Rating  - Best Steam Cleaner for D0-It-Yourselfer's I Have Ever Used
I am somewhat hesitant about writing a review about a product that already has its fair share of reviews, but there are a number of points, and a couple of pictures that I felt should be shared.
About 10 years ago, I purchased rather nice house, built in the early 1970's, that had carpet throughout, including the bathrooms. Most of the carpet had been replaced once, with the exception of the two full bathrooms. Three or four weeks after its purchase, spots began returning in the carpet, in addition to the marks in the bathroom carpets that were there from the very beginning.
I went out and bought the best Hoover steam carpet cleaner I could find: six brushes, a power brush, and some other parts that made it the best for its time. Using it gave me good results, but not quite as good at the mammoth machine you could rent at the grocery store. The stains sometimes went away, but they always came back. I used the Bissell Allergen cleaner and the house smelled "fresh" for about 2-3 days afterwards.
Recently, we've had some guests at the house who have terrible allergies, so I decided it was time to get a better carpet steamer. Since we have an electric hot water heater, the idea of the steamer heating the water 20-25 degrees seemed like a great idea. My only problem was deciding: Do I select Bissell 9200 ProHeat 2X Upright Deep Carpet Cleaner or the 9500 model. I selected the Bissell 9500 ProHeat 2X because it has all of the attachements and it expells hot air to the back and sides to help speed-up the carpet drying time. I made the correct choice because the floor head and power scrubber, along with the hot air dischargers make this a great carpet steamer, and well worth the extra $100.00 or so you have to spend.
Here are the five reasons I found that make this the steamer to purchase:
1) It cleans! Now, I know that sounds too simplistic, but two weeks after steam shampooing with the same solution, the house smells like it was just cleaned. After 3 weeks, and our dog coming-in from being out in the rain has sort of neutralized the "fresh" smell, but the house still has a clean odor. I have posted two pictures taken of the "blue" carpet in one of the bathrooms. From the "before" picture, you will see a "black" line along the cabinet, where it looks like water splashed against the cabinet ran down the cabinet and onto the floor. This line NEVER disappeared after cleaning before, but it did after I used the Bissell 9500. The picture almost looks like the "black" line is there in washed-out form, but what's left is more of an indention. Did it take-out all of the stains from 30+ years? No, there are some, like some spilled hair dye, that didn't come-out, but those that were left are much lighter (I have learned that using "Shout" immediately will take-out the worse spills, e.g. I spilled some black shoe edging on the carpet... I sprayed some "Shout," and it came right out, even though it took me three minutes to get the Shout and the wet towel to clean it up.)
There was also this brown stain next to the wall in our living room that has been their the whole 9 years I've lived here. I think it is some of that Old English dark wood polish. Because it was behind the sofa somewhat and was so close to the wall, it was difficult to get to, and never lightened, much less gave us any indication that it was going to come out. It came right out using the hand control.
Our vacuum is a Kirby G4. It is a very good vacuum! When I used the Bissell 9500, unlike using the Hoover, I had more dog hair and other fuzz suddenly appearing as I cleaned, which showed me that it was cleaning deeper.
2) The hot air discharge does help the carpet dry faster. The carpet will still be damp, but it dries in 2 hours versus 4 hours time.
3) The machine is designed better. Cleaning just one floor of carpet was tough on my shoulders. The Hoover made me feel like I was shoveling coal when I pushed it, and like I was pulling-in an anchor on a boat when I pulled it back. There is a balance between the weight before and after the big rear wheels that makes the Bissell 9500 easier to use. Also, the handle in the middle makes it easier to pick-up and carry upstairs and back. Also, it is built better. I filled-up the machine's water and solution containers, then left it on the carpet for several hours. No solution or water leaked out. I cannot say the same about my old Hoover. Also, the hose wraps better and the attachement is held better by a latch to keep it and the hose from unwrapping.
4) The controls let you adjust for heavy, normal, light or plain water, thus helping you use only the amount of solution that you actually need to use. Also, the "shooter" for the dispensing of extra solution is helpful sometimes when you find a spot or two that didn't come-up.
5) The power scrubber not only brushes the carpet while spraying solution (there is a slide switch for whether it is spraying solution or vacuuming-up the solution), but it cleans the carpet as good as the main machine, which was not the case with my old Hoover.
Is the Bissell 9500 ProHeat 2X worth the extra $100.00? Yes! I take care of my home appliances, so I expect this one will last 10 years, or roughly $10.00 extra per year, which isn't very much when you consider it this way. My Kirby G4 vacuum has already lasted 13 years, and it is doing great still, so "Yes, the 9500 is worth it, especially if you figure it costs only $10.00 more per year. There is a drawback, though. I like using it because it does such a good job, but since it does a good job, I won't have to use it as often as I had to use the Hoover. Oh, well. I guess I'll have to take-up another hobby!
ADDITIONAL NOTE: I have had my Bissell 9500 for about two months, and I have noticed something: I live with a bunch of slobs! Before I got the Bissell 9500, my rugs did not get as clean, thus they didn't look like they were getting dirty. Now, because they get so clean, when the dog, or wife (or even I, the worse culprit, sad to say) tracks in dirt, it shows. I know this really isn't a complaint, per se, but I thought I should warn you that your rugs will get so much cleaner that you'll get more upset now when people, and pets, track dirt on them.
Rating - Works great!
Impressed with the way it cleans a dirty rug (we have four active grandkids). Very nice feature is that it doesn't leave the carpet so wet that you have to wait half a day to walk on it (like professional cleaners). Also liked the very fast delivery of unit via Amazon's prime shipping.
Rating - A TRULY great machine
I read reviews and researched again and again because I was afraid to end up with a piece of junk like the Hoover FloorMate I owned. I actually was looking for something to clean my vinyl and linoleum floors to replace it and just happened to see that this carpet cleaner listed doing both carpets and other flooring. I finally decided after falling in a wet spot in the middle of my kitchen while carrying buckets and mops to give it a try. What a relief when I used it in my kitchen and diningroom. Yes it is a little heavy to push back and forth but so is carrying buckets of water and having them slop everywhere. It cleaned better than the Floormate and left almost no water on behind. It is taller and doesn't get under the smaller spaces but neithe did the Floormate do so well there.
Next I hit the livingroom. I have a husband, a dog and ivory carpet in there. I spend a lot of money having the carpets cleaned several times each year. Our house is LIVED IN. It did a wonderful job even on the really nasty spots. This thing will save enough to pay for itself in less than a year and it certainly seems well made.I have always had good luck with Bissell products and I will NEVER buy another Hoover ANYTHING (which is made in China for Dirt Devil)again.
Rating - Easy to use, good results
The innovative design with a bladder for clean water inside the tank where the dirty water is stored makes emptying and refilling the machine alot easier. It does limit the amount of water you are able to store so you do have to make frequent trips to the faucet. Very little instruction is required and the section in the manual required to get started is only a few pages. I am very satisfied with the Bissel product and the general shopping experience Amazon offers.
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Customer Reviews for Bissell,9500,011120006575,0011120006575,B000RPTV62, |
