Bissell Cleaner

 

Bissell Cleaner: The Complete Guide to America's #1 Deep Cleaning Brand

Bissell is America's #1 brand in deep cleaners, offering a comprehensive lineup of carpet cleaners, spot cleaners, steam cleaners, and upholstery devices that tackle stubborn stains, embedded dirt, and pet messes with powerful suction and engineered cleaning brushes. From the iconic Little Green portable cleaner to the innovative HydroSteam series with true steam cleaning technology, Bissell cleaners deliver refreshing results for carpets, rugs, stairs, upholstery, auto interiors, and sealed hard floors.

Brand Overview and Legacy

BISSELL® has established itself as the leading consumer brand for deep cleaning solutions, elevating your clean with powerful machines and specialized formulas perfect for life's inevitable spills and stains. The company's engineering expertise ensures that stubborn stains and embedded dirt vanish, leaving homes clean and refreshed.

Main Types of Bissell Cleaners

1. Upright Carpet Cleaners

Bissell's upright carpet cleaners are engineered for high-traffic areas and deep cleaning entire rooms:

• TurboClean™ Upright Carpet Cleaner (3952): The cheapest Bissell carpet cleaner, featuring powerful suction combined with a 4-Row DeepReach PowerBrush® to tackle pet messes, everyday ground-in dirt, and stains on high-traffic carpets and area rugs. Designed to remove dirt that typical vacuums leave behind.

2. Portable Spot Cleaners

The BISSELL® SpotClean® Portable Deep Cleaner is innovative, lightweight, and perfect for targeted cleaning:

• Lightweight Design: Soft-grip handle and slim profile make it easy to use.

• Versatile Applications: Works on carpet, stairs, upholstery, rugs, and auto interiors.

• Effective Formula Compatibility: Uses BISSELL's SpotClean Spot & Stain Concentrate Formula and pretreat formulas to tackle wine spills, pet stains, and coffee stains with minimal fuss.

• Pet Pro Versions: Specialized models like the SpotClean ProHeat Pet target pet stains and odors specifically.

3. The Iconic Little Green Series

The Bissell Little Green remains the gold standard for portable carpet cleaning:

• Multi-Purpose Use: Works on carpet, stairs, upholstery, rugs, auto interiors, and more.

• Simple Operation: Mix formula with warm water, attach tools, spray trigger to apply formula, brush to suction everything up.

• Long-Term Durability: Users report 6+ years of rigorous real-world testing, maintaining its status as the gold standard in 2026.

• Little Green Mini: Compact portable version for smaller spaces.

4. HydroSteam Technology (Latest Innovation)

The Bissell HydroSteam series represents cutting-edge cleaning technology:

• True Steam Cleaning: The only consumer carpet cleaner offering true steam cleaning.

• Heated HydroSteam® Droplets: Work on contact to clean upholstery, carpet, and sealed hard floors.

• Powerful Jets: Very powerful at dispensing water coupled with immense suction.

• Multi-Purpose: Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner capability.

How to Use a Bissell Carpet Cleaner

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the Area

   • Vacuum first to lift excess dirt and dust.

   • Pre-treat stains with carpet shampoo, letting it soak for 3 minutes.

   • Move furniture off the carpet if possible.

   • Move any furniture off the carpet and out of the room, if possible.

   • Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver and reach stains in tight spaces.

   • Use a carpet rake to remove additional pet hair, if present.

2. Fill the Tanks

   • Remove clean water tank by pulling top away from unit.

   • Add water to the indicated fill line.

   • Add BISSELL formula (Spot & Stain, pet formula, or Febreze version) to the formula fill line.

   • Some models have separate hot water and formula tanks. For these, fill the hot water tank full with water, then fill the formula tank to the fill lines with hot water and formula.

3. Select Tools and Settings

   • Attach appropriate tool (standard suction brush for most cleaning).

   • Turn cleaning dial to floor cleaning option.

   • Set dial to light, normal, or heavy based on carpet dirtiness.

   • For tools option, spin dial toward you to switch power from floor cleaner to hose.

   • Make sure to set the tools dial before using the tools.

4. Clean

   • Turn on the machine and power/heater buttons.

   • Press trigger on handle while moving cleaner forward and backward over the carpet.

   • Spray trigger to apply formula, then release trigger and pull back to suction dirt.

   • Use brush to work into stains.

   • We recommend cleaning the same area twice, going forward with the trigger pressed down and backward with your hand off the trigger.

