I bought this item to scrub carpets and floors. I found that if you tighten the tank that holds water/detergent too tight, it leaks on floor when not in use. It runs automatically after plugging it in and pressing lever on bottom but it runs with less resistance backwards. It would be better to have a switch to turn on. It would be better if it ran with little resistance forward rather than backward. Since it does not pick up dirt, it would be better to buy a steamvac that actually sucks up dirty water rather than leave it in carpet or floor.