The Bissell Steam-mop is a two-in-one toola steam mop and a hand-held steamer. The Bissell mop does an excellent job on cleaning and disinfecting wood and ceramic floors. In many ways it works like a giant steam iron with the squeeze of a trigger you control the amount of steam flowing to the surface.
Notes -
Flow control control the amount of steam to the head some surfaces need more steam while others (like wood floors) require less saturation.
Never had any issues with the unit leaking although I would take precautions and wouldn''t store it directly on top of wood floors.
Once detached the handheld unit weighs less than 10 pounds (when water tank is full)
Multiple attachments flat surface cleaner, kitchen cleaner, and grout cleaner (the grout cleaner works well).
Two mop pads included
One flat surface cleaner also included
Set-up is very easy
Very easy to switch from mopping mode to hand held (less than 1 minute).
All of the pads are machine washable
Final Verdict The Bissell Lift-Off Steam Mop is a very convenient way to clean and disinfect all of your household surfaces. It is easy to use, lightweight, and useful for a variety of tasks. The Bissell Steam Mop is perfect for the home and... it could make a perfect gift!
5 Stars
Although I''ve wanted to try a steam cleaner for some time, I''ve never used one before. But I really like the idea of cleaning without chemicals. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the Bissell.
First, you have to assemble it which is very easy. There were four main parts in the box along with a number of smaller accessories (two small brushes (one labeled kitchen, the other bathroom), counter attachment, a window attachment, a grout brush attachment, two washable cloth mop heads and a washable cloth for the window cleaner). To assemble, you attach the mop head to the mop body, attach the mop handle to the mop body and then dock the removable steam pod into the mop body and viola, you''re done! Fully assembled, the unit can freely stand on its own. Freestanding, it''s about 44 inches tall and according to my scale, it weighs 9.2 pounds without water. The device has a nicely curved handle and it is the perfect height and shape to maneuver the mop with. The handle also has an easy to use tigger to apply steam.
But the main action is with the removable steam pod. The steam pod is the heart of the unit. It contains a removable water tank, a removable water filter, the 1500 watt heating element, the fairly long 3-prong (grounded) power cord and a very flexible, 4.5 foot coil-reinforced steam hose. The steam pod easily snaps out of the mop body by pressing a single blue button on steam pod''s handle. The pod weighs in at about 5.6 pounds including the power cord but without water. It can be easily carried by it''s grab handle and the steam is activated by the same blue button on the grab handle that is used to remove it from the mop base. On the side of the pod, there is an easy to use steam control knob which controls the flow of steam with markings for light, normal and tough (referring to the difficulty of the job) in other words, low, medium and high steam flow.
I wanted to try it out, but I haven''t used it to clean a floor yet. But I did use it to clean my bathroom!
Bissell recommends that you use distilled water in the unit to avoid minerals, dirt and contaminants. You can use tap water, but tap water will cause the unit''s integrated water filter to wear out prematurely. I didn''t have any distilled water around, so I used water from my PUR pitcher. The water tank slides out of the unit easily for filling. I''d say it holds roughly about a quart of water, probably a little less. So you fill the tank, close it up and slide it back into the steam pod. Unwrap the cord (it has a quick release) and the hose, attach one of the included cleaning brush attachments to the hose, plug the pod in to your grounded power outlet, adjust the steam control knob to fit your job and press and hold that one blue button to start the steam.
The first time you use it, it takes about a minute from when you first press the button to when the steam starts flowing. There is a loud knocking sound, which is caused by the water pump being primed. When the internals of the unit get enough water, the unit quiets down to the point where you''ll mostly hear the steam... and there there will be a lot of steam! It was very impressive! So I started on the bathroom sink and it just melted the residual soap and dirt away with very little effort. I cleaned the basin and the faucet, soap dish, toothbrush holder and the results were very good! They all needed a rinse and wipe down by a sponge to wipe away any residuals, but it turned out nicely.
Next, I turned my attention to the tub. I turned up the steam to max and it really cranked up! It steamed away all that hard to clean grime and soap scum from the tub floor (at least, my tub floor!). It took some time because of the size of the tub versus the size of the small brush head, but with very little physical effort. Most of the work was done by the steam with just a light level of force on the brush. Again, I had to rinse and sponge the residual away, but I was very impressed with the results.
After the tub I did the bowl and tile floor (still using the small brush on the pod). Boy did it ever clean the grout and the floor! Again, I was impressed. And if you look at some of my other reviews, you''ll know that I''m not easily impressed.
I had to fill the water bottle three times. And you have to clean the brush at times as you go along because it gathers the dirt it melts off your surfaces. None of which was a problem. At the end, there was no artificial lemon scent or chemical smell, just the smell of a steam from an iron. Just beautiful!
