So it seems that Bissell is getting into the rental business. I just read that they plan on setting up areas that will rent their Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine and its accompanying products. Apparently of the 800 stores they plan on launching in several hundred of them will be Lowe’s. Bissell will be charging $24.99 a day for rentals plus the cost of chemicals and any other attachments that may be needed.

One of Bissell’s main competitors will be the Rug Doctor, whom Bissell believes they will have a leg up on. They say that their machine is faster and easier to use than other similar units. The Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine has rotating Dirtlifter brushes that rotate backwards and forwards and a DryAire function that heats the carpet to help speed up drying times. The units also have a removable tank for clean and waste water. The pricing and the kiosk set up will be similar to that of Rug Doctor. But it appears that the main difference could possibly be in the cost of buying one of the units. Bissell plans on selling their Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine for around $400 while the Rug Doctor unit starts out around $600.

Bissell believes that they can become the leader in the carpet cleaner rental market. They feel that even though the market may be a bit slow now, it still has the potential to hit several hundred million dollars in sales annually. This is apparently enough motivation for them to branch out with this addition to their business.