4 Myths about Renting Rug Doctor Carpet Cleaners vs Hiring a Professional Carpet Cleaning Service

/ Jul 2022

Deep cleaning your carpet is important for many reasons. Deep cleaning can make your carpet look better and extend the life of your carpet. Regular deep cleanings also have a beneficial impact on the air quality in your home by removing dust and allergens from deep within carpet fibers. Removing spots, stains, and odors from carpet with routine deep cleanings will also give your home a completely refreshed look, smell, and feel. Carpet experts recommend deep cleaning carpets every 6 to 12 months with a professional-grade carpet cleaner. There are two options for a professional deep-clean: hire a professional carpet cleaning service or do-it-yourself by using a professional-grade carpet cleaner rental.

There are pros and cons to each approach to carpet cleaning at home, however, in many cases renting is the better option. There is some misinformation out there about renting, so we would like to set the record straight with these four myths and truths about renting versus hiring. We want to empower you with the information you need to make the decision that works best for you and your home.

MYTH 1 – Carpet cleaner rentals are not as powerful as the equipment carpet cleaning professionals use to deep clean.

TRUTH – Rug Doctor Pro Deep Carpet Cleaners and solutions are rated platinum by the Carpet and Rug Institute – that is the same rating as the professionals.

CRI scientists are the ultimate experts in carpet cleaning systems. They test and rate carpet cleaning systems based on seven criteria. You can read about all of them here, but the big three are soil removal, water removal, and texture retention.

Soil removal determines how much dirt and grime comes out of your carpet. The more dirt removed, the higher the CRI rating.

Water removal is important because if too much dirty water is left behind, not only does it take longer to dry, but your carpet can also become a breeding ground for mold, fungus, and other unwanted nasty stuff. It also can make the carpet appear dirty. Suction power is the main driver of water removal. The more powerful the suction, the more water will be extracted.

Texture retention is all about how well a carpet cleaning system treats your carpet during repeated cleanings. A Platinum Rating means a cleaning system will be kind to the carpet pile and your carpet will maintain its original texture.

Based on the CRI scientists’ ratings for all criteria, Rug Doctor Pro Deep Carpet Cleaner and solutions scored Platinum. This means, when used properly, the suction power and cleaning effectiveness of Rug Doctor deep cleaners and solutions is rated the same as professional carpet cleaning services by carpet experts.

MYTH 2 – Once you buy the solutions and everything, you don’t really save that much money when renting vs hiring.

TRUTH – You can save upwards of $200 when renting Rug Doctor vs hiring.

We have all seen the $99 3-room special the professional carpet cleaning services like to advertise. However, when you cut through the marketing, you will discover this is only about a $20 off coupon for a very basic cleaning of three carpeted rooms. It does not include the protection of the clean or odor removal (deodorizing). It also does not include stairs, rugs, furniture and upholstery, or any other soft surfaces. Each one of these areas or items are an extra cost of anywhere between $100-$200. You can rent a Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner for $39.99 for a 24-hour rental or $49.99 for a 48-hour rental. For an extra cost of $5.99 you can rent the upholstery tool. You can purchase our 96 oz Triple Action Oxy Carpet Cleaner that cleans, deodorizes, and protects for $23.99 and our 48 oz size for $15.99. Even after totaling the costs of the rental machine, upholstery tool, and cleaning solution, you still save hundreds of dollars compared to hiring a professional service to provide the same amount of clean!

MYTH 3 – Hiring professional carpet cleaners is more convenient than DIY carpet cleaning.

TRUTH – There is a Rug Doctor rental location within 5 miles of most neighborhoods, and it only takes 20 minutes to deep clean an average-sized room.

Hiring may seem more convenient because the professionals come to you, but you are on their time and working within their schedule. Most carpet cleaning professionals give you a window of time when they will arrive and then you must be present (but out of the way) when they are cleaning. Getting your carpets cleaned by a professional service can quickly become an all-day event. When you rent  a Rug Doctor Pro Deep Carpet Cleaner, choose the time and day that works with your schedule. Chances are there is a rental location right around the corner. Find the location nearest you with our rental locator. On average, it takes about 20 minutes to deep clean an average sized room. If it is heavily soiled, it may take a little longer. Most customers report that they completed deep cleaning their homes in four hours.

MYTH 4 – Hiring professional carpet cleaners is easier than renting and doing it yourself is hard.

TRUTH – Rug Doctor provides videos, instruction guides, and 24-hour customer service to help you achieve the very best deep clean possible.

Okay, so it is easier to sit back and watch someone else do the work. That is hard to dispute. However, deep cleaning carpets yourself is not as hard as you may think. Rug Doctor provides tons of resources to help you succeed. Rug Doctor rental machines are also intuitive and user friendly. Plus, you don’t get the same satisfaction from watching as you do from doing. There is a unique feeling you get when you pour all that dirty water down the toilet. Disgust from all the dirt and yuck you pulled out of your carpet and home, mixed with satisfaction from knowing your carpets and upholstery are truly clean and you did it yourself! We like to call it DISGUSTIFACTION.

After reading through the myths and truths of DIY deep carpet cleaning, you can see that renting is an option worth exploring. Rug Doctor deep carpet cleaners provide the same level of clean as professional carpet cleaning services at a fraction of the cost. Give it a try! We want to hear about your experience. Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can now also find us on TikTok.