My New Amazing Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner (An Unsolicited Review)
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I mentioned a few weeks back that I was considering purchasing a carpet and upholstery cleaner, and at the time, I had narrowed it down to two. Well, after reading probably 150+ customer reviews and comparing features, I made my decision, and finally went with this one…
This was not given to me by the company, and no one asked me to write a review of this product. I went to Lowe’s and purchased my new carpet and upholstery cleaner just like anyone else would have to, and I ended up loving it so much that I wanted to tell y’all about it.
While I did buy mine locally at Lowe’s for $279 (because I like immediate gratification), it’s actually $30 cheaper on Amazon. You can click here to find it on Amazon.
I don’t have any carpet in my house, and to date, I only have one area rug. But I wanted a cleaner not only for the rug, but also for the upholstery, because it’s just a handy thing to have when you have pets in the house. Our dog Cooper spends lots of time outside when the weather is nice, and since we still don’t have any landscaping (no grass, only weeds and dirt), he gets dirty really fast. And as much as I try to keep him bathed regularly and brushed daily, he still brings that inside and then walks, sleeps and plays on the rug, and rubs up against all of the furniture.
So even though the living room rug isn’t that old (I got this one in October 2019), and it wasn’t noticeably dirty and didn’t have stains or anything like that, I could tell that the colors seems much duller than they did when it was new.
So I assembled my new carpet cleaner (which took all of five minutes and required a Phillips screwdriver), and then I was ready to fill the tank and get started. When I pulled the sofa away from the wall, I could see a definite difference. The carpet that had been hidden by the sofa was still clean with bright colors. But the edge that had been exposed, and where Cooper walks often to look out the window, was very dingy looking.
I’m not sure if you can tell the difference, but it’s pretty noticeable if you compare the color of the border along the back edge with the side border. You can see how much brighter the side border is.
So this is where I started, and after a couple of passes with the carpet cleaner, I could see a noticeable difference.
So after testing the carpet cleaner and getting used to using it on the area that is generally hidden by the sofa, I was ready to move the sofa back into place and work on the main area of the rug. That’s where it really got fun, because I could tell an immediate and very noticeable difference!
I couldn’t believe how well it cleaned the carpet and how much it brightened up the colors. I worked from left to right, and I stopped when I was just over halfway through to take a picture so you could see the amazing difference.
Isn’t that amazing?! When you can see an actual before-and-after difference right before your eyes, it makes the job so much more fun. Here’s that same picture without the line. You can still see a very definitely difference.
I thought maybe the colors were looking so bright and vivid because the carpet was still a little bit wet. Here’s how it looked right after I finished cleaning the whole carpet…
But it looked pretty much the same the next day when it was completely dry. (It actually only took a couple of hours to dry, but I wanted until I had daylight the next day to take the picture.)
I also tried it on the two purple and white ottomans. After two years of cats walking, sleeping, playing on them, and Cooper rubbing up against them, these things were filthy. But after cleaning the first one using the upholstery attachment, was a day-and-night difference between the one that was clean and the one that still needed to be cleaned. Just look at how dingy these had gotten…
But the machine removed all of that dirt and brightened up the whites (and made the purples more vivid) almost like new.
I still have to clean the other ottoman, and I’m actually looking forward to it. It’s really fun to use, especially when you can see such an immediate difference. Who doesn’t love immediate gratification? 😀
I also did some spot cleaning on the sofa, especially along the edge of the cushions where Cooper likes to rub and lean against while begging for head scratches when I’m sitting on the sofa. It was pretty filthy, and now it looks like new again.
So just to be clear, I’ve never used another carpet and upholstery cleaner other than the kind you can rent at the grocery store, and that was over 14 years ago. But I remember not being very impressed with that machine. That’s why I was so wary about purchasing one.
But I’m very pleased with this one, and if you are in the market for one, I highly recommend this Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro, especially if you’re looking for a machine that will do carpets and upholstery. If you’re just looking for a carpet cleaner, I’m sure there are machines that do a great job at a lower price. But I specifically wanted an upholstery cleaner as well, and I’m so happy with this one.
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WE have that same one and we love it too. Gives amazing results.
Having dogs, I also use that cleaner. It is indeed awesome!
Did you have any issues with the moisture going through the carpet onto the hard wood floor beneath it?
I didn’t. Scroll down just a bit and you’ll see my response to Teresa about this very thing.
I love my Bissell….. have the exact same model……. I have no fur babies….. and it’s just me to clean up after….. but the high traffic areas, even with my shoe off….still need attention….. and I have to agree with you…it is fun…and who can argue with instant gratification….. just one hint…. don’t be tempted to purchase any other shampoo….. it is definitely the combo of a great machine and it own brand name shampoo that gives the best results….
How does it affect the wood floor underneath the rug…or does it not get wet?
I was wondering (worried about) the same thing.
Oh, I should have mentioned this! The machine has three settings on it. One is a really deep clean (I suspect it uses way more water) and takes up to eight hours to fully dry. The second is a standard clean, which for me, took about two hours to dry. And the third is a quick clean setting, which says it takes about 30 minutes to dry.
