Shampooers Reviews

First time you use it.. it works great.. second time it sucks a bit less water, until about the 30th time, it literally does not suck up any water at all. Here is the problem. There is a black sponge filter between the water tank and the vacuum. I have no idea how air passes through this filter, but in design its supposed to. I dont know why but after a couple uses this filter becomes clogged, I have washed this filter and its original state is not restored (it still does not let air pass though). I removed the filter all together and I sucked up more water in the first minute than I got from doing the entire room with the filter in.

What I suggest is this. Take the filter out, and at the same time move vacuum slowly (so water does not splash much) I would change the water before its fills to the limit. After finished, I would remove the container and run the vacuum for second to dry out any water that got into the vacuum.

I gave this thing 3 stars, but the bottom line is it works great if only air could get past the filter/sponge.

I praise your product, i moved into a room that had a rug so dirty you could smell the dirt. well until i got this dirt devil i tried vacuuming it, and tried to spray it with foam cleaner but the smell lingered on. i used the dirt devil 1 time and had to change the water 4 times and when it dried, no, before it dried i smelled the clean, felt the clean and saw the clean. never felt so good getting deep down clean, thanks dirt devil

I have used my new Dirt Devil three times. I have had no problems and I have visibly seen it suck up dirty water. The only stain it didnt clean was a 1 1/2 year old peach juice stain/dirt stain that I have tried to clean for the last year and a half. This machine did clean up my daughters vomit stains on the same carpet. The only time the suction has not worked for me was when the top wasnt seated right.

This is a great vacuum! It is a bit on the heavy side, but it has some self-porpelled motion, which helps. It was afordable, and works great. I have a cat, and she leave hair everywhere, it's great to have a powerful vacuum that really cleans and is also easy to empty.

This proved to be a good investment despite some flaws. I use to have a dirt devil and a soon as I started to vacuum with the Bissell I knew it was of better quality. There are two flaws that I think about everytime I use the vacuum 1. I am a so much interested in the way my things look and the vacuum has faded letters and it is missing logo information. It makes it look like it is not a "real" bissell. That is just me, but I bet if someone would look at it they would not even notice the missing logos and the lettering that looks like it was stamped in the wrong place.
2. When I use the vacuum there is always a foul smell that comes out of it. It makes me think that if this was a used item the previous owner had pets and the odor is still penetrated.
Overall I do recommend this remanufactured product.

Love this vacuumm. It has great power and can take a beating.

I relly likethis spootcleaner because it is powerful and cool it is fun to use for every day cleaning around the house and the oxy stane stuff is powerful to this is a very grate spotcleaner from bissell I can trust bissell we mean clean. Alex.

With three kids this product is great on the go! They are always spilling pop and such in the car and this works so well at getting the stains out quickly and effortlessly!! It is so easy to use and the kids like to use it now too! It fits great in my glove compartment so it is always with me to help me with those spills and messes!

I tend to be a messy person and this is a lifesaver! I spilled coffee and this little device cleaned it up with no problems!! All that I had to do was spray the stain and scrub the area! Hardly no work at all! I also like how small it is so I am able to toss it in my purse and bring it with me! I have also used it on spills in my car from my kids! Thank you for inventing my new lifesaver!

I'm pleased with the way it works. It picks up well and is easy to maintain. However, the main filter was scented. You have to wash the filter anyway instead of replacing it (very easy, very fast drying) and once I did that a couple of times the smell was gone. It is like an air-freshener, but I just don't like those scents.

We now own 2 of these and it works better than 5 other brands (all name brands and more expensive too) I tried before buying the original one of these. It is a little loud, but more than worth it for the way it picks up off of bare floors (both wood and vinyl floors). I vacuumed with it after using a bag vacuum on both bare floors and carpeted floors, and couldn't believe what it picked up that the other one left behind even though the floor looked and felt clean. It also has an extra long cord, which is nice to have and not replug in elsewhere while I'm cleaning.
Also, they have this model still at Walmart new for the same price as this remanufactured, but changed the model number & a couple things, one being that this one has 7 height adjustments including a bare floor setting, and the new one only has 5 and no setting says bare floor, which was important to us. The only other difference is the color, which I think is black now instead of blue.
We've also had no problem with any clogging from the filters, but I've also washed them out when they look dirty instead of waiting for the suggested time to clean them, so maybe that will help someone else also. They also sell replacement filters for it at Walmart, so if you don't want to wait for the dirty ones you washed to dry, you could get a spare set to have on hand, and it wouldn't cost but a few dollars. They are easy to clean, just use water then wait for them to dry before reinserting them in the vacuum.
I'm hoping it last a couple of years or more, but for $50, I wouldn't complain if I had to get a new one in another year, it works that great, and I'm pretty picky about how clean my floors are with having animals and their shedding. The rest of the house can be messy, but I have to have my floors clean!

