As an apartment dweller, I haven't had many opportunities to rent equipment. Management wouldn't be thrilled if I decided to renovate on my own and would probably like it even less if I rented an excavator to dig up holes in the lawn. So, with only a few feasible options, I decided to clean my carpet.

I called the Home Depot in Lawrence, Kan., on a Saturday to ask about reserving a carpet shampooer. After a friendly voice answered the phone, I was put on hold for about five minutes until I was connected with the tool rental department. I let the rental clerk know the job I planned to do and inquired about reserving a machine. They had only one model of carpet cleaner to rent and didn't take reservations; customers must rent on a first come, first served basis. But with about eight units available when I called, I was told I shouldn't have a problem renting one the following day.

I showed up at Home Depot a little before noon on Sunday, August 8, for my first rental experience. The counterperson, Pat, was helping another customer when I walked in, but greeted me and said that he'd be right with me. I took the two minutes while I was waiting to look around the tool rental center. It was well organized and clean, with equipment displayed neatly on shelves. Shortly after, Pat turned to me to see how he could help. I told him the job I needed to do, and explained that I had never shampooed my carpets before. He assured me I'd be able to do it without a problem, and grabbed a machine for me.

Pat made sure to ask if I needed carpet cleaner, and grabbed a bottle, while adding up the approximate number of square feet in my apartment to make sure I'd have plenty. He brought the machine up to the counter and showed me how it worked. He went over the steps I needed to take to do the job, and explained the spray lever, changing the bucket and how much shampoo to use. The machine also had written instructions on it explaining how it worked.

The rates for carpet cleaner rental were $19 for four hours and $27 for a full day, with 30 minutes added on for transporting the equipment home. Each additional hour up to eight hours carried a charge of $1.90 per hour. The 24-hour rate included hours eight through 24. Pat explained the rental charges to me with the agreement on paper in front of me. Using an orange marker, he highlighted the minimum charge of $19.00, the extra hours charges, and the per day charge so I was clear about my financial obligations when renting the machine. The damage waiver of $1.90 would cover me if the machine was damaged during use. I then signed the rental agreement, and Pat instructed me to pull my car around to the door so he could help me load it into my car.

Although I could have also used help unloading the machine once I got home, I managed to lug it into my apartment. When I put hot water in the bucket and the machine didn't seem to be working, I quickly remembered Pat's instructions that I had to dump the water into the machine for it to work properly. The machine exercised my forearms and gave me calluses on my hands, but was easy to operate. The dirty water was a definite indication that it was doing the job.

I was able to finish the job in less than five hours and made it back to Home Depot before it closed at 6 p.m. I wasn't sure how the return worked, so I went into the store and Pat told me to pull around to where I picked it up so he could unload it. He let me know that for future rental returns, I could just pull around and ring the buzzer for someone to help me.

Although I have no basis for comparison, my experience at Home Depot was a positive one. The friendly staff, clear explanation of the equipment and rental process, and the delivery and return system contributed to the success of my first rental. I'll give Home Depot's tool rental center a return visit when I'm a homeowner painting my house.