   • Try not to overwet areas while you clean.

5. Finish Up

   • Empty the dirty water tank into a utility sink and give it a thorough rinse.

   • The dirty water tank is attached to the clean water tank as one unit, so you'll need to remove the whole thing to empty it.

   • Rinse tank with warm water to remove dirt, debris, and remaining formula.

   • Remove the plastic brush roll cover and rinse clean.

   • Allow 4-6 hours for cleaning area to dry (may take up to 24 hours to fully dry).

Bissell Cleaning Formulas

Bissell recommends using their proprietary cleaning formulas for optimal performance:

• Spot & Stain with Febreze: Effective for general stains.

• Pet Formula: Specifically targets pet stains and odors.

• SpotClean Spot & Stain Concentrate: Pretreat formula for unexpected messes.

• Wash & Protect Pet Cleaner: Advanced pet cleaning solution.

• Wash & Remove Deep Clean + Oxy: Carpet stain remover with oxy power.

• PRO OXY Spot & Stain formula: For portable carpet cleaners.

• PRO OXY Deep Clean formula: For upright carpet cleaners.

Key Features Across Bissell Cleaners

Feature	Benefit
Powerful suction	Removes embedded dirt and gunk that vacuums miss
DeepReach PowerBrush®	4-row brush tackles ground-in dirt and pet messes
Separate tanks	Clean water/formula separate from dirty water collection
Lightweight design	Easy maneuverability for spot cleaning
Tool attachments	Versatile cleaning for stairs, upholstery, auto interiors
Heated cleaning	HydroSteam droplets work on contact for tough stains

Bissell vs. Competitors

Bissell holds the distinction as America's #1 Brand in Deep Cleaners, outpacing competitors like Hoover in the commercial and residential cleaning equipment market. The brand's engineering expertise and specialized formula compatibility make it particularly effective for pet owners and high-traffic areas.

Best Bissell Cleaners for Different Needs

• Budget Option: TurboClean Upright (cheapest Bissell carpet cleaner tested).

• Portable/Spot Cleaning: Little Green or Little Green Mini.

• Pet Owners: Little Green Pet Pro or SpotClean ProHeat Pet.

• Premium Technology: HydroSteam 4123 with true steam cleaning.

• Heavy-Duty: Upright models with 4-Row DeepReach PowerBrush®.

Maintenance and Care

• Empty dirty water tank after each use.

• Rinse all tanks with warm water to remove residue.

• Use only Bissell proprietary formulas as recommended.

• Allow 4-6 hours drying time after cleaning (may take up to 24 hours to fully dry).

• Store tools properly for next use.

• Remove any hair or debris from the brush area.

• Wipe down dirt and residue from the bottom of the machine.

Tips for Faster Drying

• Use quick dry mode: Some carpet cleaners come with a quick dry mode, which releases less formula.

• Go over the area without spraying formula: Make additional passes without touching the spray trigger to suck up excess moisture.

• Open your windows: Reduces moisture in the air and creates crosswind.

• Turn on your heat or air conditioning: Use your home's heating or cooling system.

• Use fans: Circulate air throughout the room.

Special Cleaning Challenges

Removing Pet Stains and Odors

1. Blot the stain immediately with a paper towel or clean cloth.

2. Fill your carpet cleaner with water and a pet-friendly cleaner.

3. Spot clean the affected area by covering the stain and surrounding area.

4. Make one pass with the sprayer on and a second pass with the sprayer off.

5. Use the suction function to remove excess moisture.

6. Repeat if necessary for stubborn stains.

Cleaning Mold and Mildew

1. Dry the area fully using fans and/or a dehumidifier before cleaning.

2. Vacuum thoroughly to remove loose mold spores.

3. Fill your carpet cleaner with water and an oxygen-based cleaning formula (OXY).

4. Make one pass with sprayer and brushes on, then a second time with sprayer off.

5. Use suction to remove excess moisture.

6. Repeat if necessary.

7. Air dry overnight after cleaning.

Why Choose Bissell?

Bissell cleaners deliver on their promise to eliminate stubborn stains and embedded dirt through engineered powerbrushes, powerful suction, and specialized formulas. The brand's commitment to innovation—exemplified by the unique HydroSteam steam cleaning technology—positions it as the leading choice for both residential and commercial cleaning applications.

Whether you're tackling pet stains, wine spills, coffee marks, or everyday ground-in dirt, Bissell's comprehensive lineup ensures you have the right tool for every cleaning challenge.