Bissell vacuum and carpet cleaner in one

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Does the Bissell carpet cleaner also vacuum?
Is there such a thing as a vacuum and carpet cleaner in one?
Are Bissell Crosswaves any good?
Can you use the Bissell Crosswave just as a vacuum?

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist

While a good vacuum cleaner can get rid of most dust and dirt, some stains will be too stubborn for even the strongest models. Area rugs and carpets alike require a deep clean every couple of years. This can be done either by a professional service or with a steam carpet cleaner yourself. Paul Iskyan, president of ABC Rug & Carpet Cleaning Service, told us in previous reporting that “the biggest problem that we have in the industry is that people don’t clean, period. And then they don’t clean frequently enough, then they wonder why their carpet doesn’t look good, or they wonder why their kid is at the doctor with big allergy problems.”

According to Iskyan, you should be getting your area rugs professionally cleaned every year or two, especially if they’re in high-traffic areas like living rooms or if you have pets or kids. But there are a few things you can do to keep carpets clean like a professional carpet cleaner, including getting an at-home steam carpet cleaner.

When choosing our best steam cleaners, we referenced our previous reporting and pulled some finds from Strategist contributors. Then we consulted thousands of reviews from across the internet to find the best models out there, including the best compact cleaners and the best automatic ones. We’ve opted not to include a model that’s best for pet owners because every steam cleaner we considered has rave reviews from pet owners, making it hard to distinguish which one was truly the best. Instead, we considered the extra tools and functions that may make raking up cat or dog hair a lot easier. You can learn more about our selection process below.

Best overall | Best less expensive | Best portable | Best automatic | Best multipurpose

Capacity: The capacity you need will depend on the size of your home. A carpeted home will require a larger-capacity cleaner, but if you have only a couple of area rugs (and wood floors) you may be able to get away with a smaller model. We have listed each cleaner’s total volume.

Weight: If the cleaner is too cumbersome to carry from room to room, you probably won’t want to take it out of the cupboard and clean. Steam carpet cleaners are often bulkier than vacuums, so we’ve listed the total weight, which is a good proxy for ease of use, and sought out customer reviews that highlight ease of use, too.

Attachments: Like vacuum cleaners, some models feature extra nozzles and attachments to help remove pet hair or triangular brush heads for awkward corners. We’ve listed every extra attachment that comes with each model.

One gallon capacity | 18 pounds | Includes tough-stain and pet-hair attachments

Bissell’s ProHeat carpet cleaner gets top marks for three reasons. First, it’s one of the best-rated models on Amazon, with over 23,000 reviews — 80 percent of which are five stars. Second is the popularity: It’s the best-selling steam carpet cleaner on the Strategist overall, which convinced us that a lot of people stand by this Bissell. Finally, Strategist contributor Stacey Dee Woods wrote a convincing ode to her model, which she bought after consulting private upholstery cleaners and looking at professional options: “The Bissell Proheat 2x Lift Off ticked all the boxes, but ultimately I pulled the trigger on it because every Bissell purchase helps save homeless pets. I figured if I was going to gamble, at least someone would win.” Thankfully, Woods’s gamble paid off: “After filling the tank with water and the restrained yet pleasant-smelling cleaner, I glided the sleek, light machine across the carpets and couches and marveled as stream after black stream of dirty liquid bloomed in the canister like so much squid ink. Not only did it clean as well as the pros for a lot less money, the Bissell is mine to keep and use to my heart’s delight.”

0.5 gallon capacity | 12 pounds | Includes Hoover nozzle

If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that price rarely determines quality. That has been proven once again by this steam cleaner — one of the most affordable on this list — which has more five-star ratings on Amazon (over 47,000) than any others we found. We were impressed with both its capacity and the fact that it’s lighter than the Bissell. Reviewers agreed: Over 1,000 customers call out how lightweight this cleaner is. At about “the same size as a Shark vacuum,” it’s not as bulky as some other carpet steam cleaners, but one customer says the smaller size doesn’t affect its power. “The amount of cat hair this thing sucks up is insane,” she says. “I freaking love this thing. It’s small but extremely powerful. It snaps together easily to fill and change the water.”

