Customer Ratings & Reviews

Full Disclosure: This is my first carpet cleaner and I have never owned one prior. I bought this after I ended up spilling spaghetti sauce on my carpet after eating in my living room. Oops. I was really upset because I try to be really clean and I didn't want this to get gross. I happened to find this on a Deal of the Day so I only paid $59 ($99 - $40 in reward certificates). For this price, I think I got a good deal since it retails $150 at this time, however, the cleaning fluid costs an additional $18 for a bottle. Still cheaper than hiring someone. Review: Easy to use right out of the box, I read the instructions. Put hot tap water into the clean water tank, added the soap that came with it... and brushed away my stain. Is it perfect... eh. I can still see a little of the border. I attached photos for reference. I have never used one before so I think it did an okay job. It was louder than I thought, louder than a vacuum cleaner. I have a beige carpet and I don't think anyone will notice it was once stained at a general glance. The suction worked well and the carpet dried in about 45 min. For what it did I would buy it again. Especially since it says I can use it to clean my car. However, I saw units that had steam and the description on the barcode on the shelf said steam, but this is only hot tap water, not steam. Also, my stain was sitting on the carpet for about a week before I could buy this and I'm glad I waited.

I received a Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner for review. All opinions are my own. My home is a mix of rugs and carpet. The rugs being over 10' x 7' make them not so easy to replace cost wise so the investment in a Rug Doctor made perfect sense for spills, stains and spot cleaning. In addition to that, the only carpet in my whole house belongs in the playroom/entertainment room. Sigh. I don't think I need to explain what happens to a floor when you have playdates. Regardless, I was pretty excited to test out the spot cleaner on old stains and new spills! First of all, the Portable Spot Cleaner is nicely tucked together which allows it to travel easily. There is a carrying handle, but also an adjustable handle that pulls out waist length to move around the house. The little wheels travel just fine on lower carpets, but I couldn't say if they push as easily on plush. The hose wraps around the front while the cord wraps around the back. Very efficient and great if your Mom comes over and wants to steal it like mine! I didn't have any problem getting the water containers out. Although I would suggest having your Cleaning Solution already open when filling it as the shape doesn't allow for you to set it down. You'll have to hold it and add the solution. It requires hot water from the tap and has clear distinct lines for water level and cleaning solution. The noise level is pretty high, but I kind of expected that as it generally means it has power suction (which it does!). It did take me a moment to get the idea of how to use it since the cleaner doesn't automatically come out and instead you have to push a button on the handle labeled SOAP. I found that it was easier for me to spray the soap on and let it sit a moment rather than spraying while doing the job. However, the nice part is that the handle is also motorized so you don't have to do the scrubbing! The brushes push apart the carpet for you! I LOVE this. You can turn it off and do the scrubbing yourself on big jobs though. Sometimes it does take some elbow grease. The suction on this little Rug Doctor is amazing, quite frankly. You can see it pulling the excess cleaner and dirt out of your carpet or rug. It leaves only a slight dampness behind that isn't really noticeable unless you're looking for it. I cleaned various types of spots and spills, spills were easier as they were new. Many spots came right up, but there were a few very old stains that have more than likely already dyed the carpet fibers that only faded. I ran it over these about 3 times and the Spot Cleaner faded it enough to smooth with the rug. This didn't bother me and is a lot better than having a hugely visible stain and again, I don't think it is due in part to the Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner more so than these stains have had time to dye the fabric. It was very horrifying seeing how dirty my rug was once I was done cleaning. On the good note, it meant this baby is doing its job! I used it on my couch that doesn't have removable cushion covers and it now looks gorgeous! I wholeheartedly recommend this not only for spots on rugs and carpets, but also for upholstery and furniture. Overall, it's very simple to cart around and isn't too much heavier than a vacuum or you can roll it. This makes traveling with it a breeze. It is a great spot cleaner to have on hand for spots, spills and high traffic areas. It may not pull up very old stains that have dyed the carpet, but it will fade them. It does a great job pulling up most other stains, can be used on stairs and furniture! It's super easy to get everything started and put away when your finished. It also is more cost efficient than purchasing new rugs or carpet and is a lot easier than using umpteen amount of different hand cleaners and trying to scrub the life out of your nice rug. I love this portable spot cleaner and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

This is not a full size unit, but that's great for me as it stores in a small cupboard. It worked great on some old, tough spots I had let go on a carpet. Actually had to be careful not to clean the area I was working on too much or it was brighter than the surrounding area. Has great suction for pulling out the water after cleaning. I use it on outdoor cushions as well and it always does the job. I really like this unit. Just be careful when removing the dirty water container, so you don't spill it like I did!