I only have two gripes with the unit so far. One, I wish the trigger on the steam pod had an option to stay down without having to keep my hand on it. The pod is free standing, so it would have been nice to turn it on and deal with the tub with two hands rather than keep one hand on the steam button. I might use some masking tape next time to keep it down. I just have to keep an eye on the water level as it''s probably not a good thing to let the unit run dry.
Second, my unit leaks. I believe this is from one of the removable connections in the water tank area, all of which have rubber o-ring seals. But I guess due to the design or the nature of the easy removal of the parts, it may not be possible to stop all water from leaking all the time. Additionally, the leak seems to get worse as you are using it, ie. once the steam pod is heated. I reseated the filter and the tank a few times and that seemed to help, but I could not stop the leak completely. It is only a small leak and while it''s not a huge deal, it is annoying. A brand new unit like this just shouldn''t leak IMO.
Again, I haven''t used the mop part yet, and I will update this review when I do.
At the moment, I would easily recommend this unit as it powered though my bathroom with ease.
One last thing... Keep your kids and hands away from the steam at all times. The steam is extremely scalding hot! Do not allow small children to get access to this unit. It is no joke. If you can do that, I think you''ll be very happy with it.
UPDATE: 10/31/2011
I figured out, at least in part, why the unit leaks more as you''re using it. The reason is interesting and not easily avoidable. Here is the skinny:
The water tank and filter element reside on the steam pod. The steam pod contains the heating elements and it gets really hot when you use it. That heat radiates through the plastic of the steam pod behind the water tank and filter. That heat slowly heats up the water and the air in the water tank and in the filter. That water and air expands as it is heated (especially the air). This creates pressure. Now, when you''re actually using the steam pod, this won''t be a problem as the additional pressure will go out through the system as it generates steam. The problem and leaking occurs during the times after you''ve already heated the system but you''re not actually using the steam when the heating elements are already hot and you have the steam closed. That is when the additional pressure of the heated air and water in the tank cause the water to leak out faster from the connection under the filter. Apparently, the single rubber o-ring seal under the filter is inadequate to stop this from happening. I have not found a solution for this. I may try to put a few layers of duct tape under the rubber o-ring on the filter (where it connects to the pod body) in an effort to to make that connection a little fatter and tighter. But that may only cause the leak to move up to the connection between the tank and the filter. Another thing I may try is putting a piece of duct tape across the tank once it''s seated tightly to keep it seated tightly. I''ll post my results here after I try it.
Still, the steamer does work very well and the amount of water that leaks is minor IMO. When you''re using the steam pod outside of the mop body, you''ll just have to remember to put a towel down under the pod to collect the water that escapes.
I may have to reduce my rating to three stars. Hmmmm....
UPDATE: 11/19/2011
So I tried to stop the leak by using tape as I mentioned above... and it worked! Well, pretty much... Only when I left it off the steam for awhile did it leak (from the air pressure) and it was from the connection between the tank and the filter at that point. But I went through a whole tank with no leaking until I was done and let what little was left in the tank stand for awhile. Let me explain what I did:
First, I removed the tiny rubber o-ring from the connection on the bottom of the filter. Set that aside and don''t lose it! Then I cut a piece of masking tape about 1 & 1/2" in length and 1/16" wide (we''re talking a tiny little strip here). Then using the tip of the scissor, I stuck one end of that strip of masking tape in the groove where the rubber o-ring was on the bottom of the filter. Wrap the tape around itself into that groove as tight as you can it should overlap about twice. Now stick the rubber o-ring back on over it and you''re done. Now when you insert the filter back into the steam pod, you should encounter some resistance this is a good thing! It will now sort of snap down and your main leak should be gone.
It''s amazing how such a tiny gap could make such a difference.
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I give it 4 stars because I wasn''t blown away.
We bought this last night from Target for $149.99 which would probably make it about the same in price minus shipping and handling via Amazon. I was sold on it versus the Shark because it had a 2 yr warranty instead of the 1 year Shark offered. Warranties are a GOOD thing. I think overall the benefit you are getting from the steamer isn''t the cleaning capabilities as much as it is a sanitizing capability. It is mostly steam and air. Unless you JUST spilled coffee or something on your counter, years of grime and baked in grease will only come off with a scrubber... or a blade.
