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Steam Cleaner recs?
We did the Rug Doctor a while ago (few months?) and I'm sooo disappointed with how our carpets look now. There's one stain/dark spot right near our kitchen, and the stairs and landings are horrible, even though I worked on them for hours.
Our neighbors bought a steam carpet cleaner last week (or so) and cleaned their carpets over the weekend, and they're a huge difference to ours. I know they spent about $400 on theirs, and no way is that in our budget, but I've been poking around and saw a few on Walmart.com for under $200 ($150ish or so).
So I have a few questions I'm hoping you guys can help me out with:
1) What are the differences between those extra-expensive ones and the cheaper models?
2) What brands/models/features would you recommend for a "narrow" condominium/townhouse floorplan with some nooks and crannies/narrow/hard to get into areas and two flights of stairs?
3) Is there one particular model you're in love with?
Note: we have two cats and no kids.
Any input would be wonderful. 
Thanks.
Re: Steam Cleaner recs?
We have a Hoover Steam Vac and I think it's fabulous. We got the cheapest thing we could find that still had an upholstery attachment. I think it was $120 at the time.
It was a little difficult out of the box, and I had to exchange it because it was leaking. The new one worked perfectly though, and it made our carpets smell nice. I've let a couple coworkers borrow it and they think it is wonderful too. It was just a little hard to put together out of the box, but once it's up and running, it's amazing.
I recommend finding one that heats the water. My steam vac does, but Rug Doctors don't. I had the same experience with Rug Doctor that you did. It was a huge disappointment.
I have the Hoover Steam Vac (All Terrain) and love it. I've had it approximately 5-6 years and have had no problems with it. I also have a cat. Here's the link:
http://www.hoover.com/product.aspx?model=F7452900&ds=false