I used the middle setting, and immediately after making a few initial passes with the machine, I felt underneath the rug and the backing on the rug was still dry. This rug isn’t very thick, either. So that middle setting seemed to be the perfect setting for an area rug. It uses just enough water to clean the top without using so much to go all the way through the rug to the hardwood floor beneath. I don’t think I would ever use the max setting on an area rug, because that probably would go all the way through to the hardwood floor.
Thank you Kristi for the product review. I’ve been nosing around carpet/upholstery cleaners and I’m so happy to have your trusted input. Question- what cleaner (soap) did you use with it? Different or same product on carpet and upholstery?
I just responded to that question from Jill (you and I were probably typing at the same time). If you scroll down just a bit, you’ll see it. I used the same cleaner on both the area rug and the upholstery.
Thank you for answering this question for me Kristi 🙂
I have a Hoover, and mine doesn’t have different settings. It says not to use on rugs on hardwoods unless you put plastic dropcloth under the rug. My area rug is too big to do that. Wish I knew before I bought it, because I was waffling between yours and mine. I have had it for two years and still trying to figure out how I can do my big rug. Garage=too dirty; basement= too crowded or has laminate floors; driveway=not enough room. I’m about to see if I can afford to send it to a professional!
I have the same rug. It’s been professionally cleaned twice and doesn’t look that good. I think I’m getting one of these as I have a lot of area rugs.
I have this unit… love,,<3 <3 it.. its amazing. I have a lab/sheppard and boy does she shed
What did you use for cleaning solution? And thank you for the awesome review!
I stuck with the Bissell brand cleaners that are made for the Bissell upright machines. They have many to choose from. I started with the sample that came in the box, and I really liked it. It was the Pet Stain & Odor + Antibacterial formula. I didn’t have any pet stains, but I liked the fresh smell, so I tried it. It worked great. When that first gallon of water had been used, and I went to refill the tank, I used the bottle of cleaner that I had purchased separately. It was the Pet Pro Oxy Urine Eliminator formula. Again, I wasn’t dealing with any pet spots, but I figured if it can work on pet stains, it will probably be great for any other dirt spots and stains as well. It worked great! I’d recommend either of those. They have others that I haven’t tried yet.
I’ve worn out two of those Bissell scrubbers and LOVE them. I have cats and wheelchairs and in Ohio, in the winter, you NEED a carpet cleaner. I may live in Florida now but I will always want a Bissell!
I love that shampooer too! I always rinse with just water after shampooing and it makes my rugs so much softer too. The shampoo residue can attract more dirt, so the rinsing really helps it stay cleaner longer.
We have a Bissell as well and it also works as a great toddler deterrent as she refuses to go into the laundry room because we have it charging by the door. Works for us as we store things in there we wouldn’t want her getting into anyways!
Is there a factor that made you chose a bigger machine vs one that’s more hand-held? Ergonomics, a specific feature, or durability? I was falling in love with a smaller one by another brand thinking it would be more durable (from a self clean feature) and easier to store.
I was really swayed by the customer reviews on this one, and the fact that it seemed to be geared towards people with pets. It may just be clever marketing, but it sold me. 😀 The upholstery attachment is a small handheld attachment, and that was a main feature I was looking for.
Thank you for the response, I have no pets, but a small child and am a novice at carpet cleaning. While kiddo can be messy with food, mine just tosses when they are full and done, instead of a tornado of crumbs. So mostly looking for something to touch up forgotten drips and general traffic.
Do you have any concerns about cleaning an area rug while it sits on your hardwoods? I’ve always been reluctant, and with hardwoods in every room of my house (except the bathrooms), I’m afraid to use my carpet cleaner.
I was a bit unsure about how that would work at first, but after doing a couple of passes with it, I felt underneath the rug and the water didn’t even reach the backing of the rug. So the hardwood floors stayed perfectly dry. I did get some water around the edges since I pushed the machine over the edge of the rug just a bit, but I just kept a towel on hand to wipe it up the water.
Great to hear–once it warms up, I’ve got a date with some rugs that need cleaning! 🙂
Kristi, you might want to use it to clean your mattress too. I don’t have a machine, but every once in a while I clean my mattress with a brush and soapy water. I guess this would be better.
I assume this is for upholstery that can take a water-based cleaner, is that right?
Bissell also saves pets: “And our products don’t just clean up after pets, they also help save pets! BISSELL® proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation® and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We’re proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.”
Thank you for you honest review! I have a couple of other Bissell products which I really like – and I’ve thought about a carpet/rug/upholstery cleaner and wondered which one to get, especially having dogs and cats (and rabbits….). I ended up looking online at Lowes, and come to find out, it’s on sale right now for a couple of weeks (now the same price as Amazon)! I think I might go buy one tomorrow based on your review and examples of cleaning power — I’ll be ready to get some spring cleaning done when it warms up a bit! Thanks again – love all your honesty throughout your blog!
WOW! It did a fabulous job! Thanks for the review.
Thank you for sharing! I have taken your advice on several items (tv mount most recently) and I have always been happy with the result. I trust you (and no one else) to be as crazy as I am reading way too many reviews before purchase!
I’m disgusted with anything Bissell. Sprayers clog and won’t work after only a few uses, so buying them is literally just money down the drain. I have two non-working Bissell cleaners. I’ve learned my lesson.