I have had this machine about 6 months and i have had no problems. It actually picks up better than almost any vacuum that i have owned. I used it the first time to re-vacuum a floor that i had gone over with a bag vacuum.

I have to agree with the other reviews, this is not one of the better steam cleaners. I had problems with the flex hose popping out of the tool caddy. It is very difficult to get the power cord and the flex hose wrapped around the tool caddy properly. I also noticed like others the dust bunnies being left behind. All in all, it did an alright job of cleaning the carpet ( I have only used it one time so far, so I'll have to keep my fingers crossed nothing goes wrong next time).

We have pets, to be specific, cats. Why, oh, why do we have these beasts that barf on the carpet, leave hair and do other atrocities that I am too delicate to mention here? Well, we love them despite it all. Our adopted kitties are rescue animals and not always so well-behaved when it comes to wall-to-wall carpet. So I bought the Bissel PowerSteamer Upright Vacuum to see if I could get my deranged beige carpets looking a bit cleaner.

Features

Upright vacuum
Long hose and hand tool
On board reservoir for diluted Bissel carpet solution
Removable reservoir for dirty water
Long (approx. 26 foot) power cord.

The hand tool is a small brush, like an upholstery brush, and it can be used on upholstery (check your manufacturer's instructions if you have a microfiber or special fabric on your chair or sofa.) The tool fits onto the long hose, a five-foot or so flexible hose that winds onto some clamps on the back of the upright. It is flexible and long enough to use in corners and places where the wide base cannot go, and on stairs as well.

The unit weighs about the same as an upright vacuum, maybe a bit heavier. The floor brush is wider and bulkier than most uprights. A middle-aged woman of average strength will have no trouble manipulating the unit but might have a bit of trouble to drag it up and down stairs, more due to the width and bulk of the base rather than the weight. An elderly person would most likely need help to move this unit up and down stairs but could operate it well, in my opinion.

How to get started
To put the Bissel PowerSteamer Upright together, you pull a handle out of the box, insert it into the vacuum body and secure it with a long Philips head screw that is taped to the instruction manual. Now the unit is ready to be filled with cleaning solution.

The cleaning solution and dirty water all go into a removable bucket that is cleverly designed with a bladder inside. The bladder insert is connected to the water inlet (a small hole on top.) To remove the bucket, push down on the foot lever which is the handle release, move the handle all the way down to the floor. Take out the bucket by the handle. Take this to the sink. Then fill the bucket first with about a half-cup of Bissel cleaner. A measuring cup is included for this. Then fill the bucket to the neck of the spout hole with hot tap water. Close the lid, bring the bucket back to the vacuum and insert. Press down the bucket handle to latch, bring up the vacuum handle and you are ready to clean.

Cleaning
You have a choice of pre-treating or deep-cleaning. Supposedly, the unit is to come with both a bottle of pre-treat and cleaner, but my unit only had the cleaner included. So I will cover cleaning only here.

First, you remove chairs, furniture, objects that can leave the room easily. Then you vacuum the carpet with your regular vacuum. This vital step removes pet hair, dirt, dust, and lint. Then it's time to use the Bissel. Plug it in, depress the spray button on the back of the handle, and the unit will spray warm cleaner into the carpet. A few passes is enough; you don't want to soak your carpet. Then you release the spray button and pass the unit over the treated area and watch the suction remove the cleaning water. When you see very little liquid sucked up into the unit, you have removed the dirty water and can go on to the next section. I did about a 3 foot swath at a time. Repeat this action, starting in back of the room and exiting the room at a convenient point--in other words, don't clean yourself into a corner or you will be walking over the wet, cleaned carpet. Let the carpet dry.

Results
FIRST: WARNING: YOU MUST VACUUM with a regular vacuum before you use the Bissell.

The unit does clean better than a vacuum; I got a bucket of dirty water from the carpet, a mid-gray color. However this is NOT steam clean; it's lukewarm water cleaning, and the brush is a standard spiral vacuum brush. Professional carpet cleaners use a rotary flat brush that hits all the sides of a carpet fiber--the best professional cleaning units have brushes that have 8 directional brushes as a carpet fiber is octagonal (8-sided) in cross-section. The spiral brush is by its very geometry, not going to hit all the sides of a carpet fiber unless you were to go over the same area in the 8 directions yourself. What does all this mean to you? It means that the Bissel PowerSteamer won't get your carpets as clean as the professional you might have hired in past. But it will wash down the fibers in a way that dry vacuuming cannot do. And the room does smell lovely and fresh when you are finished.

I had to refill the unit twice in a small living room (about 9X12.) The bucket was easy to empty; there is a pour spout-slit that allows you to dump the water away down the sink. For downstairs, the kitchen sink was easy to fill and empty ; upstairs, I had to refill it from the tub.


The Bissel folks claim that you can reduce allergens by using this cleaner. I suppose that can be true, because dry vacuuming, even with a HEPA filter, will leave some dust behind.

