Little Green when you just need a Little Clean
Written: Jul 27 '01
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Pros: A "must-have" around incontinent pets.
Cons: *EXTREMELY* noisy --- the whole block will know you're cleaning the rug!
The Bottom Line: Use this for life's little "oops!" moments (kids, pets, tipsy guests) but don't expect serious carpet cleaning.
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| Ledermann's Full Review: Bissell 1720-1 Little Green Wet/Dry Vacuum |
She's old, she's cranky, and she leaks a lot in the middle of the night. No, not the machine --- the cat that makes it necessary to OWN the machine! So with that as prelude, let me say that the Little Green Machine does an "okay," if not "stellar," job of keeping up with the leaks. It's definitely better than either the spot-treatment cans of stuff from the supermarket or the blot-it-up-and-pretend-that's-the-end-of-it route. However, it is not the same as a true carpet cleaning, and you shouldn't expect it to be.
OPERATION
Operation really couldn't be much simpler: the unit includes two tanks, one for hot water and optional cleaning solution (most so-called "steam" cleaners are actually hot-water-extraction cleaners; they shoot hot water into the carpet and then suck it back up along with the dissolved dirt) and another tank for the dirty water.
One important thing to remember about these tanks is that, although they're roughly the same physical size, they're not designed or intended to hold or use the same amount of liquid at a time. The supply tank holds a good deal more liquid than can realistically be sucked back into the dirty-water tank --- in part, because the dirty water also tends to foam a bit, which can quickly fill things up and clog the works. So, you should expect to empty the dirty-water tank roughly twice for every full tank of hot-water-and-solution.
So, the 1-2-3 of this operation is:
1. Fill the supply tank with water or a water/cleaner solution, up to the fill line.
2. Snap the supply tank into place, make sure the machine is plugged in.
3. Turn it on, then use the trigger to simultaneously squirt hot water and vacuum it back up.
EFFECTIVENESS
As mentioned above, this machine is surprisingly effective at getting up things like spilled wine, cat urine, cat vomit, and so on. It is *NOT* a substitute for a true deep cleaning, however, and the size of the machine makes it impractical for anything more than spot cleaning.
You should also try to time your cleaning so you can avoid the area for a while. The carpet will still be quite damp, and walking on it will either leave marks on the carpet, cause you to slip on the damp rug, or make your stocking feet all squishy and uncomfortable from the moisture.
One other note, with particular regard to cleaning up pet accidents: **NO** machine is capable of cleaning pet urine well enough that there is no lingering odour. Even if YOU can't smell it, your pet can, and s/he will continue to soil the same spot unless you eliminate all traces of odour with a special enzyme. Don't expect this --- or any other --- machine to take care of that problem; this is just for the "here and now" cleanup. It's also worth noting that the hot-water solution can temporarily make the smell WORSE, because it will loosen up and activate whatever traces might still be in the carpet or carpet padding. You'll still need something like Febreze or Woolite, but this machine can get up enough of the spot to help prevent carpet damage.
FIT, FINISH, STYLING
Styling??!!? Who CARES, for Pete's sake??! It's a carpet cleaner; get a grip!
Fit and finish, on the other hand, ARE important because the materially affect the way the thing works. The tanks each slip over a "lip" moulded into the base unit, and this is my only major complaint. Over time, the fit tends to loosen and shift, to the point where it gets pretty precarious and you're constantly wondering whether the &*(I$%^@!! supply tank is going to fall out. It doesn't, but it always looks as though it's going to, and you do find yourself repeatedly slamming the thing back into place to make sure.
The design on the hose and cord, while compact, is a bit awkward, too, especially when putting the unit away. You want to make sure to handle the hose very carefully, always keeping the cleaning head upright --- otherwise, it can drip a surprisingly large amount of not-quite-clean water on the floor. Also surprising is the fact that there's no way to effectively drain the hose and the cleaning head before putting it away; you just have to store it and wait for the left-over hose water to evaporate.
You also want to be sure to store the hose BEFORE wrapping the cord back around its holder. It doesn't prevent storage if you do it the other way around, but it becomes very awkward and cumbersome.
WRAP-UP
Am I glad I bought it? Yeah, I suppose so. I'd really rather not HAVE TO spend my Saturday mornings on "Barf Patrol" looking for the spots the pets have let fly with one body fluid or another --- but that just ain't in the cards, so I'm glad to have some cleaning allies. Just remember you get what you pay for: about 1½ to 2 years of reasonably effective spot cleaning, before the fit and finish of the unit start to compromise its effectiveness.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 85
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Epinions.com ID:
Ledermann
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Location: Aptos, CA
Reviews written: 53
Trusted by: 12 members
About Me:
Silicon Valley guy reviews appliances, movies, & music -- film at 11!
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