Bissell Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner, Green Tea, 1867-7

I'd wanted a steam mop for some time, but I was paranoid reading reviews for them & didn't know which I should choose. It seemed as though either you loved them or hated them, & I was paranoid I'd be one of those who hated it. After getting this Bissell in, the only thing I hate is that I waited so long before trying it.I have several pets & a toddler (plus I'm pregnant) so I'm always cleaning something. I've never been able to get the hard floors in my house really clean. A regular mop didn't do it, the wet jet products were OK but never left me feeling as though I'd actually cleaned. I have hardwood, tile, & vinyl. I got this in & kept the package, just in case I hated it & wanted to send it back. It is easy to put together, took less than 5 minutes. It does seem a bit heavy, but once you use it you realize it actually helps gets things up without you needing to put much physical effort into, unlike mops & other systems. When the unit is plugged in, it was less than 30 seconds before I was ready to go. Very simple to use, cleans very well, & extra steam & a little waiting gets up basically anything my floors have, from scuffs in the entry way to food my toddler leaves in the dining room floor after meals. I've had no problems with streaks & I don't find that it leaves the floor too wet. Depending on how much steam you use, which you control yourself, it could be dry or slightly damp. I find that when I steam more dirty spots I of course end up with a bit more damper results, but no more damp than a mop & bucket leaves your floor. It puts out great steam & I was really impressed that it actually did steam & got as hot as it does. Like I said, the extra weight helped remove scuffs with very little effort on my part. Normally, even after mopping, I end up on the floor with cleaner & a rag, which isn't very practical right now since I'm currently pregnant. I found the cord was long enough, but I could see how it could be short if you have very large rooms. But even then, plugging this in & out is very simple & requires no wait time to start cleaning again. The pads go on & off easily, I throw them in the washer & allow them to air dry. About the only real complaint I had after using it was that I wish it had some sort of locking feature on it to keep it standing up. I have no where to hang it, so I have to leave it leaning in a corner & hope nothing knocks it over. But, again, that's with any mop. As it's been said, not amazing on grout but I don't think really anything is. This cleans just as well as anything else when it comes to the grout. But everything else? It really does feel cleaner that anything else I've used. And I love that I don't have to fool with carrying around water to different rooms or using chemicals. Because of the toddler & animals, I always tried to mop at night because I didn't want to expose them to the chemicals on the floors, where they obviously run around all the time. Now, it's not a concern as this is just water. I was also amazed by how well it cleaned my bathroom which has vinyl flooring. Since we've lived here we've been unhappy with it & no matter what we used to clean it, it never looked or felt clean. This actually left the floor looking cleaner than it's looked since we bought the house last year. That alone makes it worth the price since nothing else has worked for that bathroom.So overall, I'm very pleased with this item. It's not totally effortless, cleaning never is, but with as much work as you'd have to put into the wet jet type of items you get a very clean looking & feeling floor. Again, this is something I wish I hadn't waited so long to buy, worrying about if it was worth the price. I've found that it is & after just having this a few weeks, I can't imagine going back to anything else to clean my hard floors.

I decided to purchase a hard floor cleaner because I was tired of and temporarily medically unable to lift and wring out my long-handled sponge mop. I chose this brand and model because of the favorable reviews.This Bissell was easy to assemble and figure out how to operate---and I am not especially mechanically inclined. However, what I was not expecting (and I don't remember reading this in any of the reviews) was that the handle does not lock into place and actually slides (sometimes completely out) of the main frame, especially when gliding this cleaner backward. To stop the handle from sliding out, I only could glide the cleaner forward or hold on the handle in such a way, as to prevent the rod from sliding out when I moved the cleaner backwards.The Bissell engineers should have consulted with mechanically-challenged people like me, as to clarify (most likely in diagrams) where the screws should be. I was able to lock in the mop, but not the handle.Update: Thanks to one of the readers here, who informed me that I should have taken off the water tank and find the hole where a screw could be.I found where the screw went in,(a eureka moment for me), lined it up and locked it in. The handle no longer slides out! Yay!Other than a lack of understanding with these instructions, along with my not-so great mechanical ability, this machine cleans very well and I am pleased with the steam cleaning. It cleans my hallway, kitchen and dining room area, which is about 600 sq. ft. without having to refill the water container.I would like to add that this handle is a bit short for my comfort level.Perhaps, Bissell could design the handle longer and adjustable for future models. Also, I tried to go back and give this a 4 star rating, rather than the original 3 that I gave this, but I was unable to do so.The 4-star rating is because I think that handle is too short (at least for my height) and the instructions could have been more specific.UPDATE on 1/15/10I have used this machine about once a month or so, it hasn't been overly worked. After filling the cup with water and then plugging in, I waited a few minutes for the water to get hot.Even after 10 minutes, the water was only warm. Apparently, the heating element must have fried. So, I am going to email Bissell and find out if the heating element can be replaced or have toget a new cleaner.Hopefully, other buyers will have better luck than me in the longevity of this cleaner.

I bought this after the Eureka Steam Mop I had for years gave up the ghost. I debated on getting the Eureka Enviro to replace it and did not after reading the reviews on this mop. I made a JUMBO mistake. The old Eureka was much better. The waffle terry pad moved easily on my tile floors. In comparison, the microfiber on this thing is a monster to push. It seems to drag with a claw grip over the tile when pushed. I have a herniated disc in my upper & lower back. After struggling to push this thing around, I have been in terrible pain for four days now. I did not have any problems pushing the old Eureka. Also, with the Eureka you get constant steam without having to press a trigger that releases steam sometimes well & sometimes not at all. The constant steam head (with multiple holes on the Eureka versus the one steam hole on the Bissell) did a much better job of cleaning. The cord on this thing is much too short. I had to plug & replug to finish my large sunroom. The cord on the Eueka was long enough to reach the entire room.This thing just did not handle well for me at all. I did nothing but struggle with it. The long & short of it is: If you have back problems, don't buy this thing, buy the Eureka instead, it is a much more user friendly product with a greater steam output.