We have a cream color carpet which was pretty dirty in the traffic areas and also where our dog sleeps/eats treats/etc. I really didn't think it would clean up very well, so when it came to choosing the level of package I wanted to purchase, I really didn't want to put money into a higher level of cleaning which included a stain guard. The gentleman who was doing the cleaning told me that they would clean the carpet and we could see how clean it got - then I could decide whether I wanted the stain fighter applied. I thought this was very nice of him! My carpet ended up getting MUCH cleaner than I had thought! GREAT JOB!!