Review - Bissell Lightweight Quicksteamer Multi-Surface Carpet Cleaner

This is a description of the Bissell QuickSteamer Multi-Surface carpet cleaning machine as well as commentary and opinion of the cleaning performance of this lightweight and inexpensive machine.

Summary: This is an inexpensive model. The machine is great for quick cleanups and to maintain the freshness of carpets and area rugs with occasional deeper cleaning as required. I also found it very effective for cleaning a fairly soiled carpet; drawing out a lot of dirt and leaving the carpet fairly dry! The unit needs frequent replenishing of the small tank as well as dumping out the soiled water reservoir; but both are relatively simple procedures.

There is an attachment for washing floors. I found this machine does a good job on vinyl tiles, except of course for corners, where a cloth and hands work best! While some consumers have claimed it left the floor wet, I disagree. It does not completely dry since there is a wet strip of sponge on the attachment, but the floor is dry fairly soon after. The key is correct assembly so all the attachments are snug for the best suction.

I recommend rinsing out all the removeable sections after use to retain the clean appearance of the machine. Some consumers have found this cumbersome, but with the right technique and under running water I have been able to keep it looking like new over the course of half a dozen uses. Here again, you need to realize that when it is still wet is the best time to rinse out the unit. If you let dirt dry, then yes, it will be difficult to remove later, since you cannot access the surfaces AND it is absolutely necessary to vacuum and sweep surfaces first to remove excess particles. This is common sense...the more debris inside the reservoir, the harder the cleanup!

The unit was easy to assemble. Approximate assembly time 15 minutes which includes reading the instructions. All the components are included including three screws. You only need to have a Phillips screwdriver and you are good to go!

Once assembled, filling the container was easy, it needs only a small amount of the carpet shampoo(supplied in the box) and the hottest water you can get (but NOT boiling!)

Note: The carpet should be thoroughly vacuumed first to avoid a headache cleaning the dirty water container later. Debris will get trapped inside the container and be difficult to wash out! You will thank me for that warning!

The machine does a very narrow path ( 9 inches) and there is a gap between the bristles of the brush going over the carpet, so you get a row of wet stripes, so several passes overlapping are required to wet the floor. This has to be followed by more passes to collect the dirty water back out.

The machine is very lightweight to move and is a vast improvement over the old fashioned canister Bissell machines with hoses and attachments. However there are no attachments for upholstery or stairs!

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Excellent cleaning of small heavily soiled areas
• Good for cleaning bare floors
• Lightweight and easy to manoever (12 lb)
• Very small: good for storing in small space
• Noise about the same as a vacuum
• Long extension cord (20ft)
• Bare floor cleaning capability
• Easy filling
• Easy emptying
• Easy Assembly
• Assembly instructions included
• Clear tank and nozzle to see when the carpet is dried and no more water is being removed
• Suctions off the water to a damp dry carpet

Cons:

• Assembly needed
• Cleaning path is only 9 inches wide!
• Fiddly washout of dirty water compartment
• Thorough vacuuming needed before shampooing
• Effort needed to wash out brush assembly

Since this is only an initial effort to clean a carpet that doesn't show the dirt very well and has no noticeable staining, it is difficult to judge how effective it would be on heavy soil. Judging by the dirt removed, a second pass with a clean solution is needed. Once a carpet is clean, I think this little machine will keep it fresh and I really loved the fact the carpet is dry after a few hours! The suction is great!

This machine is worth obtaining for light soil conditions and quick cleanups. Depending on the soil level in carpets, this machine does a great job removing dirt. Heavily soiled areas may need a slower cleanup to pick up all the dirt.The reviews on the Canadian Tire site are mostly positive and for my purpose, I am quite satisfied. It is good to wait for a sale since a $30 dollar discount is also worth the wait.

A year later and several dirty cleanings behind me:

I have now tackled heavily soiled areas and have been pleased with the results. I would definitely buy this machine again since for the price it does a remarkably good job. Just go over heavily soiled areas more than cleaner areas.

I was quite impressed how it removed dirt from vinyl floors. What looked fairly clean yielded dirty water. I have also cleaned fairly soiled floors and been very impressed with the change. It is great on ingrained dirt!

The machine can leave puddles if the clean shampoo jug isn't in snug...but the floor is wet anyway, so I was not bothered. Note: a very dirty floor will require replenishing the wash solution container fairly often.

I have only one stain the solution hasn't removed entirely and that is a "set in tea stain" on a synthetic gray carpet. However, even a bleach solution did not remove that stain...so remember to remove stains when they are fresh if at all possible!

Happy cleaning!