Rug Doctor: Cleaning Successfully With Proper Technique...

In previous posts, I have discussed the importance of proper set-up of the Rug Doctor, the importance of pre-vacuuming, and the use of pre-spray as the best method for treating the carpet prior to using the Rug Doctor.

As the following video shows, the end result of doing all the proper preparation is an easy job where the Rug Doctor can give a fantastic result, even on really dirty carpets.



Though not shown in the video, the pre-vacuuming done at the onset took about thirty minutes to do.

A one bedroom apartment isn't a very large space, but when pre-vacuuming it is best to hit the carpets with multiple passes, from multiple directions, at a moderate pace to ensure removal of as much debris as possible.

This type of specialized vacuuming takes considerably more time to do than what you might do say in a weekly vacuum of your home.

Additionally, you want to really emphasize deep cleaning with the vacuum and this is more important before carpet extraction than in general vacuuming duties.

How To Pre-Vacuum Really Bad Carpets...

As discussed earlier in a couple of posts I have made, the keys to success with a Rug Doctor are basically the same as with any other carpet cleaning machine.

The video below shows a carpet being vacuumed prior to the extraction process being started with the Rug Doctor...



Pre-vacuuming carpet is a necessary pre-cursor to successful carpet cleaning, but in some situations, the carpet needing cleaned may be so full of debris that would damage a typical vacuum cleaner that this step may be considered impossible.

But it isn't impossible with the right tools to do the job.

In this instance, a Wet/Dry vacuum is capable of handling the debris, but as anyone who has ever attempted to vacuum a carpet with one of those has discovered, the floor tool provided with the vac "locks down" on the carpet, and makes it very difficult to use.

Additionally, the carpet can be pulled apart at the seams, pulled up from the tack strip on the wall and corners, and generally causes more trouble than it solves.

But there is a way to use a Wet/Dry vacuum for carpets!

There are attachments available for helping Wet/Dry vacuums effectively clean carpet without all the problems caused by the "lock down" effect. Carpet nozzles are readily available...but do they work?

Pre-Vacuuming. The Vital Precursor To Carpet Cleaning That Almost Nobody Does...

In the video below, a room is vacuumed prior to carpet cleaning.  What is important to note from the video is how important it is to do a thorough job when performing this task.



Rug Doctor makes a great machine. It works best though when proper steps are taken to ensure good results. As some of my other posts have discussed set-up and pre-spraying, as well as various other facets of successful carpet cleaning, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least touch on this very important part as well.

When attempting to do any task properly, a bit of thought must be applied to the job at hand if we are to do it in a professional manner, and in carpet cleaning there is a need to understand proper vacuuming as being as important in it's own right as understanding the chemistry of which products to use on which stains, how or when to use hot verses cold water, how to achieve proper extraction of all residue and soils and so on.

Vacuuming is the one part of carpet cleaning that is performed in the most continual manner. This is because most of the dirt and debris that finds it's way into the carpet is dry and accumulated rather constantly. Therefore it behooves one to perform a proper vacuuming on a schedule, which may need adjusted depending on changing conditions.

Some Stains Are Just Evil...Pure Evil

As this video shows, sometimes a stain is persistent. It will be difficult to remove under the best of circumstances, but by using some basic principles of carpet cleaning you can achieve success (or at least a marked improvement).

First, do a thorough pre-vacuum to remove all the loose particulate and surface dirt. Only then can you access the true magnitude of the stains present, and evaluate what chemicals may be needed.

When vacuuming, be sure to really concentrate on maximum pick-up and take your time. Hit the carpet with well overlapped passes at a moderate to slow speed. Try to vacuum from more than one direction on each section of carpet and make several passes to ensure as much debris as possible gets picked up.

Note: if you have a bagged vacuum, make sure the bag isn't full and that you still getting adequate suction. Also adjust the brushroll (if equipped) to a proper height...bagless models should have clean filters and not be overfilled or they won't pick up properly.

Removing A Dark Stain With A Rug Doctor X-3

Getting dark stains out is easy...if you follow the correct process.

Step one is to thoroughly vacuum the area to remove as much loose debris and fine dirt particles as possible...multi-pass, multi-direction, overlapping passes at a slower more deliberate rate is best to achieve this.

Next, a pre-spray should be applied (this one was simple, an application of ordinary household cleanser...Fabuloso brand with a pump-up sprayer) and allowed to "dwell" or sit on the stain for about ten minutes. This can be enhanced by brushing the detergent into the fiber slightly with a brush (an old toothbrush works well in small areas).

The extractor being used (Rug Doctor in this case, but most any machine will do basically the same thing) should be filled with hot tap water and allowed to scrub the area while extracting the detergent, water, and stain. Applying plenty of water is important to thoroughly remove ALL of the detergent and stain residue from the carpet  as remaining residue will result in rapid re-soiling...a returning stain.

Most important of all, regardless of the machine used to extract, is to make every effort to fully extract all the water you have added during the cleaning process. Most every machine is able to extract if the vacuum area of the machine is in proper contact with the surface of the carpet. Adjust your machine carefully to ensure you are achieving full vacuum potential, or you will end up with soaked carpets.

If you can, apply fans to the area to help aid the drying process.Wet carpet has a tendency to "wick" whereby the capillary action during drying can pull deeply embedded stains (which you just applied water to) to be pulled up to the surface of the carpet. This is where re-occuring stain complaints often come from. Basically when the carpet is fully dry you are safe from this type of problem...dry the carpet as quickly as you can.

