Steam Cleaners

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,455
949
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to let you know about the steam cleaner I purchased about 3 years ago. It is a Bissell Pro Heat 2X. The manual can be found below, just click on the provided link.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i3d/01/A/man-migrate/MANUAL000074560.pdf

My wife swears up and down that this is the best purchase I have made in the past decade. I don't think I can argue that one. This was my first and only purchase I made for a steam cleaner so I have no real comparison. That said, this steam cleaner has maintained our carpet through the thick and thin, dogs, a toddler, parties and entertaining, painting catastrophes, a case of bottled dark beer [and glass] being spilled on it, a cat and the sometimes unpleasant "results" that accompany them, spilled plants, coffee and everyday wear and tear just from normal use on a white carpet. Key words, white carpet and toddler.



Our carpet is now 8 years old and should look like it needs to be replaced. With the help of this machine, this is not the case. It looks like it is slightly worn to not worn at all and I'll be the first to tell you, we abuse our carpet. Even though it's white, we have no "shoes off in the house" rule and with a small child, sometimes things do not get immediately cleaned up when time is pressing to get Mom [my wife] and Dad [me] off to work.

I spot clean whenever I get the chance but for the most part, the carpet only gets cleaned once every six months on average. Thing is, I still have that new carpet sheen and the carpet is 8 years old....and white!

I would not recommend this for cleaning upholstery all by itself. The attachments are, shall I say, sub par for the task. That said, if you have a shop vac and a scrub brush then you are golden. Thing is, the steam cleaner does not have the pulling [or vacuum] power required to extract all of the moisture from pillows, futon mattresses, sofas and chairs all by itself. However, it does a fine job of distributing the cleaning solution. This allows you to use a little elbow grease to get whatever it is you are cleaning....well, clean and clean quickly. Just use the shop vac to extract all of the moisture and usually within the course of 12 hours, everything is dry.

I got mine at Sam's Club for the cost of about $200.00. If anybody is in the market for a steam cleaner for non-commercial use, take a look at this one. It hasn't disappointed me yet and after all of these years and use, I looked at the brushes. They look as if I haven't even used it yet. That right there says something about the quality of this product.

I very rarely recommend any tools but when something like this comes along that has paid for itself many times over and then some, with absolutely no issues or replacement parts well after the warranty expires? I feel I have to mention it so that it may benefit others who may be looking for the right tool for the job. To me, this is the right tool and it goes above and beyond all expectations.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and have a great day. Enjoy the music!

Tom
 

es347

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
1,577
35
970
Midwest fly over state..
Bought the Hoover SpinScrub and the beater brush broke just out of warranty. Cheap repair but a hassle nonetheless. It does a respectable job cleaning however.
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,455
949
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Hello, Christian. I have not used the Rug Doctor but it does seem to be popular. What I like about this is the price. At a $200.00 price point, it's well worth it to own it and have it on hand for those times you need it. The chemicals used for both flooring and carpet are cheap when bought at Sam's [about $8.00 a gallon] and last quite a while. IME, it's best to have this kind of tool on hand for when the unforeseen uh-oh happens. When the dark beer and the associated broken glass dropped out of the bottom of the box, it was after midnight.

Instead of going to the store, renting the unit, purchasing the needed cleaning solution at seemingly ridiculous rates for small quantities, returning home and cleaning....only to take the time to return the unit the next day? We had the "accident" cleaned up and spotless in about 15-20 minutes from start to finish. If we had to go to the store [if it was open] and get everything we needed, I could almost guarantee we would have had to replace the carpet.

How often does one steam clean one's rug?
Hello, Ron. The EPA suggests that you clean the carpets in the house every six months.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,376
2,497
1,398
How often does one steam clean one's rug?

Probably depends on how many pets you have, how old they are (and same for young kids...) In our case, one old dog and one old cat. One has minor accidents, the other tends to vomit occassionally when he's been running around too much after dinner.
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
9,481
17
0
Cats are always yakking something up.
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,455
949
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Funny you should mention that. I use the Shark w/ the angled attachment. It works wonders for what it can do for the elimination of the unwanted. If you will allow, I demonstrated this for Bob Carver a couple of years back as his quote was "I never knew vinyl could sound this good".

Tom
 

Greg_R

New Member
Jan 25, 2012
95
0
0
We bought a Hoover after doing a bunch of research to clean up after our dog and kids. It seems that both Bissell and Hoover -can- have problems. IMO, get the extended warranty and buy from a company that honors their service agreements. I've had good luck with Sears r.e. service.
 

Mosin

[Industry Expert]
Mar 11, 2012
895
13
930
I bought a Rug Doctor around twenty years ago, and it still works perfectly. I don't even remember the brand of the cleaner it replaced because the Rug Doctor was so much better. It was $750 well spent, and came with an upholstery tool that cleans at a professional level. You get what you pay for.
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,455
949
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Win, how big is the tank on the Rug Doctor? Mine's only about a gallon to a gallon and a half fo both the supply and the intake. I'm just wondering if the capacity is improved with the Rug Doctor. Also, does the Rug Doctor heat up the water any more than hot water out of the tap?

Tom
 

Phelonious Ponk

New Member
Jun 30, 2010
8,677
23
0
I have no business in this thread and nothing to say about steam cleaners...other than with 4 dogs I need one...but I'm thinking there must be some kind of prize when I hit 5,000 posts....

Tim
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
I have no business in this thread and nothing to say about steam cleaners...other than with 4 dogs I need one...but I'm thinking there must be some kind of prize when I hit 5,000 posts....

