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The Rug Doctor Experience: How A 24-Hour Rental Rocked My Home

June 21, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rug Doctor for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

You’ve likely seen Rug Doctor in your local supermarket or home improvement store, tucked away in a little corner, looking like a fun-size version of Zamboni.

And you’ve wondered: can that thing really get my carpets cleaned? I mean, I have kids (or pets…or both), so is it actually up for the challenge or will this be a waste of money?

Well, let me tell you about my experience using Rug Doctor, and a few tips I have for maximum success.

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I went to my nearest Rug Doctor rental location (1 mile from my house! There are 40,000 locations nationwide so odds are good that your nearest place is super close, too). I then picked out my Rug Doctor, I asked for the accessory devices so that I could do my upholstery…they don’t give it to you if you don’t ask, so be sure to request it!) and my cleaning supplies. Go ahead and go for the larger container of stuff. I’ll tell you why in a minute.

The instructions are impossible to lose because they are on the handle of the machine (excellent design!). You need hot water and the cleaning solution, a plug, and a surface that has already been vacuumed, and you are good to go. The device seems to spray the solution onto the carpet or upholstery and then very quickly vacuum it back up into the reservoir where all the dirty water is held. This is what doing half…just HALF of my 5×7 living room rug resulted in. EWWWW!

 photo rug doctor review_zpsdmk5er2y.jpg

The recommendation was to dispense of the dirty water in the toilet, so that’s the route I took. It was super humbling to see just how much dirt and grime was built up in my carpet. My carpet looked dingy, to be sure, but I couldn’t tell that it was THAT dirty just by looking at it. And honestly, now my living room not only looks better, but smells better, too.

I cleaned another area rug in a different room, and then I turned my attention to my cream colored couch, peppered liberally with stains, courtesy of my children. This was perhaps the most satisfying thing to clean because the difference was so dramatic.

 photo rug doctor attachments_zpsg0qz4ftt.jpg

In fact, once I saw just how great it looked, I realized that I was going to be keeping the Rug Doctor for another 24 hours (at my location, you are only charged $10 for another whole day) and would be cleaning my dining room chairs and all the carpet in my upstairs rooms. This is why I recommend that you go ahead and buy the larger cleaning fluid, because once you see how well Rug Doctor works, you are going to want to clean pretty much anything and everything you can. Our plans tonight before we take it back definitely include cleaning the upholstery in the car.

If you are super savvy you can get all of this done in just one day, but it will take some prep work before you head to the store. But whether you spend $30 to rent the machine for a day, spend another $10 to make it a weekend project, or go all in and purchase the Deep Carpet Cleaner or Portable Spot Cleaner (available on Amazon), you are going to LOVE the deep-clean results, and you’ll also love spending a fraction of what you would pay a professional for the same service.

And the actual cleaning is quick (most rooms can be cleaned in 20 minutes). It’s all the picking up you have to do before you use The Rug Doctor that takes forever! 😉 I highly recommend the Rug Doctor experience; find a rental location near you!

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Filed Under: DIY Projects · Tagged: carpet cleaners, rug doctor, rug doctor review

Clean + Green Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

March 8, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 68 Comments

Our family cat, Hattie, has a very special place in my heart. We’ve had her since 2004, and she was, in some sense, our first baby. She does not reciprocate my affection, though. Her love is for Tim. I am like an annoyance she must endure most of the time. The time when she was the most loving toward me was when I was pregnant with Darah. She would lay on top of my belly and purr. In hindsight, I don’t really think that was an act of kindness! She didn’t want me producing any heirs! Ha!

But I love her, anyway. What I DON’T love is cleaning up after her. She is a long-haired cat, and LOVES to eat her hair as she grooms herself. As a result, we get some killer hairballs left as presents for us around the house from time to time.

And since she is an indoor-only cat, we also have a litter box. Tim is in charge of that, thank goodness. We try to go for the more eco-friendly litter options, but they just don’t handle the odors as well as the other stuff.

For the past 2 weeks, we have been trying out some cleaning products that are green and are specifically designed to work with pet stains and odors. Clean + Green is the name of the company, and we tried the following products designed for cats and dogs:

  • Carpet & Upholstery Stain, Odor Eliminator, Cleaner & Stain Remover
  • Wood & Tile Odor Eliminator, Cleaner and Stain Remover 
  • Litter Box Odor Eliminator and Cleaner

I have found every single product to be very effective. And I love knowing that it is non-toxic. I have no worries using them as a pregnant lady or using them around Darah! The carpet cleaner works great on those yucky stains left behind by hairballs. And I like that you don’t need to saturate the stain with the product in order for it to work. This product can also be used on the insoles of shoes. I am constantly wearing flats without any socks, and the end result of that combo doesn’t smell like roses. So it is awesome to have this product on hand, and to know that it is perfectly safe for my twinkle toes!

We don’t have any product that has been designed to be particularly safe on wood floors, so we are really enjoying the Wood & Tile product. Previously, we’ve just been mopping the area with a vinegar/water mix and hoping for the best.

And the litter box product is AWESOME! As a pregnant lady, it is actually not safe for me to clean out the litter box (one of the few perks of being an expecting lady). There are times when I find the litter to be quite smelly, but it’s the middle of the day and Tim won’t be home to deal with it for several more hours. This product makes it all better, as it really does eliminate the odor! I also learned that I can use this same product on our toilet bowl if I think it is smelly as well as in a diaper pail. Very cool!

Buy it!: Clean + Green products can be purchased online and you can also click here to find your nearest retailer!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the Green+Clean product of your choice!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Giveaways · Tagged: carpet and upholstery cleaner, carpet cleaners, carpet cleaning green, carpet upholstery cleaners, clean green, clean green products, cleaning green, giveaway, green cleaning products, litter box odor, litter box odor remover, odors, pet odor remover, review, upholstery cleaners

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Welcome!


Grab your beverage of choice (mine is iced coffee) and let's hang out for a spell! I'm Tiffany, and I've rambunctious little girls and a fierce desire to share any tip and trick I can find to make lives with little ones a bit less hectic and a lot more fun. [Read more...]

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