Rental Cleaners

Renting a carpet cleaner

If you need a carpet cleaner for larger jobs, but don't have the funds or the storage space to store one, renting a carpet cleaner is a relatively cost-effective option. The Rug Doctor, which offers machines for both home and commercial use, is probably the most well-known brand of rental cleaner. Rug Doctor units (*Est. $20 per day and up) are available at over 33,000 outlets nationwide, including a number of supermarket chains. A wide-track model, which covers a 12.4-inch cleaning path (versus the smaller model's 10.4-inch path) may be available at some locations. Reviewers caution renters not to overlook the cost of cleaning solution when figuring the price of a rental. Although we didn't find many reviews for Rug Doctor rental cleaners, a handful say they clean well and are easy to use. The chief complaint among reviewers, in fact, was related not to the performance of the machines, but with the previous renters' failure to clean the units properly before returning them to the store.

Rug Doctor also sells these machines, including the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro (*Est. $650) and Rug Doctor Wide Track (*Est. $900). We found just one review of the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro on ConsumerGuide.com, which says this machine yields truly professional results but also listed a few negatives. At 2.6 gallons, the Mighty Pro's tank is more than twice the size of other carpet cleaners, but it is very, very noisy (ConsumerGuide.com recommends earplugs), and heavy (36 pounds). While its handle folds down, it's still a bulky machine that's a challenge to store. The Mighty Pro is available on Amazon.com and Target.com where it receives a handful of mostly positive user reviews.

Sears offers an inexpensive professional-style carpet cleaner, the Kenmore Professional Carpet Shampooer/Hard Floor Cleaner and Buffer (*Est. $160). While this model does receive a few dozen recommendations from owners at Sears.com, very few reviews discuss using it on carpet, and those that do are generally unsatisfied. Note that this machine does not provide suction, so if you use it to clean carpets, you'll need to soak up the water with towels or a wet-dry vacuum.