Bissell : 9200B Proheat2X Upright Carpet Steamer and Cleaner
by BISSELL HOME CARE INC
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Our Price: $199.99 Availability: Usually ships in 3-4 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Bissell : 9200B Proheat2X Upright Carpet Steamer and Cleaner
Customer Review: I couldn't be happier with this product!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got the Bissell Proheat 2x for a gift and I could not be happier with it. We had the ugliest, nastiest, stinkiest carpet from our kids and pets. So many stains and I thought the carpet was a goner. This cleaner has made my carpets look brand new. I kid you not! I love, love, love this carpet cleaner.Customer Review: If you are on the fence -- go get this product!
Summary: 5 Stars
So, I was skeptical. $199 is certainly not a terrible price for a steam cleaner, but it seemed like a lot of money for what is essentially a "luxury" household item, right? Well so I thought. I was back and forth, back and forth about buying it or just calling Stanley Steamer (or renting at the Despot).
After hours of internet research, and knowing that I wanted a product that I could buy locally (this model is also sold at Targ*t in my area), I took the plunge. Could. not. be. any. more. pleased. And I am the first to be picky.
So -- here we go...
The "out of the box" experience was a good one. Nicely packaged, with minimal non-recyclable materials. Thank you, Bissell. The machine comes in 5 parts, with a total of 4 screws that have to be put in (note to Bissell -- warn me that you gave me an extra screw next time! I appreciate it but it made me nervous). Assembly is intuitive. The upper handle locks in and you screw in 3 screws. Then comes the top of the hose-hanger-thingey, 1 screw. Bottom of hose-hanger/tool holder snaps into place, and you are off to the races.
Started with a 8 x 12 living room area rug that I was ready to pitch in the garbage. This rug was ickkk, but I though "why not give it a shot?" After reading the instructions, I found filling the tank and cleaning solution to be easy. I love that the cleaning solution is stored separate from the water, meaning that I don't have to throw away any unused solution. So -- the rug. Sweet Fancy Moses y'all! I cannot believe that I previously allowed toddlers into my home. The dirty water was foul (and honestly, although the rug looked "tired," it really didin't look "dirty" or stained -- it's been well-cared for an frequently vacuumed, but apparently that is not enough.) Anyway, it took 2 cleanings to get the water running clear, but that is my fault not Bissell's. Today, after a thorough drying, and a run over with the vacuum cleaner (to pick up residual lint), it looks almost brand new ("almost" because there are some worn spots, but from a cleanliness perspective it is amazing what this little machine was able to achieve). So, for $200 I saved myself from buying a new 8x12 area rug.... I will eventually replace it, but for now it is very presentable.
Next moved on to a pet area. I have an 11-year-old epileptic Alaskan Malamute, which means LOTS of pet hair and the occasional "accident." (Eww, sorry). Sprayed the objectionable area with "Resolve," waited 3 minutes, then put the Bissell to work. WOW. This carpet was relatively-new (2-ish years), and now it looks brand new. All of the stains are gone, the brushes revived the fibers and left them soft to the feet, and the room smells bright and fresh again.
Finally, today I moved onto hard floors. I thought my hard floors were clean, so I wasn't expecting much, but I wanted to give it a whirl. Snapping the hard floor cleaner into place was intuitive, and by now I was used to filing the resevoir, cleaning fluid, etc. Did the bathroom. WOW again. I scrub on hands and knees all the time, but apparently there is no substitute for really high heat. This machine will not replace hand scrubbing becaue (i)it is a lot of tool to pull out for a 10x12 floor; and (ii) I didn't really feel like pulling out the hand tool to get into the egdes and curvy spots (base of toilet etc.), but for an every now and again "deep" cleaning this thing is the bomb.
Okay, I don't work for Bissell and this machine is not perfect. By "not perfect," however, I mean that it may not meet YOUR expectations. Here are the downsides....
