My fiancé bought me this about a year & a half ago, we have five cats, a dog and a five year old so messes are inevitable. On top of that, we have a smaller house so we wanted something more compact, this is perfect! It's so easy to pull this out and use at any time, then tarter the tank just pops off and can easily be cleaned. The best advice I can give is, slow and steady. You cant use it like a vacuum, you have to take your time and slowly suck up the excess water/solution. I've loved owning this carpet cleaner!