It is pretty easy to set up, there is a tank for fresh water, a tank on the back for the solution, and a small tank on the handle for the spot solution. You use it like a vacuum, when you push forward it washes the carpet and when you pull back it dries the carpet. The carpet will not dry completely but you can get it from wet to damp. One thing to be aware of, it can be operated even if the water tank is not seated 100% correctly which will cause water to go into the carpet, but not be pulled back out and into the waste water tank. So, if water is not going into the waste water tank (which is above the clean water tank) you need to stop it and make sure everything is connected correctly, otherwise, you will just have dirty water sitting in the carpet. It does come with a small bottle of the spot chaser and the cleaning solution, but there is really only enough to do one or two cleanings of a single room. So, you definitely want to purchase more if you plan on using this on a regular basis.