You Can't Get It Clean Without HEAT!
Written: Jan 26 '00 (Updated Jun 27 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Really works and the solution smells good!
Cons: Heavy
The Bottom Line: Kool-Aid, wine, vomit, dog hair or whatever...this machine can handle it!
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| hlbirk's Full Review: Bissell 1698-1 PowerSteamer ProHeat Plus Upright... |
**Due to an error on Epinions part this review didn't come through properly when written the first time. As a matter of fact it was totally blank. I'm updating it today, 6.27.01.
Ok, I'll freely admit that I didn't want this steam cleaner. My husband thought we needed it and with 5 kids at young ages I finally gave in. Boy am I glad I did.
It was Christmas 1999 and my brother had come up to do some shopping and attend a party at our house in which Santa Claus would be coming to visit. We took 3 of my kids with us to the mall to do some last minute shopping. Everybody was doing fine until we got back in the van and prepared to leave for home. My daughter was sitting on the passenger side in the middle row (a minivan) and suddenly says, "Mom, my tummy has a headache." Any mother can guess what happened within .3 seconds after that comment. That's right. She vomited all over the interior of my van.
Fast forward to being back home and trying to clean up before company arrives...my brother, thankfully, helped take care of my daughter and other kids while I hurried to get the mess and smell out of my van. What in the world was I going to use to get that completely cleaned up? A wet rag and FeBreze sure wasn't going to cut it. My other option was to drive to the do-it-yourself car wash and just have at it with the doors wide open. Nah, that probably wouldn't work either. A HA! I have it! That clunky, heavy steam cleaner thing my hubby bought a couple months prior would be perfect!
I did a quick read of the directions for mixing the solution and I do mean quick. Why so quick? Because I didn't have to mix the solution, the machine did it for me. Woo-hoo! I filled the tank in the head of the machine with water up to the appropriate line and set it back down, locked it into place and looked around for the solution (which was included in the box with original purchase). The Fiber Cleansing Formula For Deep Cleaning Machines made by Bissell came in a 64 oz. blue plastic bottle. We also received a bottle of spray (can't remember the exact name of it, although it was included also) which could be sprayed on stubborn stains prior to the actual cleaning.
The cleansing formula has a nice, clean smell to it that wasn't so overpowering that I had to turn away with a wrinkled face. I poured the correct amount into appropriate space on the machine and locked it into place. Now, remember, I said I didn't have to mix it so my preparation job is now done.
There are 2 dials on the base of the machine. One is for high traffic areas, normal, and light traffic. Now, in my opinion this dial should never be moved off of high traffic for the simple fact that most people don't steam clean on a regular basis. I set the dial to high traffic. The second one was for water only or water/solution mix. Obviously I turned that one to the mix. Next, I had to select which attachment to use. What's good for vomit? Didn't really matter so I went with the standard attachment which looked similar to one you'd have on a vacuum cleaner, only it was about 5 inches wide. There was a brush, a corner cleaner and a base board cleaner.
Ok, we're ready. Push the button and spray the solution onto the surface. Easy enough. I let it set for just a few seconds simply because I was skeptical about the smell really coming out of my van interior. I then began to actually steam clean....but wait, how do you get "steam"? The water has to be hot right? Guess what! This machine actually heats the mixture because we all know that "you don't get it clean in cold!" However, this was not a temperature so hot that you couldn't touch it.
As I was cleaning I could smell the solution and plainly see that it was literally pulling up hair, dirt, vomit and everything else that had lodged itself in my interior. I changed attachments a couple of times just to see how they all worked and I must say that I was very impressed. They are stored in the back of the upright handle of the actual machine and they snap into place very easily.
Now that I was basically done with the cleaning part it was now time to rinse. I turned the dial to water only and began to pull the soap out.
That was a very memorable day in our household. My daughter turned out to be fine and the party went over without a hitch. I owe it all to the my Bissell Pro-Heat Steam Cleaner.
I have used this cleaner in my home on different occasions and found that it's very hard to move around steps. The base unit itself is very heavy for me, although my husband says it's fine for him. For $219 we couldn't have made a wiser purchase for cleaning stains and quick messes that a regular vacuum couldn't handle. We've let several family members borrow the steam cleaner for various cleaning jobs and they all love it. I'm starting think maybe I should be charging an hourly rate for it! LOL
If you're in the market for a steam cleaner that really works and isn't hard to get set up then this is a great one. Just keep in mind that it's on the heavy side so doing steps, stairs on the like could be difficult.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hlbirk
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Member: Heather Smith
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Reviews written: 126
Trusted by: 55 members
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