Wall-to-wall carpeting is warm and cozy, but it can get dirty, especially in high-traffic areas. Bissell carpet cleaners help you wash the dirt from your carpets, leaving them smelling fresh, rather than just sucking up loose dust and debris, the way vacuums do.
Bissell offers several models of carpet cleaner, so you’ll need to think carefully when selecting the right one, and this guide will help you do just that. At the end, we’ve featured some top models, including our favorite, the Bissell Big Green, which is a professional-grade carpet cleaner that’s tough on stains.
Considerations when choosing Bissell carpet cleaners
Full-size vs. portable
Bissell makes both portable and full-size carpet cleaners. Portable carpet cleaners are compact and lightweight, so they’re easy to maneuver around the house to tackle small cleanup jobs and spot cleaning. They aren’t so great for cleaning the carpets in your whole home, however. Full-size carpet cleaners can be either upright or canister models, but both options are designed with large tanks and cleaning heads to make cleaning large areas of carpet quicker and easier.
Size and capacity
Consider the overall size of your chosen Bissell carpet cleaner to make sure it’s a suitable size for you to lift, maneuver, and store. We’d also recommend checking the size of the cleaning path, since a smaller cleaning path equals a slower cleaning process. In most full-size models, this is between 9.5 and 12 inches. Also think about the capacity of the tank. Some compact portable models have tanks with capacities as small as eight ounces, while full-size models usually have one- to two-gallon tanks. Small tanks need to be refilled more frequently, which is inconvenient.
Features
PowerBrush
The PowerBrush found on some Bissell carpet cleaners can reach deep into the pile to pull out dirt without damaging the fibers, leaving your carpet clean and hygienic.
HeatWave
Using hot water in the tank of your carpet cleaner increases how effectively it cleans but, under usual conditions, the water will soon cool down. The HeatWave function maintains water temperatures for the entire cleaning process.
EdgeSweep brushes
EdgeSweep brushes are designed to clean right up to the edge of the machine, so you aren’t left with dirty areas up against baseboards and along the edges of furniture.
Price
Bissell carpet cleaners start at around $150 for basic models and can cost more than $400 for professional-grade options.
FAQ
Q. What’s the difference between the various cleaning modes?
A. Bissell carpet cleaners offer deep-cleaning and express modes, plus a max clean mode on pet models. The standard deep-cleaning mode is what you’ll usually want to use to deep clean your carpets, while the express mode is what you’ll use for a light clean or when you don’t have as much time to let your carpets dry — using the express mode, they’ll be dry in roughly 30 minutes. The max clean mode is only found on Bissell pet models and offers an even deeper clean to get rid of those pet-related stains and odors.
Q. How often do I need to clean my carpets?
A. This really depends on the level of traffic in your home and how clean you want your carpets to be. For most households, a deep clean once every six months is plenty. However, if you have pets or young kids and their mess makes you unhappy, you might wish to increase this to once every two to three months.
Bissell carpet cleaners we recommend
Best of the best: Bissell Big Green
Our take: A professional grade carpet cleaner you can use at home — perfect for anyone who wants their carpets impeccably clean.
What we like: Saves time by cleaning on both forward and backward passes. The extra large dirt lifter power brush has an impressive scrubbing action. Impressive suction power for quicker drying.
What we dislike: No complaints about its performance but it is fairly bulky.
Best bang for your buck: Bissell Proheat Essential
Our take: An affordable carpet cleaner that gives decent results, though it may falter on the dirtiest of carpets.
What we like: HeatWave technology keeps water hot for more effective cleaning. Impressive six-row dirt lifter brush. Crevice tool is great for corners, stairs, and upholstery.
What we dislike: Not the most reliable model, though manufacturer faults are covered by the warranty.
Choice 3: Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro
Our take: This extra-powerful carpet cleaner is designed to meet the extra cleaning needs of homes with pets.
What we like: The Max Clean mode gives an extra-deep clean. Features a stain-and-odor-removal system. CleanShot pretreater option. Includes upholstery tool.
What we dislike: Tank capacity a little small for cleaning large areas.
Lauren Corona is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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