I purchased this item about a month ago to clean our 20 year old medium brown carpet. It really is very sturdy and easy to set up. Just vacuum first, mix up the cleaner with water (I put in a small teapot full of boiling water along with the tap water), and clean away. Water in the recovery tank is dark gray/black every time and easy to empty. Wipe the bottom areas of the cleaner with paper towel when you're done (remove and rinse the brushes if you have time) and put away.I've done sections of the house little by little because it is so easy to get out and clean a section even if you only have an hour to work with. I'm only 5'1'' tall and find it easy enough to push around. It is noisy so I use earplugs to save my hearing.The best thing is that we're saving a ton of money over hiring a company to do it for you. Buy the Hoover detergent from Amazon too! Great price and it arrived in 1-2 days.