I have 7 kids. I cook a lot and our bathrooms and floors get a lot of traffic. I thoroughly used every tool on the machine from 9:30 pm until 2:30am (I had to finish what I started!). I first started on my bathroom which has a whirlpool tub as well as a 2+ person shower with LOTS of tiles and 2 VERY LARGE glass walls. We rent this house and the grout is not in great condition. The counter is also made of the same tile. I used the canister outside of the main unit. The first thing I noticed is that in order to work the unit, you must hold down either of the 2 buttons on top of the canister. When you let offthe unit stops steaming. The pictures of people steaming with 2 hands is false. So, say you want to try and steam clean your appliance that needs you to angle with a hand... you cant do it. You have to set it somewhere it wont move around from the scrubbing of the other hand because one of your hands is always busy depressing the button.
I feel the grout cleaner attachment was okay, but it was on par with my regular scrub brush and cleaner. It also tends to break up any caulking you might have in the area so you have to be tender with it around caulking. Heating up the area I was cleaning did make it dry faster and it more or less blew away particles I would have to otherwise try and catch with a rag. After using the grout cleaner tool, I pulled it off to use the regular hose head. It was wimpy. I think the attachments actually boost the capabilities of the unit so I found the plain head ineffective as it was a bit too short and fat to properly send out a good blast of steam for nooks and crannies.
I did not see a change in any mildew present in my shower from steaming. I contribute that to the fact that it''s all under existing caulking and it would be untouchable. Unless the mildew was going to die from the heat and then disappearthe steam will only work on what it can touch.
Using the smaller pad tool I first blew some warm steam on the glass windows so that it wouldn''t break and then cleaned a small area for a few minutes. It didn''t touch the hard water stains. Oh well, so my shower was pretty much off the list of jobs to benefit from this cleaner. If you have soap scum it will probably do something. My glass walls also might have etching involved from years of hard water buildup but I''m not sure since we have only been here a year. All I know is that there was no change in visual cleanliness to them. Holding the small pad tool was also a bit cumbersome. The hose goes almost just to the tool so it''s hard to get a good grasp on it without burning yourself on excess steam or having it flip out of your hand.
Then I took the unit to my kitchen. We have hard wood floors, black faux-granite counters, wood cupboards, a gas stovetop and oven and stainless steel appliances. I like how it worked on the cover of my oven. Grimy little hands get everywhere, and it left everything shiny without streaks as far as the oven was concerned. The fridge also seemed to fair well, although by this time the small handheld pad tool was soiled and although I had cleaned it in the sink with a little Dawnit seemed to have enough oily residue to not make for a complete streak-free shine on the fridge.
I used the black scrubber tool for the kitchen sink since I have deep tubs (stainless steel). It worked okay but it wasn''t long before some of the black bristles actually melted and deformed. Not okay. I am going to try and get it replaced. They also include an identical tool with red bristles (for the bathroom). I used that longer on the bathroom at a high heat and it did not deform or melt. I figure it''s a faulty plastics issue. I''m not impressed in it''s toilette cleaning ability and I think I will not use it to clean the toilettes but maybe to steam AFTER I clean.
After cleaning the upper parts of the kitchen, I moved to the floor. I like the ease in which you can fill the canister (you will do this a lot) and replace it in the unit. It''s also fairly light to hold. The bottom swivels and I really like the microfiber pads that come with it. They have lines of a harder fibrous material in between soft microfiber perfect for scrubbing stubborn pieces of uncooked dough or jelly/juice spills/dried jello off the floor but not hard enough to scratch. The large mop-head is rounded, however, which made it tough to get into corners. For that you have to get on your hands and knees.
What I would change:
the pictures of the people using the unit needs to be corrected since it is NOT hands free
the plastic scrubbers need to have higher quality plastic so they dont melt
the water tank could easily be bigger
another tool with an elongated nozzle for streamlined steam for nooks and crannies would be a plus
Putting a better handle on the end of the unit hose would be beneficial
Pictures in the instructions would also be helpfulthey are very minimal and vague
Including an angled mop-head would be useful
Having a way to store the attachments would be nice
Pluses for this unit:
Light and easy to carry
Easy to fill and replace water canister
parts seem to be robust and sturdy as not to break easily
microfiber mop cloth is practical and can be washed and reused (do not machine dry though, you should let it air dry and never use softener)
canister removes very simply and hose wraps nicely
Safe for wood and tile floors with a steam intensity knob
Filter in the unit allows you to use regular tap water
I liked the red over the blue and was happy I had another color option available to me
I also used it this morning to steam my milk for my coffee. It worked rather well.
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This steam mop helps because you exert less effort while cleaning, but does little to make it any faster if you want to clean AND disinfect. The mop loosens and wipes away tough, caked-on grime quite well, but you have to go very slowly or it won''t work.
To disinfect an area, you need to hold the pad 15 TO 20 SECONDS over the surface (according to the manual) for it to actually sanitize... so it would actually take an inordinate amount of time (and water, and electricity) to disinfect an entire kitchen or bathroom floor as advertised.
