Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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715 of 719 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best solution I've tried, September 10, 2007
I've owned the older white model for over a year now - the old terry pads didn't bother me as far as shrinking went, but I sure wore holes in them. The new microfiber pads are a nice improvement, easier to get on and off, and appear to be more durable.
I'm a big fan of this product and was very disappointed when Bissell appeared to discontinue it - I've wanted to purchase one for my mother and mother in law.
So, for the review:
Nothing cleans your floor better than good old fashioned Cinderella-style scrubbing. But given that I have around 1800 square feet of hard flooring, three kids, and four dogs - my knees just can't take that kind of torture cleaning something that is just going to be spilled on, puked on, or smeared with banana in a matter of minutes.
I have tried all the other leading brands of hard floor cleaners, and this one is by far the simplest to use and does a decent enough job that it's a regular in my household cleaning routine.
Pros:
- Uses nothing but water. No chemicals, no expensive solutions. I do purchase distilled since we have hard well water and the filter on my old model hasn't needed replacing.
- Cleans my ceramic tile and bamboo floor quickly and effectively. The water dries very quickly. My tile never looks streaky, but the bamboo flooring does a bit.
- Piece of cake clean up. Toss the mop head pad into the laundry, wrap the cord up and you're done. Small and compact, easy to store.
- It's very quiet. I can clean after my kids are in bed and the soft steaming noise wouldn't bother even the lightest sleeper.
Cons:
- The cord really is too darn short, but I've remedied that with an extension cord.
- It's a little short for me. This gripe isn't very fair because EVERY mop, broom, and vacuum are too short for me (except for the Dyson) - I'm tall. But I will mention here that short women aren't the only people who clean! My 5'10" self and my 6'3" husband both have to hunch over to mop the floor with this. It'd be lovely if the handle could extend.
- Doesn't do a great job on grout - but nothing does. I've decided I just hate tile and grout period.
- It does take some effort to push, but cleans overall more quickly than the Powered Floormate.
- Like any machine it can't get right up close to the walls and though it's mophead fits under the cabinets, it simply cannot clean right in the crack where the floor meets. So every so often I have to get down and hand scrub those areas.
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Highly, highly recommend for regular use. Does a great job at steaming the dried on grime and gunk my kids regularly paste the house with.
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302 of 302 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bissell compared to the Shark Steam Mop, July 19, 2008
This product is just OK. For some with lots of tile that not too dirty, it may be fine. It is a light cleaning tool. If I had lots of heavy regular filth due to heavy animal and kid traffic, I wouldn't buy either steam cleaner. I am returning the Bissell because I have a lot of wood laminate and it leaves the floors WAY too wet and streaked. But you ought to be aware of the pros and cons since some things may not matter to you. I also borrowed my sister's Shark Steam Mop so I will compare the two for you as the cost is identical.
*The Bissell has a swivel head which is great around the toilet and the Shark does not swivel at all.
*The Bissell is well made for a such a low profile appliance and feels sturdy with a nice thick cord. The Shark feels cheaply made with a flimsy cord. The lengths of the cord are similar. You'll need to use an extension cord with both.
*The Bissell has a removeable water bottle (convenient!) and the shark does not.
*The Bissell weighs more than the Shark (about 8 pounds), but is very easy to push. The Shark is harder to push, but weighs only 3 pounds. You'd get an aerobic workout if you cleaned a whole house of flooring with the Shark and was a lightweight like me!
*The Bissell leaves you with a VERY wet floor even if you go easy on the steam trigger. I also had lots of streaks on my laminate wood flooring. I would not use it on laminate or wood w/o drying them off ASAP. The Shark does not leave streaks and did not leave a sopping trail behind. The floors dried on their own in under a minute. This is a HUGE plus!
*The Bissell pads have a drawstring and are pretty thin and not absorbant which is a contributing factor to the soppiness the mop leaves behind. The Shark pads are velcro attached (easier!)and are thicker and more absorbant. They are also much more expensive to replace, however.
So, my conclusion is that if I had tile floors, I might consider keeping it as the excess wetness wasn't as huge streaky issue (I went and cleaned my in-laws white tile with it) and it's a sturdier product that seems like it will last for years. I would just find some elastic pads that were ALOT better (I was considering the Tersano pads sold here Tersano lotus Wet Mop Cloths, 2-Pack #LMC28 as a possibliity since they will fit). But since the drier steam and the better pads are VERY important to me, I may actaully go with the Shark even though the machine is rather flimsy feeling and appears more cheaply made. I'd just use distilled water in it and hope it goes few years before falling apart. You'd think that by now some manufacturer would be able to provide the best of both products. What happened Bissell? You could have had a GREAT product if the pads were thick and absorbant and you provided us with the dry steam that the infomercials imply!
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275 of 278 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A viable solution, September 7, 2007
Well, it's a newbie review since the product was just released. Time will tell if I actually use this long term or not...
But so far....
I actually do like it! There are only 8 gazillion options on how to best clean your floor, none which truly compare with getting down on your hands and knees. But, for the TYPICAL user who needs an easier solution to a pretty clean floor a couple times a week and particularly prefers not to use chemicals this actually works quite well. I am not disappointed.
I will make a couple notes though:
I guess I wrongly assumed that since it's using "steam" water it is going to be sanitizing as it goes along. After reading the manual though it states to actually disinfect an area you have to let it steam in that spot for 15 seconds. Obviously to do a whole floor would take the afternoon. But, okay, if you drop a piece of chicken it's a nice option I suppose.
Also, I was really hoping it would leave a streak free clean but the floor does end up with a bit of standing water and does leave some streaks. Maybe if you don't hold down the lever quite so much it would just release less water. Of course, though, then it's not steaming as much either.
Additionally, the lever is a bit tough to hold down for extended periods of time so not for those users with weak pointer fingers. No biggie though.
The cord is pretty short, so I could see that bothering some people. Although I like short cords. Less opportunities to fall and break my neck.
So, in the product's favor, it does a decent job which is what I was most concerned about. If I let it steam for 3 seconds or so right over something stuck on the kitchen floor it takes it right off. Also goes under the ledges and stuff nicely. The pads are easy to take on and off and it's quiet.. Also heats up very quickly (a few seconds) and the water lasts long enough for me to do the whole kitchen and dining room. And it's heavy enough you don't feel like you have to bear down on it like you do the Swiffer.
One last thing though. It isn't a super quick clean, in my opinion. I almost think a mop is a little faster because with this thing you kind of want it to go slower so that it can really steam. So, it isn't necessarily saving me much time. But it is saving hassle, chemicals, and my back!
For someone who understands that that there are no quick fixes in life and they will never find anything that can replace true blood, sweat and tears of doing the job by hand - it would be a good find. It is a nice thing to have and a decent close 2nd.
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