Bissell Proheat 2X Carpet Shampooer: Review
Shampooers are an expensive purchase and there are numerous models out there who all claim to be better than the next guy. After doing some research on the various brands and models, as well as inquiring to my family and friends about their experiences with shampooers, I decided on the Bissell Pro Heat 2X model. It cost about 250 dollars at Kohls six months ago. I have seen it since at K Mart and other stores for under $200. WalMart currently has this machine on sale for $188.00.
The Bissell Pro Heat 2X offers dual tanks: one for clean water and one for the dirty, which prevents the water you are using to clean your carpet from becoming contaminated with soap and dirty water. It also has a smaller separate detergent tank which allows soap to be dispensed while cleaning. Both tanks are easy to lift and to use. The only difficulty you might have is if your sink is tiny-trying to get the water into the water tank. However, if this is the case, you can always fill it from the tub faucet. Edge sweep brushes (brushes on the edge of the floor cleaner) help to clean at edges of rooms and near moldings. I recommend using the handheld attachment for really hard to reach areas as it works better than the edge sweep brushes.
There are 10 rows of cleaning bristles, which is a major bonus as compared to other brands who only have four and sometimes less. The more rows of bristles there are, the deeper the clean is going to be. There was one other brand that offered 12 bristles however but was considerably more expensive and without some of the other options the Bissell offered. There is an optional heater, which heats tap water 25 degrees hotter than normal. This button is located next to the power button, which is conveniently located on the front of the machine, which prevents you from accidentally turning the machine off during cleaning. Hand tools are included with this machine which allows for cleaning those hard to reach spots and upholstery or smaller carpets such as throw or area rugs. The heater also extends to the attachment, thereby heating the water used for deep cleaning smaller areas or upholstery, which is a useful perk of this model. Not all machines have this feature.
This is a big machine, but not large as the commercial quality ones are and about the same size of a typical vacuum. It is easy to maneuver and pick up by the large carrying handle. If you can lift about 10-20 pounds, you can lift this machine. I have carried up stairwells without a problem.
The Bissell Proheat 2X is easy to put together and I was able to do this myself within half an hour. Once you read the instructions and are able to recognize which parts go where, with a screwdriver in hand, you can put the pieces of this machine together fairly quickly. It was a bit awkward to use the first time because of just that. Since then, I am able to use it with ease as I am now familiar with the various aspects of the machine and know what to expect while cleaning.
Once the machine is put together, you simply remove the tank system by pulling up on the handle to remove it from the machine. Place this on a steady surface such as the counter next to your kitchen sink. Snap up the clasp and remove the water tank. Simply fill the water bag with hot water from your tap and place the top back on. You should make sure that you push the top slightly forward and that it hooks on underneath before re-clasping the latch. This will ensure that it remains in a locked position. Then, remove the soap tank from the back of the tank, unscrew the top, remove it and fill with the detergent of your choice. Replace the top and then put the tank back in place ensuring the top is aligned with the place the soap will come out of. Turn the machine on, and you are set to go.
The first time I used this machine, I looked down at some point and was horrified to discover a huge chunk of hair/soap on the carpet and thought perhaps the machine was eating my carpet. However, upon reading over the instructions once again and consulting with my sister and brother in law who have the same model, I was relieved to learn that this machine is so powerful that it picks up ground in hair and dirt your vacuum misses. Once it has too much, it will leave it on the floor. This can be a little annoying as you will have to bend down and remove the clumps but they pick up easily. I usually have about two handfuls of clumps once I have completed the job. Now I am just amazed by this because I vacuum prior to shampooing (which the manufacturer also suggests) and I have an excellent vacuum. This goes to show you just how deep this cleaner can clean. It makes me feel as if it is doing a good job, even though I have to pick up some clumps.
I was also unsure at first how to use the attachment but quickly learned if you press down on the trigger, soap as well as water is dispensed while you clean. If you switch it to water rinse, only water will come out. You may find the water slightly soapy at first due to reside of soap in the hose. While using the floor cleaner, you simply push on the trigger as you move forward and then the machine will suck up and clean the floor underneath it on the next push of the vacuum.
