I have not had much experience with other hand-held cleaning products like this so I don't have much to compare to. However, it does get the job done with a little elbow grease. You have to have it tilted just so to get the suction to work, but it gets the spot up with ease compared to having to pull out the big shampooer that you use for the whole floor. I really like the OXY cleaner it comes with as it is quite effective and the fact that I don't have to add water to it is a testament to the fact that it is for it's intended purpose. I would recommend this to anyone with dogs who have to shampoo their carpets on a regular basis. It works and is a great tool to have handy in the event of an emergency or that one spot that you just don't want to wait and clean the next time you shampoo your carpets.