Is It Worth Saving An Old Carpet With A Rug Doctor?

(video showing a carpet that has been damaged by long term neglect being cleaned)


Is it worth the time and effort required to clean a carpet that has been neglected for so long that much of the damage is irreversible?

This video shows a carpet that was neglected for years. The resident has friends over much of the time, and they drink alcohol and smoke heavily. They're nice people, but drinks get spilled, and cigarette ash falls still burning onto the carpet, and is ignored at the time (and often for several days).

Every once in awhile, someone will vacuum up the worst of it and the party continues. Common situation right?

Well, now this resident needs to get the carpet looking nice or she'll possibly be faced with the very expensive proposition of being financially responsible for replacing it.

So, in this case, the time and effort required to try and clean this carpet is definitely preferable to the expense of replacement.


There are services around that will do this work, for the right price. But on her budget can she get it done with a less expensive option?

This video shows that with a Rug Doctor, much of the heavy nicotine and liquid spills that are in a lot of rental carpets can be successfully removed. Although this video shows a single cleaning attempt will produce a pretty good result, ideally there would be at least one or two more cleanings over a few days time to lighten the dark tinge left by the nicotine especially.

Key to getting a successful result is to thoroughly vacuum the carpets first. When this is done properly it will vastly improve the cleanliness and feel of the carpet by removing any loose debris and fine materials embedded in the fibers. The best results will be achieved by vacuuming at a slow to moderate speed, overlapping each pass, and going at it from multiple angles to really agitate each fiber, allowing it to release the dirt trapped in it. The first step takes a while, but is essential.

Next it is advisable to apply a good carpet detergent with a pump up sprayer (though a hand sprayer will work in a pinch) and allow it to dwell on the carpet for about ten minutes. Darker stains and traffic areas can be agitated with detergent applied by brushing the fibers to ensure full penetration of the chemicals. Small spots can be rubbed with the sole of your shoe to gently agitate them as well.

Now the Rug Doctor will be able to give the carpets a good scrubbing and extraction. While you may add detergent to the fresh water tank of the Rug Doctor, you can also use plain hot tap water if you pre-sprayed the carpets.

Adjust the handle properly so as to keep the front of the machine in full contact with the carpet (too high of an adjustment will allow the vacuum chute at the front of the machine to lift off the carpet, preventing proper pick-up of water), and pull the machine backward at a slow to moderate pace. The speed at which you may go depends on the conditions, if in doubt slow down.

Pressing the red button on top of the handle will release the clean water (and cleaning solution if added) onto the carpet (be sure to set rocker switch to "carpets", not "tools") and also activate the brush. When the button is released the unit will vacuum only with no water or brush action, so if you think the carpet is too wet make a few passes without pressing the button.

Some areas may be resistant to cleaning efforts. You can add more detergent to these spots and come back after a few minutes to try them again. If no lightening at all is achieved, then you may have a permanent stain that will not come out...it happens.

Worn areas (usually thresholds, traffic areas, and seating areas where people grind their shoes into the carpet) can be cleaned, but due to fiber damage will not look the same shade of the rest of the carpet when finished. This is an unfortunate result of lack of vacuuming in the past and these damages are usually permanent.

When you have fully gone over an area, it is advisable to re-clean it with water only in the Rug Doctor and make appropriate suction only passes. This is to remove as much carpet detergent residue as possible because leaving detergent in the carpet will make the dry carpet stiff and more prone to rapid re-soiling. It is unsound practice to leave the carpets in that condition, as it will definitely reflect on whoever did the job and is unprofessional. Also, leaving the carpet soaked will lead to problems with re-occurring stains and wicking (a condition where any deeply embedded stains may be wicked up through capillary action to the surface of the fibers as the carpet dries) and will also leave you with a bad reputation, so suction only passes are important as well.

When possible, final raking of the carpet will aid drying and final appearance. Although many carpet cleaners are fine with the drag marks left behind when they finish a job, most customers in fact prefer the raked look which removes all footprints and marks from the cleaning process and gives the carpet that extra freshness to it's appearance, making it appear as new as possible.

These are some of the problems associated with cleaning long neglected carpets. They take extra effort, but the Rug Doctor is more than capable when these principles are understood and applied. When sound carpet cleaning practice is used, most any machine will be adequate to the job.

Now in general home cleaning, carpets that are properly maintained will not require as much effort as I have described in this post, but to a lessor degree the same basic techniques will make your own cleaning efforts pass from ordinary to sublime.

Now, the point of all of this is, is it really worth the effort? Consider for yourself what new carpets cost to install these days. Compared to the price of new carpet, or even the expense and hassle of hiring a carpet cleaner, the Rug Doctor is a pretty good investment. It may be cheaper to hire a service the first time or two, but owning a Rug Doctor allows you to clean as needed, and is not really very difficult when you get the hang of it (truthfully, it's actually kind of fun to operate).

When you consider all of the possibilities for the future, owning a Rug Doctor is a pretty good investment. I have used mine for quick clean-ups around the house (accidents do happen), and I've also been able to use it for cleaning neighbors carpets as well. I even got a small side business cleaning apartments (after I got good at doing it) and added some extra income into my pocket as well. I even decided to make videos showing how well I like using Rug Doctor products and recently became an affiliate, so now I sell them to others as well.

If you have considered getting a Rug Doctor, I encourage you to read my information about them on this blog and watch my videos on YouTube (at joerwheelervideo) and really research the idea. I highly recommend them for anyone wanting a proven and reliable product made here in the USA, and backed by a great 5 year warranty.