Our new Rug Doctor

We decided to buy a Rug Doctor to clean the one room with carpet in our house after months of discussion. We previously rented one from the local grocery store for fifty dollars plus buying the cleaning solution and renting the attachments to clean upholstery. Although we cleaned the carpet only two or three times a year, it really needs it almost monthly with 3 kids, 3 cats, 1 dog, and 2 adults. So, we finally decided it made sense to own one and ordered it. It came last week. We've both been itching to clean the carpet, but haven't had time, plus it's been raining. Not an ideal time to clean a carpet. Today, however, Ella, the 20 month old, and the dog, decided today was the day to give it a whirl.

Ella is obsessed with dirty diapers. She does not like wearing them. Once she has soiled a diaper she announces "Poop!", regardless if there is poop or pee in the diaper, and proceeds to strip, leaving the offending diaper on the ground and running around the house stark naked, avoiding a new diaper as long as possible.

This morning at breakfast she announced poop and I told her we would change the diaper after we had eaten and cleaned up the kitchen. After eating, she left the kitchen while I put the dishes in the dishwasher. Moments later, she started saying poop over and over again. I told her from the kitchen we would change the diaper when I finished with the dishes.

I finished and left the kitchen only to almost step on an empty diaper with smears on it on the carpet. The stench of poop made me choke a little. I looked around for the offending poo, only to see smears on the carpet but no actual piece of poo. I assumed the dog had disgustingly made short work of it and smeared it around in the process.

So, after vacuuming up enough Cheerios and crackers to feed a small nation from under the furniture, out came the Rug Doctor, baby strapped to me in the Bjorn. Not an easy task to keep the other two off the wet carpet and out of my way, but they behaved relatively well.

After the incident, I called my husband at work and he reminded me the dog probably rolled in it. Sure enough, there was poo on her collar, her shoulder, and her back. So off to the bathtub we all went to bathe the dog.

On the plus side, it did entertain the kids most of the morning on the third day trapped inside by the rain. Oh, the Rug Doctor works great, by the way.