First, the roller brushes, while they are doing a wonderful job of rejuvenating the carpet, are also generating an unholy amount of wet "lint." This is true even if you do a very thorough job of vacuuming beforehand (and absolute MUST). Especially if you are not using a fantastic vacuum-cleaner-extractor that sucks up all lint weekly (my vacuum is just an average-brand), you WILL have to clean out the brush-area and extracting-area frequently. I am hopeful that this need will be reduced if I use the machine more regularly.
Second, this is NOT an "industrial" machine, and it is not intended to be such. The parts are plastic, they are not all that easy to clean, and you need to take of them in order to preserve the life of the machine. If you plan to go into the floor-cleaning business, or have an aversion to all things plastic, then this is not for you. It's a dingy, not the Queen Elizabeth II. But, with some love, I am confident that it will be all I need for some time to come.
Third, somebody else noted that this is a heavy machine, and I agree. It is not the product to buy if you are not in reasonable shape, or if you just want a "light and easy" tool to use on the kitchen floors every now and again. For that, I would suggest one of those "steam mops" you see on TV. The Bissell is more of a tool that you pull out every few months to do a "deep clean." After all, it is carry about a couple gallons (?) of water, and water weighs about 8 lbs. per gallon. My recommendation is that if you are going up and down stairs, carry the water tank separate from the machine.
Fourth, and this is really my only "beef," the instruction guide is weak, and not what I would expect for $200. It is printed on 8 1/2x11 rice-paper, folded side-ways, and the illustrations are virtually useless as a result. The diagram of how you are supposed to store the on-board tools is laughable in its miniscul-ity (yep, made that word up). Also, the text may have been drafted by a non-native speaker. Sooo not user-friendly or helpful. Luckily, most aspects of the machine are pretty intuitive, but expect a little head-scratching when you first get started.
In sum, not a commercial machine (but those cost thousands), and it takes some patience (pre-cleaning, post-cleaning) to get good results. But, for $200 and some elbow grease, this thing WILL produce great results. Better, in my opinion, that I ever saw from hiring a company to clean my carpet (maybe becuase I care more that they do?). If you are on the fence I'd vote that you take the plunge.
Customer Review: It does a very good job.
Summary: 5 Stars
This machine does a very good job. My carpets look great. I used the heavy setting for a hallway entrance and for a bathroom/powder-
room area. The Machine mixes the product with the water to give the correct results for the choice selected: heavy trafic, normal traffic,light traffic, or plain water. The water canister serves two purposes. It hold the clean water in a bladder and also holds the dirty water sucked from the carpets outside the bladder. There is only one cannister to load and unload. The formula is in a separate bottle that is easy to fill and load. The brushes work only when the handle is in the ready or down possition. The noise level is about the same as other units I have used. The big plastic wheels allowed for easy movement and did not leave any tracks. I used the Bissell cleaning formula and it left the rooms with a pleasantly fresh sent. There is an on board heater that will heat the hot tap water another 25 degrees which can be turned off for delicate area rugs. This machine appears to be well engineered with a lot of thought making this a user friendly machine.
Customer Review: Love my clean carpets!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought a condo that had brand-new ivory colored carpets (not my color choice). White carpet looks great when it's clean, but not so great when you get high-traffic dinginess. After some research I bought this carpet cleaner & I'm so glad I did. Compared to the rental units I've used before this is wonderfully light - the size and weight of a heavy vacuum.
There's no mixing, as the hot water goes into one tank and the cleaning solution into another. Just turn the knob to clean high-traffic, normal, or light and you're good to go. The water heating feature works well. It's not steam, but the damp carpets do feel very warm right after cleaning. The tanks are simple to remove and replace - lift out and set back in.
Once the unit isn't lifting much water out of the carpet anymore I put a fan in the room and my carpets are generally dry in 4-5 hrs. I'm picky about keeping a clean house, and with this cleaner it's wonderful to be able to clean the high-traffic area quickly and easily. It's a cinch to use and easy on my 40 y.o. woman back and my carpets always look clean! :)