Reviewed different brands small cleaners thoroughly. Very happy with my purchase. Only 2 bedrooms & staircase carpeted. Bought this for small pet stains. Decided clean entire staircase. Very easy me use going up steep staircase. Did awesome job cleaning few pet stains & then stairs. So happy decided clean carpet sm guest bedroom. It did not take as long as I expected being a smaller machine. Did better job some previous big cleaners. I am going to clean MB carpet next. If you don't have issues taking little more time nor entire house carpeted I recommend this cleaner. It's lightweight & easy store. Doesn't take up much space. I have had a dislocated shoulder so I'm very cautious arm/shoulder movement & weight I pick up. I am very happily surprised at the power of this little guy. Price was great. Caught a sale price ordered online & loved free shipping to home.

My auto interior is getting a bit dingy, and my small dog sometimes has an accident on the sofa. I initially bought the Bissell Pro Heat Pet spot cleaner for about $90. Although it cleaned ok, I wasn't thrilled about the suction. It cleaned good enough, but I wanted something stronger. So I bought this Rug Doctor to compare. This machine is bigger and seems sturdier than the Bissell. I like the power brush also. The Rug Dr has a bit more suction - definitely noticeable difference. The head is bulkier and may make it harder to access small spaces, but I wanted more suction to extract the water and dirt. DO NOT expect super strong suction and performance from a portable machine - it's not like the ones Pros use, but this one is better than the Bissell in my opinion.

“I received a Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner sample to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.” I have a household of four fur babies, a teen, and a very active six year old. As you can imagine my rugs get a lot of action! Dirty paw prints, accidental spills, and puppy mistakes are almost a daily occurrence in my home. My house is made up of mostly area rugs on hardwood floors on the first level, a carpeted stairs, and wall to wall carpet on the second floor in the bedrooms. The rugs get tons of high traffic use with the dogs constantly going in and out and the occasional puppy blunder that needs to be immediately spot cleaned. Using a full size steam cleaner on a regular basis for small jobs and on the stairs is impractical, so the Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner is the perfect solution for keeping my rugs clean and fresh smelling for those hard to clean areas and spot messes. The Rug Doctor has been around for 40 years and I have always found their full size professional-grade carpet cleaners to work magic on my rugs. Nevertheless, to constantly have to rent a machine to spot clean my rugs on a regular basis would just be unfeasible and tiresome. The Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner is handy to have for those small area jobs and works fantastic on lifting the dirt. BUT, it should not be confused with a steam cleaner, because it does not actually heat the water. You must use very hot tap water for best results and only use the Rug Doctor cleaning solutions. In fact, using any other cleaner will void the warranty and could damage your machine. In my opinion, the little machine is packed with some great features for the price including an “Easy Carry” and retractable handle, carpet friendly wheels for extra maneuverability, no tangle cord wrap, flexible hose with compact storage, motorized handheld brush with on/off switch, and easy to fill and clean tanks. It also has a very powerful suction for its size and gets down to deep clean those stains. However, one of the most attractive features for me (besides that it actually works) is that it has a slim design to fit on the stairs, which is a problem area in my home that gets plenty of foot and paw traffic. I had no problem using the machine on the stairs and it was easy to lift from one place to another. Plus, its small slim design is wonderful for trouble-free storage as well. The first time I used the Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner I spilled the filthy water while removing the waste water tank. Now knowing the top of the dirty water intake hole does not auto seal off during removal, I will be more careful to lift the tank straight up for emptying the grungy water. This is probably the only characteristic of the spot cleaner I would like to see redesigned, since it could be problematic without proper handling or if the tank becomes too full. Overall, Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner is a great innovative machine for those regular small cleaning jobs. It is perfect for busy moms and individuals who have pets, small children, or want something easy to use for quick cleanup messes. I found it to effectively work in deep cleaning my rugs and a cinch to use. The machine is also fantastic for using to freshen up upholstery and car rugs! I’m very happy with its performance!

