Rug Doctor | Nottingham Spirk Design Collaborative

Spot Cleaner and Deep Carpet Cleaner

CHALLENGE: Consumer Product at an Affordable Price

SERVICES: Insights, Design, Engineering, Prototyping, Sourcing, Manufacturing

AWARDS: Gold Rating from the Carpet and Rug Institute

Rug Doctor was well known for its commercial-grade carpet cleaners, available to rent at Home Depot and other stores, but wanted to get into the consumer retail market. The challenge was to maintain the brand’s reputation for making the toughest and most reliable cleaners on the market, but at a price appealing to homeowners.

Research and Testing to Ensure Customer Satisfaction

Extensive, in-home consumer research revealed carpet-cleaning dilemmas and frustrations with existing cleaners. Consumers wanted power, convenience, and portability, and no model seemed to provide all three. Armed with these insights, we developed two products with Rug Doctor, the Spot Cleaner and the Deep Carpet Cleaner. Additional consumer testing was conducted throughout the product innovation process to ensure customer satisfaction.

Gold Standard Design

For the Spot Cleaner, we built a secondary motor into the handle to dramatically increase suction. The tanks are easy to remove for filling and cleaning. The handle extends, the hose is longer than those of competing models, and the wheels are carpet-friendly. The Deep Carpet Cleaner is equipped with a dual cross-action brush system unlike anything on the market, and offers 75 percent more suction power than any competing model. These and other innovative features earned it a  Gold rating from the Carpet and Rug Institute.

A mid-level executive for a major retail chain saw the Spot Cleaner at the International Home + Housewares Show. He was so impressed that he immediately called his bosses, who had left for the airport, and urged them to come back and see it.