Bissell Big Green Clean Machine
Cleans better and dries faster* than the leading rental carpet cleaner
- Rotating DirtLifter PowerBrushes provide more dirt removing power
- Removes tough spots and stains: long reach hose and tough stain tool make cleaning stairs and other hard to reach areas easy
- Flow Indicator: monitors water and solution levels and let’s you know when it’s time to check the tanks
- Large capacity clean and dirty tanks: are removable, making filling and empty the tanks fast and easy
Product Features
- Cleans better and dries faster* than the leading rental carpet cleaner
- Rotating DirtLifter PowerBrushes provide more dirt removing power
- Removes tough spots and stains: long reach hose and tough stain tool make cleaning stairs and other hard to reach areas easy
- Flow Indicator: monitors water and solution levels and let’s you know when it’s time to check the tanks
- Large capacity clean and dirty tanks: are removable, making filling and empty the tanks fast and easy
VIDEO REVIEW **Big Green vs. SteamVac** Considering this Big Green is supposed to be a professional grade carpet cleaner, I expected it to be better than my trusty old . The question really is whether or not the Big Green cleans so much better that it’s worth the price.I tested it on an old carpet remnant we’ve had sitting out in the garage for more than ten years. It has never been vacuumed nor steam cleaned until today. On the left of the screen is my new Big Green. The center is preserved for the “before” comparison. The right is my SteamVac. As you can see, there is an obvious difference in cleaning capabilities. I actually gave my SteamVac an extra whirl because it looked so dirty, but it still looks dirty compared to the Big Green side.It’s hard to tell from the video, but the dark color you see from the SteamVac side is not wetness. The darkness is actually a more muddied appearance, as if the SteamVac had added water to dirt.I’ve owned quite a few carpet cleaners and I can say, this Big Green really is the best. Not just because it cleans carpets better. There are many other advantages:1) The power cord is extra long. I can reach all up and down my long hallway in one stretch. My SteamVac requires me to plug and unplug.2) The solution tank is extra large. It requires two capfuls of solution, but that will last a long time before needing to be refilled.3) The collection tank is likewise huge.4) The hose is long, with a wide head and good suction. It reaches almost up to the first landing of the stairway in my house.5) Quick drying time.Of course, there are a few drawbacks:1) Even with the large solution and collection tanks empty, this thing is *heavy*. It requires me to push and pull with both hands — a real workout. If you have a bad back, this may not be for you. Also, I’m not keen on carrying this upstairs.2) There is no convenient storage for the hose.SUMMARY AND OTHER THOUGHTSI like my SteamVac. Until now, it was my favorite carpet cleaner, but it’s no match for the Big Green.I love Big Green. It’s the best carpet cleaner I’ve ever had. My husband even noticed the cleaner carpets, and he’s not one who’d normally care. If you really want clean carpets, buy this one.P.S. If you’re like me and just take the things out without checking all, there is a bottle of solution and some cardboard inside the collection tank. I cleaned my entire hallway and didn’t know until I went to empty the tank. D’oh! No harm done, though.
“My new favorite toy!” So declares my Dad about this Bissell carpet cleaner. It is so rare for an appliance to be beautifully designed and work perfectly that I hardly know what to think about the results I got with this machine. My home is the ultimate test for a carpet cleaner: A lot people live here, the weather is rainy, conditions extremely muddy, and nature comes up right to our door. Before using this machine, we’ve had our carpets cleaned twice at this location and innumerable times before that and at other residences, all with uninspiring success. Commercial carpet cleaners can take days to thoroughly dry out, leave strong chemical smells behind them (or the pungent odor of wet animal hair), are cumbersome and noisy, and clean up is a chore. How did the Bissel stack up?SET UPA breeze. The instructions are clear and the machine itself so well designed I feel confident anyone could figure this out. The cleaning solution is supplied and for our mid-sized apartment we used approximately half the bottle. The machine is light (comparatively), easy to push around (actually kind of fun), and put together in an almost lego-like fashion, using compartments that lock and unlock with gratifying simplicity.THE CLEANING.Fantastic. We got out more dirt from our carpets than both previous cleanings combined. Extremely old gasoline stains came out, food stains, weird black marks I have no idea where from, you name it. The carpets have honestly never looked so terrific, not even when we moved in. The texture of carpet is now light and fluffy, to the point where everyone keeps petting it (embarrassingly). My brother has high-functioning autism and is very sensitive to chemical smells, and initially refused to have his roomed cleaned. When he saw the rest of the house he changed his mind, and the very minimal fumes did not bother him in the least.THE AFTERMATHDrying is remarkably quick, for us carpets and couch (more on that in a minute) were dry within roughly two hours. This compared to 12 hours in the past with commercial cleaners. Clean up took 45 seconds, and we hung up the detachable parts of the cleaner to dry out in the bathtub (the bottom of the detachable water compartment easily stays wet so make sure to dry it off by hand). And our carpets looked several shades beiger.THE WANDWe used the wand to clean our couch. Only certain kinds of