Some other observations:
Some of the comments here mention vague instructions. Bissell must have heard you all, because an addendum to the instruction manual was included, which made the assembly process a bit clearer.
The heating element works very quickly! You plug it in, and in just a few moments, the "ready" light switches on.
Unit is fairly quiet in "mop mode", but emits a pretty loud hissing noise from the hose in "handheld mode". Not sure if that amount of noise is normal for portable steam cleaners.
Though the steam mop works best with distilled water (which costs just 80 cents a gallon at my local grocery store), the manual says you can also use demineralized water. Tap water will also work in a pinch, but it will wear out the filter faster.
As mentioned in other reviews, the unit requires that you keep the "steam" button constantly depressed to keep it going. Not a big deal if you''re doing some quick cleaning, but expect some hand-cramping and fatigue if you''re cleaning multiple rooms or surfaces. Also, my wife has arthritis, so she can''t use the product AT ALL without severe discomfort.
The water canister is doesn''t hold much water. This keeps the mop small and light, but the constant refilling can get annoying.
The neck is not adjustable, like a vacuum cleaner -the height is fixed. Not a huge deal, but cleaning can get tricky if you''re very tall or short (and/or, if the floorspace is small).
This is nitpicky, but out-of-the-box, the cleaning head was covered with a large sticker that said "Bissell" and "2 products in 1" (or something like that), and it took longer to peel it off than it did to assemble the mop!
After steam mopping, the product seems to leave a strange organic-y odor. Has anyone else noticed this? My wife thinks it''s the smell of the new mop head, and that it will go away after we machine wash it.
Overall, the product works OK. We''ll use it for "first pass" cleaning and continue to use spray cleaning products to disinfect and leave surfaces smelling pleasant. If you''re on the fence on this item, you might want to wait a few generations for Bissell to work out the kinks and bring the price down. It''s not worth the price right now.
PROTIP: the attachments can be a pain to clean. After using the attachments, try sanitizing them with the steam hose. Just be careful not to cinge your fingers!
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My seven year old boy LOVED the noise this mop makes when you use it for the first time. It sounds like a machine gun! He came running in, all excited only to find out it was cleaning day!
The steam mop works about like any other steam mop out there. It does not come with one of the carpet floating things, which I think would have made a really cool feature. Nor does it come with the aromatherapy scents to add to the water, again that would have been a nice touch. Another missing element is an on switch for the steam tools, that stays on. I may make one out of something later on, because your arm does get tired holding the button on while you steam clean away your morning. Those are some things I would have liked to have.
Now the great parts the cord is plenty long that is a huge plus for me. The unit is substantial, well made, solid. At first the onboard hoses look awkward but they are designed for simple snap connection construction. The most important feature of the onboarding steam unit that detatches is that it is actually a strong enough flow of air and steam to melt and blast out gunk. And believe me, it gets DISGUSTING the stuff around your oven, the refrigerator seals, the faucets nooks GROSSSSS.
I started cleaning mopped the linoleum kitchen floor at around 8:30 and then started to use the steam tools, a few minutes after that. At first to steam blast away the connecting floor seams adjacent to the kitchen. And then on to all the appliances. And the cabinets the steam stream does a great job liquidating the crap that settles into the nooks around the cabinet cut outs. Down the halls to wash the walls, all the time changing attachments the kitchen brush, the flat surface steamer, the grout brush, the bathroom scrubber (clever it is a different color red then the black kitchen scrubber). When I was done I got a microfiber cloth, warm water, and swiped up the entire house that was now dripping with grime. Everything looks shiny and new. The grout steam tool is phenomenal. Again, really gross streams of stuff but that all comes clear off with a swipe of a microfiber cloth. I looked at the clock as I threw the cloths and pads into the laundry, and it was 10:37. Two hours gone! I had used two refills of water during that time. The unit heats instantaneously, no waiting at all.
I always wanted one of those hand held steam cleaning tools this mop and tool set does everything PLUS it mops floors really well. Glad I got it.
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I purchased this item to replace my Hoover vacuum cleaner which wasn''t doing the job on the pet hair. One of the reasons I wanted it was that the belt on my Hoover was constantly breaking. This vacuum has a CHAIN instead of a rubber belt, so it will NEVER break! Not only that, this vacuum does the job on any type of dirt, dust or pet hair. It is worth every penny because I was on a cycle of buying a new vacuum every one to two years at approximately $200 a pop. My cleaning lady raves about it, and says it''s much better than my old Hoover or even a Dyson, which she claims are completely overrated. I love my pet-hair free floors!!
