Max Advanced Deep Carpet Cleaner vs Shaw Timeless Appeal I 15' Residential Carpet | Q4311-00301 Mojave: which is safer?

Rug Doctor Max Advanced Deep Carpet Cleaner is the clear pick. Shaw Timeless Appeal I 15' Residential Carpet | Q4311-00301 Mojave carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Our pick

Rug Doctor Max Advanced Deep Carpet Cleaner

Rug Doctor

Max Advanced Deep Carpet Cleaner

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 67/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Aqueous cleaning solution, surfactants, water

Confidence

72%

PossibleSurfactant skin and eye irritation

PossibleResidue buildup on carpet fibers

Shaw Timeless Appeal I 15' Residential Carpet | Q4311-00301 Mojave

Shaw Industries

Shaw Timeless Appeal I 15' Residential Carpet | Q4311-00301 Mojave

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 5

Material

Nylon/polyester blend carpet with unknown stain/soil treatment

Confidence

45%

LikelyUndisclosed stain/soil treatment chemistry

PossibleFlame retardant residues

PossibleVolatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Surfactant skin and eye irritation and Residue buildup on carpet fibers on the Rug Doctor and not on the Shaw Industries.
  • We flag Undisclosed stain/soil treatment chemistry, Flame retardant residues, Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing and Microfiber shedding and inhalation on the Shaw Industries and not on the Rug Doctor.
  • The Rug Doctor is Aqueous cleaning solution, surfactants, water where the Shaw Industries is Nylon/polyester blend carpet with unknown stain/soil treatment, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Rug Doctor is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Shaw Industries grade, at 45% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

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