upholstery can be cleaned with this machine, but unfortunately we could not find the tags on our ancient couch to check if the material was compatible. So we tried it anyway. The wand perfectly cleaned the thin fabric of the couch, pulling out an astounding amount of dirt but still drying out within an hour or so. Food stains on the couch disappeared but the wand did not tear the delicate, very old fabric. The spray is controlled but you will need to isolate the piece of furniture to make sure cleaning solution does not get all over your wooden endtables. My Dad also used the wand to go over the edges of the door way area, pulling out more dirt from the blackest area of our home. The difference was amazing.CONCLUSIONThis machine is expensive but so very very worth it if you have the room and are going to use it more than once a year. If I could say anything negative I would; overwhelming positive reviews always make me suspicious, personally. But there isn’t anything bad to say. This review does not encompass wear and tear on the machine; we’ve only used it a few times in the last few months. Possibly it will perform differently 5 or 10 years from now. But at this time, I could not recommend the Bissell more. If you are tired of buying things that don’t work and that have apparently been designed by aliens from planet Incompetent then the Bissel carpet cleaner will be a pleasant surprise. Highly recommened and rated:GRADE: A
Bissell’s big green monster My background:3 children seven and under.2 cats, 1 large dog.1600 square feet (more or less) white carpets plus 200 square feet area rug.Bissell carpet cleaner owner of 10 years ranging from smallest model to largest model5th Bissell machine (3 currently still operating!)This carpet cleaner is a serious tool for those who want to get the job done right, the first time. Some very nice improvements over Bissell’s lower end machines are evident the moment you open the box. Some small drawbacks become evident after operating the machine. Here they are:The Good:Assembly- Simply pull the machine out of the box and open up the cleaning tanks to remove packing material (plus complimentary cleaning bottle) and you are ready to go within 15 minutes of delivery.Build quality – This machine has a nice build. Not too heavy and not too light. Operating it feels almost like using a rowing motion vs the lower quality model with the single grip handle. Fold down handle allows for easier storage than other typical models.Efficiency – This machine gets spots out within just a few passes. Carpets feel clean and drying time is extremely rapid (I would say about 3 hours with me running the ceiling fan and small space heater to aid the process) – no more soaking wet feet after trodging through cleaned rooms.Cleaning Tank – Very large holding tank which combines solution and hot water. Less running up and down stairs with dirty water tanks to refill – which wastes a LOT of time. Very large and separate dirty water tank, easy to empty and clean. More sturdy feeling than Bissell’s lower models. Much more appealing than the lower end models with their double bladder tanks, which tend to start to be hard to disinfect after cleaning up messes.Hose attachment – Longer hose than other models, wider scrubbing head. Very efficient suction. Long hose allows easy cleaning of the stairs or other hard to reach areas.Maneuverability – For being such a beast of a machine, it is actually only marginally more difficult to push than its lower cost counterpart.Soap Dispensor – This machine lacks the soap dispenser and the selector knob (water, light traffic, heavy traffic) which after having owned 2 of the lower end models with a separate dispenser I see as a very big positive. Simply put 4 lid-cups of solution and go. Or learn to tinker around with the concentration to suit your needs. I use 4 cups for high traffic. 2 for light traffic and stains. The only drawback is once you prep the solution there is no way to change the concentration throughout the cleaning. I do not miss this ability at all.The Drawbacks:Cleaning Tank – Due to its larger size, this tank makes it impossible to scoot the Bissell underneath the sides of my beds. The machine is also a little big top heavy as a result of your increased capacity.Maneuverability – While I have no issue, those with reduced strength or back issues may find this machine difficult to use for an extended period of time.Hose attachment – The price you pay for a longer hose is a detachable hose (with nowhere on the machinery to hang it) which will require storage. Suggest getting a laundry bag to hang it up for storage since it is difficult to keep in check.Power cord – Could have been longer. Also could have used a secondary wrap around point to keep it wound up better when not in use.Conclusion – This is a serious carpet cleaner for those who have a lot of carpet to clean and don’t want to run every 2 seconds to dump the bucket. It performs a bit better than its lower cost counterparts, but is not a miracle worker. My blue gatorade stain faded slightly and I expect it to continue to fade as I repeat applications with this higher end machine. Before recieving this item (thanks, Vine and Bissell again!) I had already used my Bissell 2X ProHeat to clean my entire house. After going through my home with this new Bissell the tanks still contained very dark grey water. Overall I am very pleased and know from experience that this machine will give me many years of service. If you don’t have a serious *NEED* for this machine you will do very well with the ProHeat as it has served my family very well and my kids put these machines to the test weekly! If you have light colored carpets, or a large area of carpet then you will love this machine. Enjoy!
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