If stains re-occur, (and the carpet was dried properly) is either means you didn't adequately remove all the soap residue which makes a dirt magnet), or the area is simply a traffic area...get better door mats and insist people wipe their feet before entering. Overly worn carpet can also look dirtier as the light reflections appear "greyed out", the carpet has a permanent dingy appearance and need's replaced. A simple cleaning can't fix wear.

Lastly. Some carpet stains won't come out with one treatment session. It is beneficial to re-clean these area's every week or so to gradually improve them. This is easy to do in your own home, but rental properties and such will probably be cleaned only periodically so they will be harder to fix,if one treatment doesn't do the job. Carpets with a lot of grease (near cooking area's) can also require multiple treatments to fully clean.

The full video which shows the apartment where this segment was shot is viewable at the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89PVqAWJpLU

Pre-Vacuum For Fantastic Results With Rug Doctor

To obtain the best results from using a Rug Doctor it is important to pay heed to the basic essential elements of a sound carpet cleaning strategy. One of the most important of these elements takes place before any other part can be successfully implemented, and that essential element is pre-vacuuming.

Regular vacuuming is already a widely accepted practice to remove periodic accumulation of debris and most every homeowner already recognizes the importance of doing this chore rather frequently, but pre-vacuuming is rather more involved.

(Dyson's DC25...an example of a good quality vacuum with high performance)

When I speak of pre-vacuuming, I mean a very thorough process of cleaning from multiple angles and making several passes to try to remove as much debris as possible before going on to the next step in carpet cleaning. In addition the use of nozzles to fully clean edges (along baseboards and door jams, and various nooks and crannies).

Increase Rug Doctor Cleaning Effectiveness By Utilizing Pre-Spray's

Disclaimer: There are many things to consider when it is time to clean a carpet with the Rug Doctor. Having the proper information will greatly aid in getting the desired results from using the Rug Doctor to clean your carpets. It is important to read the instructions that came with your machine, and familiarize yourself with the controls and adjustments ( I have other articles which explain proper handle adjustment etc) to get prepared properly before undertaking the cleaning job at hand. I will address proper pre-vacuuming in an upcoming article, but at this time I want to focus on the chemicals used to clean, and their best employment. In all instances, carpet cleaning chemicals should be used with careful consideration to the instructions printed on the label, the proper dilution ratio when applicable, and after testing in an inconspicuous place (such as a closet carpet) for color fastness to ensure the chemical used won't harm the carpet or ruin it's appearance. Keep in mind that carpet material can vary, so a chemical used safely on a contractor grade synthetic carpet, may ruin a wool rug. Use great care as damage can be expensive and most often irreversible. That out of the way I will get to the real point of this article.

Rug Doctor carpet extractors, utilize a clean water reservoir for hot water and cleaning solution which is applied to carpet when the red button on the top handle is pressed. This mixture is sprayed onto the carpet through the nozzles and scrubbed by the brush system (also activated when pressing the red button), and then vacuumed up by the front nozzle.

It is important to emphasize from the beginning that the only detergents that should be used in the solution tank, are Rug Doctor brand extractor shampoo's and detergents, as they are the only recommended cleaning agents that are guaranteed safe for the pump and injectors (protecting your 5 year warranty), and will be more than sufficient in most cases (at the recommended dilution ratios printed on the containers).

These approved cleaning agents are formulated specifically to work safely in the Rug Doctor, and not cause premature wear, and are safe for use on the carpet types recommended on the instructions printed on the bottle (which give proper dilution and other information). It is important to heed the warnings and use these solutions as instructed.


(Rug Doctor Oxy-Steam Carpet Cleaner...CRI Platinum Level rated when combined in solution tank as directed with Rug Doctor extractors)

But under special circumstances, such as when exceptionally dirty carpets are encountered, the effectiveness of the detergents can often be increased by upping the mix ratio of detergent to water, or with other products which act as heavy grease cutters or specialty spotters (pet stains for instance) which are not Rug Doctor products.

The problem with simply adding more detergent (or some specialty chemical) is that this is not very good for the pump and injectors on the Rug Doctor (early pump failure and/or plugged injectors for example).

Also, there may be instances when you have a spill or what have you, and you don't have any approved detergents on hand.

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.

Why Do People Complain That The Rug Doctor Leaves Their Carpets Wet?

I wanted to tackle a common negative complaint about Rug Doctor extractors; which is that they don't pick up enough of the water they put down.

This is such a wide spread issue, that I wanted to mention this as one of my helpful setup tips for using the Rug Doctor.

Lets use my brother for an example here.

My brother Jay is 6'3" tall.

The Rug Doctor handle can be adjusted for different heights of operator with a lever. So you'd assume the topmost setting would be the best for a tall person right? Wrong.

Rug Doctor...Real Review's...Real Video's

Do a search on the internet for Rug Doctor and what do you find? Hundreds of results right? But how many of those results lead you to real and valid information about Rug Doctor machines from actual users of the product? Not that many actually.

Most of the results lead you to pages put up by people who only want to sell the products (and that's okay to a point), but really have no actual hands on experience with using Rug Doctor, or maybe used one for an hour or so and wrote a quick review.

It's true that I also sell Rug Doctor on this blog. But although I market the product as a item to make a little money on, I also use the Rug Doctor a lot. I mean a whole lot.

I have been using Rug Doctor products to professionally clean rental properties heavily for some time now. I know the in and outs of using one at this level (daily use under harsh conditions) and have seen whether or not Rug Doctor machines can do the job at the level my customers demand. They can.