48 oz. capacity| 15 pounds | Includes tough-stain and self-cleaning attachments

If you have a smaller space, consider a portable cleaner, which will take up less room in your cupboard. This Bissell model came recommended by two experts when we looked at the best cleaning products for pets (and pet mess). Former New York Magazine newsletters editor Kelsi Trinidad got hers because her couch hadn’t had a good, deep clean since she bought it five years earlier. “Now that I’ve adopted a dog, it felt like a good time to be a bit more on top of cleaning the couch,” she said, adding that seeing the grime it pulled out of her couch made it all worth it. Justin Renard, the VP of growth and marketing at cat-food start-up Smalls and a dad to one long-hair cat, is another fan. “It pushes the water through the fabric and then sucks it back up again, taking all the particles the fabric might have absorbed, like cat hair balls,” he explains. Although it is more portable, note that the Bissell is heavier than the Hoover PowerDash — with a much smaller capacity. But if you’re looking for something neater (or just don’t require an upright cleaner in your home), we still think this is the best option.

One gallon capacity | 18 pounds | Includes two-in-one pet tool and stair nozzle

This steamer by Hoover uses motion-sensing technology, dispensing cleaning solution when it moves forward and sucking it up when it moves backward. Automatic cleaners can be more expensive for this reason, but we were impressed with this model’s affordability, especially as it has the same capacity and weight as the Bissell ProHeat. One Amazon reviewer said it even knew how much solution to dispense based on the density of a stain, as proven when their sick dog made a mess on a bedroom carpet: “I noticed when cleaning the spots versus the rest of my carpet that more detergent was dispensed. The machine knew how much to dispense on every part of the carpet based on the mess underneath.” Another reviewer says using this cleaner is as good as paying for a professional carpet-cleaning service. “I’ve never seen such an incredible carpet washer in my life,” they explain. “I can get rid of all debris and dirt and leave a perfectly clean machine for next time. It costs so little for such an incredible tool.” The cleaner comes with a two-in-one pet tool, which features thick rubber spikes to help rake up pet hair as well as a narrow nozzle for crevices and tight corners.

48 oz. capacity | 12 pounds | Includes floor mop, brushes, scrub pad, triangle brush, and squeegee attachments

If space is at a premium in your home, a multiuse cleaner may be a good investment, and this model by McCulloch can be used to steam most anything, including clothing, mattresses, the insides of cupboards, and even patio areas. Crucial to any good multiuse steamer is its size, given that it cleans a wider range of areas compared with a standard steam carpet cleaner. This one features a 15-foot power cord and a nine-foot steam hose. Like automatic cleaners, multipurpose options can be heavier, but this one weighs just 12 pounds, making it the lightest option on our list. Therefore, it’s easy to move from outdoors to indoors, or from room to room, and reviewers on Amazon agreed. Part of the reason it’s light is the smaller capacity compared with the upright models featured here. While all the cleaners we recommend feature one or two extra nozzles, the range of accessories on this model is impressively vast. It features a triangle brush for awkward corners, squeegee attachments (for shower doors, windows, or mirrors), and a floor-mop attachment. Reviewers used it to steam clean their dishwashers and toilets, and one handyman said it can be used to remove wallpaper.

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The 5 Very Best Carpet Steam Cleaners

Does the Bissell carpet cleaner also vacuum?

Vacuum & Wash at the Same Time! Shop our family of CrossWave^® multi-surface machines and discover a revolutionary way to clean sealed hard floors and refresh area rugs.

Is there such a thing as a vacuum and carpet cleaner in one?

Yes, it is possible with a vacuum and carpet cleaner. It can simply let you reduce your time to half. These cleaners often come in robotic models and rely on built-in rechargeable batteries as their power source.

Are Bissell Crosswaves any good?

For a mid-range upright vacuum, cleaning tests have suggested the Bissell Crosswave has a pretty good cleaning performance and suction power on hard floor surfaces, but not so much on rugs. Other than that, it does fulfill its primary function to clean both wet and dry messes, as well as pet hair.

Can you use the Bissell Crosswave just as a vacuum?

If you decide to use the Bissell Crosswave as a vacuum, the only requirements are plugging in the unit and choosing a floor type. The rest of the work, aside from actually pushing the Crosswave, is controlled by the vacuum.