that older draughty properties
have dirtier edges on the carpet due to underfloor dust being blown up
at the carpet edge. There you need to avoid sending cleaning jets under
the skirting gap then sucking (very) dirty water into the edge of the
carpet, making the problem worse.

Overall score for rug doctor 8/10, it's all I would hire now, but they
do try to get you on the consumables.

Agreed about cleaning efficiency; and ISTR hiring one from somewhere and
they *insisted* on flogging you the matching cleaning fluid

David



I've found them good too, but they do work better with the RG cleaning
fluid which seems to have some sort of foaming reducer. ISTR running
out once and finishing off with conventional carpet cleaner fluid (1001
or similar) and having problems with excessive foaming.

Chris K

On 29/06/2011 17:30, Chris K wrote:
On 29/06/2011 16:53, Lobster wrote:
On 29/06/2011 09:00, fred wrote:
In article , David WE Roberts
writes

We are debating cleaning the nice light coloured carpets which we
think were
fitted by the previous owners to market the house, or lifting them and
just
having floor boards which would be much more practical if the boards
are
good.

IME you're more likely to see problems cleaning to the edge with a light
carpet than with a dark one. The strength of the rug doctor is the brush
based cleaning action but the edging tool doesn't have that so can only
clean as well as a regular carpet cleaner there. For a heavily soiled
light carpet that can mean a darker band at the skirting. Also, in
contrast to John's experience, I've found that older draughty properties
have dirtier edges on the carpet due to underfloor dust being blown up
at the carpet edge. There you need to avoid sending cleaning jets under
the skirting gap then sucking (very) dirty water into the edge of the
carpet, making the problem worse.

Overall score for rug doctor 8/10, it's all I would hire now, but they
do try to get you on the consumables.

Agreed about cleaning efficiency; and ISTR hiring one from somewhere and
they *insisted* on flogging you the matching cleaning fluid

David



I've found them good too, but they do work better with the RG cleaning
fluid which seems to have some sort of foaming reducer. ISTR running out
once and finishing off with conventional carpet cleaner fluid (1001 or
similar) and having problems with excessive foaming.

They are two entirely different cleaning chemicals. Detergents for
extraction machines are designed to be low foam. 1001 or similar are
designed to be high foam and are not suitable for extractors.




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

In article , Lobster
writes
On 29/06/2011 09:00, fred wrote:

Agreed about cleaning efficiency; and ISTR hiring one from somewhere and
they *insisted* on flogging you the matching cleaning fluid

If you want to avoid an argument, tell them you bought the large size
last time and have loads left over. If they still don't like it then I'm
sure you've got the vocabulary to tell them where to stick the edging
attachment. Just about everywhere is doing them these days, Morissons,
Tespitco and dry cleaning shops so you can always go elsewhere.
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's ********

In article , fred wrote:

If you want to avoid an argument, tell them you bought the large size
last time and have loads left over. If they still don't like it then I'm
sure you've got the vocabulary to tell them where to stick the edging
attachment. Just about everywhere is doing them these days, Morissons,
Tespitco and dry cleaning shops so you can always go elsewhere.



Shop around - I found they were much cheaper to hire from Morrisons than
the dry cleaning place around the corner. Homebase was much more expensive.

Got it from Morrisons, no hard sell on the chemicals at all.

Darren

--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's ********