Tim
There is a prize. Your next post after that will show up as 5001. :D
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,455
949
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Hehe....

Tim, I have one dog and a small child who can not understand the concept yet of "keeping" things clean. It sounds to me like you definitely need one. For me? I could not imagine paying a professional company to steam clean the carpets and upholstery as much as I do. I'd go bankrupt and I'd have no excess funds for audio. Two things that are unacceptable to me.

Tom
 

Phelonious Ponk

New Member
Jun 30, 2010
8,677
23
0
Hehe....

Tim, I have one dog and a small child who can not understand the concept yet of "keeping" things clean. It sounds to me like you definitely need one. For me? I could not imagine paying a professional company to steam clean the carpets and upholstery as much as I do. I'd go bankrupt and I'd have no excess funds for audio. Two things that are unacceptable to me.

Tom

I rent cleaners as needed. I think they're Rug Doctors. While it wouldn't take all that many rentals to pay for a $200 machine, I've always assumed that a machine at that price point wouldn't be up to heavy-duty work. Your post is causing me to re-consider. I think I paid $30 the last time I rented one...

There is a prize. Your next post after that will show up as 5001.

Amir, this is excellent news. I look forward to it.

Tim
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,455
949
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
I've always assumed that a machine at that price point wouldn't be up to heavy-duty work.

I never thought about it like that, Tim. I can say that once you get the hang of how it works [I.E. keep the solution bottle full at all times with either water or cleaning solution], this thing works great. Especially at the price point that it is offered at. One thing that is very convenient about it is when an unexpected "oops" happens, you can grab it and within around 15 minutes or less, the "oops" is gone and the machine is put back into storage. You don't have to put up with the "oops" until the next rental. I will say that it cleans my white carpet so good that when I do have the occasional "oops", I do not have to put up with one clean spot that makes the rest of the carpet look bad. That said, I guess just based on experience with this machine, that it is a capable player of heavy duty work. Just that one incident of the case of dark beer hitting the floor and shattering taught me that but the more I think about it, it has definitely done this household justice. Especially for such an old carpet, a kid, a dog and the fact that the carpet is white.

One word of advice, even if you do not choose to go with this option. Get a carpet rake. It speeds up the drying times, offers a consistent finish [texture] and makes the carpet look like a million bucks when going to market one's house. Apartment complexes sometimes use them to create a consistent finish and then rub the carpet certain ways to create a "welcome" sign that is actually written in the carpet upon entry. Of course, once this is walked on, this disappears but the presentation of a clean carpet tends to make the *wow* factor better for sales. I got mine at Home Depot for around 8 or so dollars a couple of years back. just be prepared for nobody knowing what it is you are trying to find. Not many people even know about such a thing.

Here's one I found at Amazon, just so you know what it looks like...

510meXYnmgL.jpg

If you can not find one at Home Depot, here's the link to an Amazon rake, however, you will need to purchase a handle for it >>> http://www.amazon.com/B-W-CARPET-RA...8&qid=1343417790&sr=8-1&keywords=carpet+rakes The two together [steam cleaner and rake] work like clockwork in the maintenance of a carpet that provides excellent results. Even over the long term in my case.

Tom
 

Phelonious Ponk

New Member
Jun 30, 2010
8,677
23
0
Does it really make steam, or just water and cleaning fluid? And I see a hose/hand piece -- is that long enough and does it work well? I need it for couches more than rugs.

Tim
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,455
949
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Tim, I don't recall ever actually seeing a "steam cleaner" produce real steam other than the small handheld cleaners. So to answer your question, it's just water and cleaning solution. Basically, you fill the tank up with the hottest water you can get from your tap, turn the machine on for a minute or two and start cleaning. During that minute or two, the built in heater heats the water up even more than the hottest tap water you can produce. I have absolutely no idea what that temperature would be but I know it's hot as I always steam clean the carpet in bare feet.

As far as the hose goes, it reaches about 6 feet from the base unit. It works well for cleaning but as I mentioned, the extraction leaves much to be desired. A little too much, if you ask me. That's why I break out my wet/dry VAC. Let's say if I were to clean a microfiber couch using just this steam cleaner.....while I have never tried it, I would imagine that it would take about 2 to 3 days to dry out enough to sit on. To me, that would introduce a chance for mold or algae to start growing which defeats the entire purpose of cleaning it in the first place. Yeah, it may "look" clean but the smell?....I think you get my drift. When I use the wet/dry VAC and I clean it in the morning? It's ready to sit on by the afternoon with no smell and with it looking pristine, provided the upholstery is in good condition to begin with.

I personally have a microfiber couch and listening chair. I'm sure you have seen situations to where the armrests look like they are not clean"able" or salvageable. From time to time, mine look like this. Especially when my youngin' was younger than he is now. There have been times to where I thought the armrests were shot beyond a point of recovery but every time I use the combo I use, along with minimal scrubbing from a brush [like one would typically use to clean a shower], the end result looks fantastic.

Knowing this, the attachment that hooks up to the hose that I always use is the most basic of attachments. I basically use it to supply the hot water. Then I lightly scrub and extract the water with the wet/dry VAC. All of the other tools for the hose, I have personally found to be useless. With that said, unless you have or are willing to purchase a wet/dry VAC with some vacuum power, I would suggest possibly looking elsewhere for upholstery. Mine gets the job done and done well but with the additional wet/dry VAC I got at Home Depot for around a Benjamin or so. The model I have is the 16 gallon, 6.5HP blower VAC, also found at HD.

I hope this helps in your decision, Tim. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. I'll be glad to offer you any insight I may have.

Tom
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing