Rug Doctor Review (Deep Powerful Carpet Cleaner)

For more than forty years, Rug Doctor has been one of the top names in the carpet cleaning industry. The Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner is a professional grade carpet washer that’s designed to tackle both everyday messes and tough stains alike. It offers premium performance for homeowners who are looking to keep their carpets free of dust, dirt, and unpleasant odors.

Important Features and Accessories

First, let’s take a look at the most notable aspects of the Rug Doctor.

Dual Cross Action Brushes

The Rug Doctor is able to get deep within your carpet while cleaning, removing dirt right down to the very base of fibers.  A powerful oscillating scrub brush with two rows of stiff bristles works to dislodge even tough stains, while a rotating brush with ten rows of gentler bristles grooms and polishes your carpet. 

This dual cross action technology leaves floors throughout your home looking like new, even those that have withstood years of heavy traffic. It also helps to keep your carpets feeling soft and easy on the feet.

More Suction

Compared to other similar models, the Rug Doctor claims 75% more suction. The model has been tested against other top-of-the-line carpet cleaners using ASTM F558, a standard test for measuring the air performance characteristics of vacuum cleaners.

This means not only a deeper clean but also a faster drying time. The machine efficiently removes both dirt and water so that you don’t have to spend half a day waiting for your carpets to air dry. After a thorough clean, it can take less than four hours for your floors to dry out completely and become usable again.

A Customizable Clean

The Rug Doctor is designed to clean all areas of a home, from rarely used rooms such as the master suite to high traffic areas such as hallways. When dealing with particularly tough stains and odors, you can turn on the  Super Boost Spray nozzle  to give yourself a little extra cleaning power. This cleaning setting is great for tackling messes from kids and pets.

Easy to Maintain

Often, one of the toughest parts of owning a carpet washer is proper maintenance. With the right care, however, the Rug Doctor can last for years to come.

The Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner has been specifically designed to make maintenance less of a hassle. Filling and emptying the water tanks is easy thanks to an  oversized easy-open tank cap.  The cap also has a convenient built-in soap measurer that won’t get lost.

The tanks themselves are clear, unlike many similar carpet cleaner models. This makes it easy to tell when you need to empty and refill the cleaning solution. If you let your carpet cleaner run with a dirty solution, mold and mildew can build up to create a musty odor. You may even end up damaging your machine if the fluid level gets too low. Rug Doctor ensures that owners know when their carpet cleaner needs some attention, and when it’s good to go.

Completely Portable

The Rug Doctor weighs in at  25 pounds,  allowing most homeowners to move the machine without any trouble. Smooth, carpet-friendly wheels also make it easier to maneuver without damaging your floors.

When not in use, the Rug Doctor is easy to store. A collapsible handle makes the machine more compact, allowing you to tuck it away in a closet or corner and leave open more floor space.

The entire Rug Doctor setup comes pre-assembled, meaning that you can use your carpet cleaner straight out of the box. You won’t need to worry about getting together the right tools or hiring a professional to help with setup.

Includes Free Accessories

The Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner contains extras in the box to help you better clean your home. The upholstery tool allows you to clean tight nooks and crannies as well as furniture and upholstery. A removable caddy provides easy storage of your upholstery tool and anything else you might need as you clean.

Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) is the leading organization dedicated to educating the public about everything to do with carpeting. The CRI Seal of Approval program tests the effectiveness of cleaning equipment to help consumers to find the best products available on the market. Cleaners are evaluated on seven criteria:

• Soil Removal Efficiency
• Resoiling
• Residual Moisture
• Surface Appearance Change
• Colorfastness
• pH Levels
• Optical Brighteners

Warranty

The Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner is backed by a  two-year limited warranty  for owners who plan to use the machine exclusively in their home. For offices and commercial use, the warranty period is limited to one year.

If you notice anything wrong with your Rug Doctor within thirty days of purchase, including missing pieces, defective parts, or poor workmanship, you should contact the manufacturer. As long as you call within this timeframe and can provide proof of purchase, your warranty will cover the cost of labor, replacement parts. Rug Doctor will also pay the freight charges both to the warranty center and your account.

After the thirty-day period is up, you may be responsible for getting your defective machine to a repair center yourself. In some cases, you may be able to take it to a local shop, but in most instances, users must ship their machine to a certified Rug Doctor Warranty Center. Even if your cleaner is still under warranty, you’ll be responsible for freight charges to the repair center. Rug Doctor will cover return shipping costs.

Support

If you’re looking for information on how to set up or use your Rug Doctor, you can find helpful guides and answers to FAQs on the Rug Doctor website. If you need to contact support due to a defective or malfunctioning device, however, you can directly  contact a representative by emailing consumer.support@rugdoctor.com or by calling 1-800-RUG DOCTOR (1-800-784-3628).  You may also be able to reach the company through social media.

When talking to a warranty assistance specialist, you need to provide certain information to help them best assist you. For all replacement and repair requests, you’ll need your name, address, telephone number, product model, serial number, and proof of purchase showing the date and location you bought your cleaner. You should also briefly explain the nature of your problem.

Once Rug Doctor has received your request, it may take some time to get an answer back. A representative will contact you and let you know if your issue is covered under warranty. They can also advise you how to proceed if not.

What We Love

The main reason that we love the Rug Doctor is for its cleaning ability. The dual-brush design of this carpet cleaner really gets down deep into rugs, cleaning fibers from every angle to leave them feeling clean and plush.

We also love that it has more than two cleaning settings. For rarely used areas and delicate rugs, you can use the standard option for a gentle clean. For high-traffic locations, however, you can switch to the Super Boost Spray option to amp up your cleaning routine. This versatility makes the Rug Doctor ideal for homes with kids, pets, and other messy residents.

Not only does the Rug Doctor wash efficiently, but it also dries quickly as well. Powerful suction has been tried and tested, showing that this cleaner offers 75% better results than similar models. This means that your carpets dry out more quickly after cleaning. You can wash your floors on the same day as a party or get together without worrying about soggy rugs.

Many professional-grade carpet cleaners are relatively bulky, which can make them difficult to maneuver around the hallways of a house. The Rug Doctor, however, is built to be small and lightweight, It’s easy to move around corners and in tight spaces. A collapsible handle also lets you store your cleaner somewhere out of the way when not in use.

After a day of deep cleaning, it can be a pain to scrub out your carpet cleaner as well. Thankfully, the Rug Doctor makes it less of a headache. The machine’s tank is easy to remove, open, and empty without too many extra steps. It’s also clear, making it easy for you to see when the washing solution needs changing.

What We Don’t Love

While this machine is great at doing its job, the warranty is relatively limited in what it covers. It’s a good idea to keep the original carton, packing materials, and receipts in case you ever need repairs.

Even if your machine is under warranty, you’re responsible for freight costs if it needs repairs. There are relatively few local technical centers that are licensed to fix Rug Doctor machines, and so most homeowners must send their device to the manufacturer without reimbursement for shipping.

Some users have also found it difficult to reach and navigate the support department. Rug Doctor support is generally reserved for those with questions and concerns about their warranty. If you need help setting up or operating your machine, it’s best to consult the user manual or go online for advice.

Rug Doctor Vs. Bissell Big Green

The Bissell Big Green is another high-end carpet cleaner designed to reach deep within carpet fibers to remove stains and odors. It offers similar results to the Rug Doctor, though instead of dual brush technology, it uses a patented PowerBrush scrub to knock dirt loose.

Both machines also come with a free spot cleaning attachment that can be used to clean tight areas. The Rug Doctor attachment, however, is completely removable for quick storage and comes with a convenient caddy to make it easy to transport.

While the Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner is designed to be easy to clean, the Big Green boasts a design with two separate tanks. This means that the dirty water is separated from the clean so that you don’t risk cleaning your carpet with a moldy solution.

The Big Green is slightly larger than the Rug Doctor, making it a bit more difficult for homeowners to move around. The Bissell model weighs about 50 pounds, whereas the Rug Doctor weighs just 25 pounds. The Rug Doctor is also significantly less expensive than the Big Green.

While the Rug Doctor costs less, however, it also has a less inclusive warranty. Bissell offers a five-year limited warranty for both businesses and homeowners that covers more defects and damages than Rug Doctor’s one- or two-year warranties.

Want to see more carpet cleaners? Check out our top 10 list here.

In Conclusion

Rug Doctor

7.6

Efficiency

8.5/10

Ease of Use

7.0/10

Accessories

8.0/10

Support

7.0/10

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