For significant stains, you’ll need something with lots of power. You have two options.
Hire a professional to do the job for you. Or do it yourself.
The first option would be safer, but it’ll cost you some serious $$$.
If you’re willing to get your hands a little bit dirty, then the next option could save you in the long run.
A Heavy Duty Carpet Cleaner
Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 Review
Let me introduce you to the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3. This model is one of Rug Doctor’s most potent deep cleaners around.
It is a commercial-grade cleaner that professionals use to clean carpets for a living.
And you can have this type of performance without having to pay a premium.
To help deep clean carpet, the Might Pro X3 uses what they call “Triple-Action Vibrating Brush,” with 75% more bristles to agitate and thoroughly clean carpet fibers. It also fluffs the nap, leaving it smooth and refreshed.
But this carpet cleaner will cost around $400 depending on the package you select.
Is it worth the Rug Doctor’s asking price?
That’s what we’ll find out in this review.
A quick look at the features
- The triple-Action vibrating brush will agitate, lift dirt, fluff, and refresh your carpet
- Has a 3.9-gallon recovery tank, which means less refilling and emptying
- Now comes with an upholstery kit featuring a universal hand tool and 12-foot hose for deep cleaning stairs and upholstery
- Given the highest rating by the Carpet and Rug Institute for a consumer cleaning machine
- Also has the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval
- Powerful vacuum motor sucks up excess cleaning solution off carpet into the recovery tank to cut down drying time
- A three-step process (spray, scrub, and extract) ensures a cleaner carpet
- 28 psi pump pressure
- The brush is 10 inches wide
- The machine weighs 39 pounds
- Can over around 147 square feet before having to be refilled
- 74 hp motor
Pros
- Deep cleans and fluffs the carpet
- Excellent suction will lessen drying time
- Large wheels make this behemoth easy to move around
- The foldable handle is adjustable and helps reduce the vertical footprint for easier storage
- The 9-gallon water tank is huge and lessens the need to refill and empty
- Easy to use out of the box
Cons
- Very expensive
- Pretty narrow cleaning path for such a large machine
- This machine is a massive beast that could be hard to move up and down a flight of stairs
- Very loud – keep this away from toddlers
- The plastic handle may not hold up well over time
What to expect from the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3?
The Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 is one colossal machine, tipping the scale at 39 pounds, but it can thoroughly clean carpets.
One downer would be the narrow cleaning path at just 10″.
Triple Action Vibrating Brush
That is the exact width of the agitating brushes. One difference between this and the Rug Doctor Deep Carpet cleaner would be how these brushes agitation.
Whereas the “Deep Carpet Cleaner” uses a sweeping motion, the X3’s brushes vibrate.
This variant has more stiff bristles, and the vibrating action will agitate to loosen stains on carpet fibers.
Cleans on the pull
One downside would be you can’t use a back and forth motion to clean. The brushes only work when you do a pull, so this slows down the cleaning process.
But with the right technique (that means going slow), this machine will clean the carpet.
And this is a big reason why it has gotten such good reviews not just from consumers but also from the Carpet and Rug Institute that recommends this for cleaning carpet.
Three-Step Process
This machine uses a three-step process that includes a high-pressure system that spritzes cleaning solution on the carpet, stiff bristles to agitate, and high suction to extract excess water/cleaning solution.
Rug Doctor says that this machine has 75% more bristles that will thoroughly clean carpet strands from all sides. Not only will it agitate, but it’ll also fluff carpet, leaving it looking like it was brand new.
The most crucial step is not going too fast.
You will notice in the videos that I will share below that this machine will only clean in one direction – backward. So it may take longer to clean, but the results will be worth it.
More Capacity
One other feature that homeowners will appreciate would be the 3.9-gallon recovery tank.
The large capacity tank will be able to hold more dirty water. You don’t need to empty it as often. It also has a clean water/solution capacity of 3 gallons.
Combine that, and this machine will be able to clean around 147 square feet of carpet. If you do it properly, you will not need to empty this when cleaning a room.
For reasonably dirty carpet, experts would recommend presoaking it with a cleaning solution before using this.
Upholstery Kit
This machine will not be limited to cleaning floors. It comes with a 12-foot hose and universal hand tool that will allow you to clean any soft surface. These include fabric upholstery such as chairs or sofas and carpet stairs.
It’s this type of versatility that makes this tool popular. You may not need a compact carpet cleaner if you buy this. As long as you don’t mind lugging a 40-pound machine around, this is a great machine to have.
