This cleaner is compact and light. I really liked the combination of the two cleaning solutions. The pet mess tool is very useful and simple to use. All of the attachments and tanks are clear so you can see the liquid being lifted. You do have to spray and then lift but that's not too many steps. I do wish it had an automatic scrub brush like other portable cleaners I have seen. I think this would be great to clean car upholstery. Unless I missed it somehow, I didn't see a place to attach the pet mess tool when not in use so it has to be stored separately. If you have the brush attachment on the machine when storing, there is really no place to put the hose cap either. Other than the storage issue, it is a nice efficient carpet cleaning machine. It is very easy to operate and clean.