I always do my own carpets, couch and car with a rental machine. Vacuum really well with your regular vacuum first. We have really soft water here, so I only use about half the recommended amount of soap. If you use too much soap it leaves a greasy film on the carpet that just attracts more dirt.
Start in the furthest corner of the room and work your way out the door. If you have a partner, switch off. Those machines are heavy and they make me tired fast. Empty the dirty water frequently to make the machine lighter.
Dump the dirty water outside, especially if you have pets. The water is disgusting, greasy and if you have pets it's full of hair. The hair can clog your drains really fast (ask me how I know).
Drying time depends on heat and humidity. Hopefully it's still warm where you are. Just do whatever you need to make the house hot and dry. If I ever get stuck cleaning the carpets when it's too cold to open the windows I run our dehumidifier.
Make sure there's cold beer in the fridge for afterwards.