Warranty
Rug Doctor backs this machine up with a five-year warranty for non-commercial use. And a one year warranty for commercial purposes. Make sure to register this machine for a hassle-free after-sales service.
Cleaning Performance
To show you how this carpet cleaner performs, I’ll share with you a few videos for you to see it in action.
You can see the difference in just a few wet and dry passes. The vibrating agitating brushes did an excellent job of loosening up dirt. And suction was strong enough to pick up remnants of cleaning/water solution sprayed on the floor.
A slow cleaning process
Again, this machine works on a backward pass, and it is a slow process. But it would help if you did this to maximize the effectiveness of the brushes. If you don’t do a slow pass, it won’t work as well.
You can see the difference is night and day.
Simple to use
On a wet pass, you’ll need to push the red button in the middle.
Don’t press the red button for a dry pass, and the machine will do the rest.
Here’s another demonstration of the effectiveness of the Rug Doctor X3 on a light carpet.
You’ll see how to load the cleaner and water and how to empty the dirty tank.
It’s also a mess with food stains and bald spots. This machine was able to clean it relatively thoroughly, and the carpet had its fluffiness back again.
Product specifications
| Model | Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 |
| Vacuum motor | 1.74 hp |
| Pump pressure | 28 psi |
| Cleaning path | 10" |
| Cord length | N/A |
| Hose length | 12 feet |
| Clean water tank | 3.0 gal |
| Dirty water tank | 3.9 gal |
| Removable caddy | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 years |
What do consumers say?
The overall consensus is positive for the Mighty Pro X3. There’s no question whether or not this machine will clean stains. It does an excellent job cleaning stains. And you can recover the cost of this machine on the second and third cleaning cycles.
However, the question is, are you willing to lug around a 40-pound machine around your home.
If you have pets, toddlers, or lots of folks living in your home, then this could be a worthwhile investment. It’ll save you thousands of dollars during its service life.
There are some quirks that you have to know about before deciding on buying this.
Narrow cleaning path
Despite this machine’s size and heft, the brushes only measure a little over 10″ long. If you compare this to other carpet cleaners with less mass, it is a disappointment. However, Rug Doctor claims that it has more bristles, so this makes up for it.
Difficult to move around
The sheer size and weight of this carpet cleaner make it challenging to move around. You’ll have to remove all the furniture to clean every square inch in an area.
Another issue would be edge cleaning. The brushes don’t reach to the edges. So you’ll need to use the hand tool to clean these areas.
Yes, it is a hassle, but nearly all full-sized carpet cleaners will have this problem.
Is the plastic handle sturdy enough?
You will rely on a plastic handle to move this behemoth around. The big question is, will it be sturdy enough in the long haul. It’s plastic, so there is a risk of it breaking if you’re not careful.
However, don’t let the negative points discourage you. This machine will perform, and there are other benefits.
Large water tank
The large water tank will hold lots of cleaning liquid, but for anything larger than a 10 x 12-foot room, you will need to refill and empty the dirt tank.
Strong suction
What’s impressive with this machine is the strong suction from the primary floor tool or hand tool. It will pick up most of the water/cleaning solution residue. So this will reduce drying time a lot.
Easy to use
Out of the box, this machine comes in assembled. All you need to do is lift the handle, add the right amount of water and cleaning solution, and you’re ready to go.
A highly concentrated cleaning solution
Rug Doctor’s cleaning solutions are highly concentrated, so you don’t need to use a lot. You can save even more by purchasing a separate cleaning solution and just presoaking it.
Then load up the machine with hot tap water. This often does the job if you’re carpet does not have tough stains.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 from online stores like Amazon and Walmart. Take note that if you purchase through any of the links, I’ll earn a commission but at no additional cost to you, so it’s a win-win for both of us.
The entry-level option has two cleaning solutions, the pet odor eliminator and urine eliminator. So it’s something that pet owners should consider. This model will be eligible for Amazon’s free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.
And if the five-year warranty isn’t enough, you can add another three years if you purchase this from Amazon.
You can also buy this direct from Rug Doctor, but it’ll be more expensive.
To wrap up
The Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 is an excellent option inside homes with lots of pets, kids, or a big family where spills are inevitable. This machine is proven time and time again to be able to clean carpet stains.
But it will be a slow process. If you’re willing to move furniture around, get your hands a little dirt, you’ll save thousands of dollars in professional fees.
It also has a handheld attachment and 12-foot hose that’ll help you clean upholstery, stairs, and other hard to reach areas. This machine has the complete package, so if you don’t, might the 40-pound weight this will be an ideal tool that’ll keep your carpet clean.
