A purchase based on faint praise
We’ve had a quarter century to get used to the barefoot comfort of carpets. Not unusual in this neighbourhood; we all built at a time when the fashion required it, and it fit well with plans for children. Or, as some know them, rug rats. To do it all again, I’d opt for concrete and bubble wrap, but hindsight is a simple balm.
Anyhow, before we get around to replacing the stuff with something newer (and better), there’s a need to keep it clean. A question of perspective, because a carpet is clean only once – before it is laid. All the rest involves compromise. And so the question of “How will we clean things this time? is back.
Three options: a commercial outfit ($$$), a rental machine ($) or outright purchase. Now, here’s where the waters muddy up.
The manufacturers have an obscene talent for naming their machines. Just reading a list makes one sound like a candidate for “The Price Is Right”, or the Shopping Channel. I refuse to listen to the people who people the box store sales areas, so we went where all good internauts begin… online reviews.
One site listed 86 positive reviews in a row. A rare eloquence. A sure sign that the site belonged to a manufacturer. In dark contrast, the reviews available at a popular hardware store website, where the average marks drop faster than the thermometer outside at this time of year. Faint praise, if any.
I think we’ve decided to compromise, by choosing a model that doesn’t require a second mortgage, but offers a certain level of reviewer satisfaction. The task ahead (for the machine) will be arduous.
