Does it really take 2 days for the carpet to dry??

No, I just bought this machine 2 hours ago. I did my living room and by the time i finished the bedroom upstairs, the living room is dry. You have to control how much water you spray and slow down when backing up over the wet area so it has the most suction.

That's a good question. It will depend on several factors including how much water is sprayed down, how many suction passes are taken, and how humid it is. Your carpets could be dry in a few hours or need to dry overnight. It should not take 2 days to dry.