Summary
If you have light colored carpets and pets and want to freshen and clean your carpets oftener than you can afford a professional, you will most likely be very pleased with the Bissel PowerSteamer Upright Carpet Cleaner. But don't expect professional results or steam cleaning. For high traffic areas like hallways, home offices (which do seem to get dirtier) and stairs, this will keep your carpets clean and free of traffic streaks.

Very Good at cleaning. I like tha fact that it keeps the water hot. It did a great job of cleaning Coke out of a powder blue rug. It is very easy to use.

Put your $40+ towards something better... This won't last past the 1st bag change.

I've had the powerforce for less than two months and the belt has already broken on it. After searching about Bissell and broken belts, it seems like this is a common problem for them. Belts and brushes aren't covered under warranty as well and it doesn't matter whether it breaks on the 1st day or later, they say they aren't liable for anything.

I have had 2 of these vacuums and both broke within 3 months. With the first one it worked great for the price for about the first week. Then it started getting clogged. No matter how often I emptied the container or cleaned the filters it kept getting clogged to the point that nothing would be in the dirt container and I would have to completely take it apart and pull out the dirt and dog hair. It was a total nightmare. After 2 months it started getting hard to turn on. I would have to hit the switch several times for it to work. Before the 3rd month the on/off switch broke completely. I took it back and exchanged it for a new one. I had the same problems with the 2nd vacuum. The new one took about 3 weeks before it started getting clogged. And before the 2nd month the on/off switch broke again. It also lost all of it's suction power and would just push everything instead of picking stuff up. I have not been able to find my receipt to return it, so I am going to throw this vacuum out for the trash man to have. Although the price is cheap it was a total waste of money and a huge headache. I will never buy a Bissell vacuum cleaner again.

The product I received was not very well "Reconditioned" It stopped working after one use.
I contacted Bissell. They are willing to replace the machine. However, I am told it will take 7-10 days to send me a shipping label, 7-10 for them to receive the machine and then 7-10 more to send me a replacement. I don't have the box the cleaner came in. I need to find a box and ship it back. At very least it will be 3-4 weeks before the cleaner is replaced. I know Amazon will make it right but the aggravation with Bissell compels me to reccomend against purchasing this item.

I don't think I'd buy reconditioned again. The pump belt broke the second time I used the machine. The belt was in pieces and some of it was stuck to the shaft. I made the mistake of tossing the box after my first use. The machine is heavy and I don't know how I'll take it to be serviced.

I received my Powersteamer last week and used it as soon as I assembled it which took maybe 2 minutes. It worked AWESOME! We have 2 boys & 2 dogs and thought that our beige rug was ruined in the high traffic areas. I only had to use the tough stain tool a few times and was not disappointed! I highly recommend this machine for anyone seeking a quality carpet cleaner. The reason for the missing star is that I had not received the TurboBrush, Scotchgard applicator or cartridge in my order. I notified Amazon and within 2 business days had a replacement machine. It was also missing those same items. Amazon.com has been wonderful in trying to rectify this situation for me in a timely manner.

Easy to assemble and use. If you have only a few area rugs in your home, I think you would be satisfied with this product. If you have many area rugs or larger ones or especially, if you have carpeting, you should buy a larger unit with rotating brushes and a larger water storage capacity. I like mine a lot for ease of use and cleaning our few area rugs.

From the initial appearance I doubted its ability, but it proved me wrong. Despite the light weight it sucks up a disgustingly impressive amount of dirt.

I purchased this Bissel QuickSteamer about six weeks ago. I purchased it specifically due to our incontinent beagle. I have used the big $400 carpet cleaners before, and while this little Bissel is not in the same league, it still is a very good cleaner. And worth much more than its meager $55 price tag.

It is light, easy to use, and even comes with a bottle of carpet shampoo. You fill the little container up with hot water, add some cleaner, slap it into the steamer body and you're ready to clean up your carpet. Just squeeze the trigger on the handle to squirt out the cleaner and let it go for it to be kind of sucked back into the steamer.

Now if you have a massive 3,000 square foot house then obviously this steamer is not for you. But for working in smaller carpeted areas and rooms, this is perfect. If you want to clean an entire room's carpet extremely well, you may have to re-fill the water/shampoo cannister once or twice. But the re-fill process is quick and the emptying of the dirty water only takes a moment, so this really isn't a problem at all. This steamer isn't designed for huge jobs.

The only problem I've ran into is that if you do not fill up the cannister to the "fill line" when you begin your cleaning, the trigger button may not work. I looked at the troubleshooting on the Bissel website and it says that the steamer functions on a "gravity process" or something of that nature, and that the steamer needs filled completely to get the whole gravity thing going. So, when you start make sure its filled completely.

Anyways, for the super-low price and the steamer's excellent performance, I can't imagine that you could find a better machine for a better price. This is an excellent product that I'd highly recommend to anyone.