This machine seems to use a lot of detergent (which is not cheap, by the way). The Bissell detergent costs at minimum 12 dollars a bottle for the small size. The soap comes in a variety of scents and solutions, including Pet Odor and Stain, Lavendar scent, Orange scent, Allergen remover and deep clean. I have used both Pet Odor and Stain remover and the Deep Clean varieties. It is unclear as to whether there is really a difference between the two. They smell the same and both appear to result in the same cleaning. However, as a pet owner, I usually buy the Pet Odor and Stain remover as I figure you can’t be too safe.
For tough stains or those that have been there a while, the manufacturer suggests pre treating it with the pre-treating solution they provide with this machine (note that it is a small bottle and you will have to purchase your own relatively soon). I have followed their suggestion with tough stains and find after letting it soak a bit and using the hand held attachment brush before cleaning it with the floor vacuum, every stain I have had encounter my rug has disappeared! I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that this machine removed the stains from my puppy’s urine as well as the marks the cleaners I had used previously to clean the urine. Those areas of the carpet looked like they had been bleached, but once I used the Bissell Proheat 2X, they were gone, taking all the residual cleaner off the carpet and leaving my carpet looking like new once again!
Since the first use of this machine, I have used it not only on my carpets inside the house, but also in my car. I was completely amazed at how much dirt came out of my car. One of the neat things about using the Bissell Proheat 2X shampooer is that you can see just how much dirt you are picking up, and in a way this serves to keep you going even when you get tired. You just feel like you are doing a good job seeing all that dirt removed from your belongings. This machine also works well on dog beds and leaves them free of pet hair debris and doggy smells and stains. I was also able to make a major improvement on an area rug in my dining room that I was going to throw out due to the dingy way it looked. Using the Bissell Proheat 2X extended the life of this carpet by making it look much cleaner and removing the ground in dirt and whatnot. I wish that I had this shampooer when I first bought the carpet because when used on a regular basis, this machine can really extend the life of your carpets. If you wait a couple of years to deep clean, you will see a major improvement but it is not like your carpets will become magically new again.
The major con with this machine is the cleanup. However, I do not believe the clean up hassle would be different with any other machine. In order to thoroughly clean this machine, you must have a screw driver and take about half an hour to remove screws, parts and rinse out soapy areas and hair/debris. I do suggest taking the time to do this even though it is a major pain because it will extend the life of your machine (and it is an expensive appliance). In addition, if you leave water or solution inside the machine and go to use it a month or so later, you will realize that stagnant water does not smell pleasant, not to mention who knows what could then be growing in there.
Some other complaints I have about this machine include that it seems to use a lot of detergent, so while the manufacturer recommends that you do a water rinse, I strongly recommend that you follow those instructions. You should also consider using the light or normal cleaning selection rather than the heavy cleaning one, which uses more detergent. You can easily go through two fillings of the detergent tank for one large room, including upholstery. Also, the hose for the handheld attachment could be a pain when you are using the floor cleaner. If it is not on tight enough, or if you happen to accidentally brush against it, it may fall. This means you will have to stop and re-wind it around the machine, unless you prefer to hold it in your other hand while you are pushing the shampooer along the carpet. If Bissell does another model based on the Proheat 2X, I hope they improve on this aspect of the design.
Your house will smell very clean after using this machine, and it will last a couple of days. If you use the Bissell Proheat 2X on upholstery, be prepared not to sit on it for at least a day (and more if you use a lot of water) and the fabric may feel stiff if you do not use enough water to rinse it or use too much detergent. The stiffness will go away in about a day once you and your family sit on the chairs and couches. You may want to consider using just the heated water without detergent for jobs like this, unless you have major stains you want to remove.
The Bissell Proheat 2X is well worth the money and time needed to clean your carpets. If you think about how much money you are saving from needing to replace a carpet that is not maintained or from having professionals come in and clean your carpets for a couple hundred dollars, you will realize that this machine pays for itself with its first use. You will truly be amazed at how well this machine works, at all the dirt that comes up from even a seemingly clean floor and how new your carpets look when you are done using the Bissell Proheat 2X. This would be a good appliance to use as part of regular cleaning, perhaps on a monthly or every other month basis if you have areas of high traffic. It really is incredible to see just how clean this machine gets your carpets. For those who suffer from allergies, this would be an excellent way to keep your allergies under control. I highly recommend this product to anyone, and especially those that have pets and children. It will make even your dingiest and oldest carpets look much better, and your newer carpets will continue to stay looking new.
