I agree. I use Folex and water to clean carpets usually. First I vacuum with a shop vac. Next I spray down the carpets with water and then Folex. Scrub where needed. Next, I use a LGCM to spray some more water and to extract the carpet. I main benefit that the LGCM has over shop vacs is that you can see when you are extracting clean water. Even though the surface of the carpet looks clean, deep down it is still dirty and if there is any soap solution left, it'll just attract even more dirt later on down the road. I'm not so sure that the ones who solely use a shop vac are properly extracting all of the dirt, shampoo, and other solutions out of the carpet. IMO, the LGCM is a step above the shop vac treatment (which is a step above the vaccum and blot treatment) but isn't close to an actual extractor. If you do a lot of interiors, it would be beneficial to invest in a true extracter, whether it is portable or a large unit.