I have dogs and now that I’ve been using this for a few months, I wonder how I got along without this. This little machine is a necessity. I have a regular carpet steam cleaner and it doesn’t hold a candle to the rug doctor. When I clean with this machine it gets my carpet so clean that the rest of the carpet looks dirty. It makes the puppy accidents vanish and leaves the carpet looking like new. I love how fast it is to fill, use, and then clean afterward. It’s so much easier that lugging the large machine around. I wish I had purchased this years ago.

Rug Doctor has applied similar design features of the full-size commercial rental machines to this little powerhouse. I have pets and its perfect for cleaning accidents on area rugs. It seems well made (though I haven't had it long, so not sure about long-term reliability), it's compact, easy to use, and has great suction. The cleaning head has a beater brush, something missing from some other brands I'd looked at. I've used the Rug Doctor rentals many times over the years, so I was happy to see a spot cleaner was available. Awesome machine!

I found the Rug Doctor - Portable Spot Cleaner very capable for cleaning small areas including stairs and landing. I used it to reach those areas the large rug cleaners could not reach: area along wall, doors, stairs, bathrooms, closets, etc. I was surprised at the amount of area it cleaned before requiring a refill of cleaning fluid. It was very portable.

I've owned at least three Bissell spot cleaning products over the years, and they all have had two major issues - the suction leaves a lot to be desired, and the waste tank is nearly impossible to clean properly. I bought this Rug Doctor based on online reviews, and the reviews were spot on. When Rug Doctor says they have twice the suction, they aren't kidding. And, unlike the Bissell products, the waste tank on the Rug Doctor comes apart for more thorough cleaning. The power brush on the cleaning head is great too. I highly recommend this product.

Cons: kind of big, don't like the hose material, doesn't warm the water Pros: suction is great even if you dont spray much water I shampooed my stairs and Basically every bit of water I sprayed was picked up. I initially bought the bissel pro heat and tried to shampoo carpet and it didn't pick up hardly any water that I used and I used the whole tank to get back a 1/8 of a tank of dirty water so I took it back to get the rug doctor and I'm really happy.

I read the reviews about this Rug Doctor Carpet Spot cleaner and decided to give it a try. This purchased proved to be exactly what I was expecting. Easy to use, cleaned up spots, and even worked well on larger areas of my carpet. It is portable, easy to fill / empty, and wow! couldn't believe the dirt that came up from its use. I've used the large rug doctor rental machines before and this small spot cleaner did just as good a job in my opinion. I'm happy to have added this little pro to my home appliances.

This spot cleaner works great on furniture and small areas of carpet. Though it did do a good job of cleanning a 12 X 12 rug I will next time rent A LARGER MACHINE. This machine has a very strong vacuum which helps to shorten time before cleaned area can be used overall a great cleaning machine

Following the directions, this portable Rug Doctor carpet cleaner was a breeze to use. It took out some set in coffee stains and some fresh ones as well. First I used their solution to clean carpet, then I used a solution of 1/2 water & 1/2 vinegar - this helped to pick up/clean up any residue left in the carpet AND helped to clean the machine out at the same time. When I was done, I took containers off machine and thoroughly rinsed them out. Then I let them air dry before replacing back on the machine. This means the next time I want to use it, it will be all set to go. Could not be happier with this purchase and would definitely recommend this product.

Let me first point out this spot cleaner won't do magic on its own. It takes effort and creativeness on your part too. I've used it by itself to clean easy messes and have used it after applying stronger cleaners for the tough ones. All that said, I no longer need to exert significant elbow grease to remove stains. Overall, it has been an excellent purchase.

My daughter ,with 5 young children has one and she said it works great. It does. the cleaner does what it is advertised. It is easy to use and clean up. It isdefinetly not for huge areas but great for stairs,hallways and smaller cleanup areas.

I have had countless Bissell's and they keep breaking after the warranty or extended warranty. Not only that they don't completely get the mess out from a pet. This unit is awesome! It works quick and is easy to set up and clean up at the end.

Love this machine. It is easy to use , compact and works as you would expect. Bought it mainly to clean my car seats but found myself using it in my apartment too.

This product is very portable and easy to carry around. I had issue cleaning my car in the past due to the size or unconfortable design of other machine. On top of that, this has a much better suction.

The Rug Doctor Spot Cleaner has much better suction than our old upright floor cleaner. It works great on spots and was just what we needed.