Impressively effective. Reasonably priced.
Written: Jul 17 '08
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Pros: -Reasonably priced
-Easy to assemble
-Easy to use
-Cleans effectively
-Somewhat quiet operation
Cons: Be careful with 2-in-1 tank handle. Make sure tank is secure to handle.
The Bottom Line: If you need carpets cleaned, this will do the job. Some stains may be more difficult than others to remove. Be patient and persistent.
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| stonecutter2's Full Review: Bissell PowerSteamer Deep Cleaner Plum Upright Vac... |
Let me preface this review by stating that I absolutely, positively neglected and abused my carpet. There were spills not cleaned up, dirt tracked in and over for years. This cleaner actually managed to make the carpet look close to new (though some stains remain, they are much lighter and less noticeable). But, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with what is inside the box:
The carpet cleaner itself (obviously)
Plastic hose for use with brushes/tools
3" Tough Stain Brush
Turbobrush (a beefier version of the 3" tough stain brush)
16 fl oz Trial Size Bissell Fiber Cleansing Formula
16 fl oz Trial Size Bissell Tough Stain Precleaner
User's Guide
Assembly:
Once you get everything out of the box, the User's Guide is fairly straightforward in explaining the assembly process. Assembly is minimal, and mostly involved putting the handle section on the cleaner section, sticking the hose/power cord caddy on the back of the machine, then screwing in 4 screws. The only stumbling block was figuring out how to wrap the plastic hose around the caddy properly.
Use:
I found that the spots I sprayed with Precleaner did require less effort with the machine to remove, but it might depend on what mess it is that you're trying to clean. I imagine some Resolve or similar spot removal product would have similar results.
The "2 in 1 water tank" is rather ingenious, in that when you lower the handle of the machine to the ground, then pull the tank out, you'll see a plastic liner inside of the tank. You fill this tank with clean water through a hole, and dirty water fills in around the "bladder" of clean water being used. Clean and dirty water are kept separate, and dirty water is not reused to clean your carpets. The handle is used for carrying and to unlock the top for water refills, so be sure the handle's latched before trying to carry away hot water.
There is a switch with 3 settings for how much cleaning solution to use:
High Traffic
Normal
Water Rinse
The High Traffic setting seemed to be really wasteful with cleaning solution, but moving the slider to just a bit below Normal worked wonderfully. Your results may vary.
There is also something called a "flow indicator" on the machine, which is a red cross in a clear plastic bubble, and it spins when you squeeze the trigger and apply cleaning formula. If you hold the trigger down and it doesn't spin, check the amount of water and formula that you have...you probably need to refill. In my experience, the flow indicator only spun when pulling the machine backwards with the trigger squeezed. But it did stop spinning one time mid-backstroke, so I knew I needed more formula and new water (Bissell recommends checking both when either is empty).
Using the cleaning tools just involves the simple flip of a switch. I used the brushes minimally, and mostly just used the machine itself. The Turbobrush looks like it could handle some serious cleaning tasks, though. I intend to give these a shot tomorrow on some chairs and see how they perform.
All in all, the various stains, spills, and deep down dirt on the carpet seem to be gone or very faded, so I'm pleased with this cleaner. Hopefully you won't have to demand so much of this machine, but if you, know that it seems up to the task and is very easy to operate.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 149
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Epinions.com ID:
stonecutter2
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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