My cats are cute.

See…

But like all pets, they are time consuming, cost a lot of money, need a ton of attention, and above all, are extremly messy.

See…

That’s cat puke.

That I left for about…oh….2 weeks.

It sounds horrible, but honestly there tends to be so much of it it almost seems normal around here. Kinda like when you leave your kids juice cup for about 4 weeks sitting on the end table? Like that.

Now I already own a steam cleaner. I had bought this really heavy duty steam cleaner on Amazon a million years ago and it works pretty well, but when I got a chance to test out the Bissell ProHeat 2x, I was totally in.

Bissell ProHeat 2x Review

Assembly:

I put it together myself, which was super easy as far as construction was concerned. Just required the right tools, of which in this case I had to borrow a screw driver from a neighbor cause mine was MIA. It took me about 15-20 minutes to unpack and assembly the ProHeat.

What I noticed Right off the Bat:

One of the main differences in this cleaner vs the Hoover I own is how the water is distributed. It includes a separate area for cleaner and water and they combine while cleaning your floor. Personally, I preferred Bissells methods much more in this upgrade. Another item I preferred on this one was the way it gathered the dirty water. At first glace, its kinda weird. It sucks the water out of the container and essentially adds it back in AROUND the same container. It doesn’t mix the water, but its around the bag.

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Bissell ProHeat 2x Specs

A thorough way to deep clean and protect your carpet

6 deep cleaning rows DirtLifter® Powerbrushes
Built-in Hot water heater for MAXIMUM cleaning
Ready to use hose cleans tough stains, stairs and upholstery

Power Rating: 12 amps
Heater: Yes
Cleaning Path Width: 9.5″
Weight: 25 lbs

Suction Power

Power Rating: 12 amps
Power Source: Corded
Heater: Yes
Flow Gauge: No
Brush System: 6 Row DirtLifter PowerBrush
Brush On/Off Switch: No
Surround Suction: No
Power Cord Length: 25′

Dirt Collection

Surface Type: Carpet, Upholstery, Auto, Stairs
Cleaning Path Width: 9.5″
Tank Capacity: ¾ Gallon
Edge Sweep: No
Custom Clean: No

Specialty Tools

Stain Tools: 3″ Stain Tool

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Negatives:

1) I found the steamer quite heavy. At 25 pounds, its not a quick and easy lug up the stairs if you have them. There were no issues with the actual usage, but hauling it up and down requires either assistance or some strong arms. I find that steamers (and vacuums) are awkard in the carry because although you can hike it up a few stairs at a time, you still have to balance it. Keep in mind, I am 5’1″ and (usually) 108 pounds or so. Right now I am pregnant so its even more awkward.

2) I wish it had a custom cleaning mode. One of the main features I like on my current steamer is that I can sit the steamer on a really tough stain and it will increase the brush speed to scrub out the stain. There isnt that option here.

3) While its not a negative but more of an observation, I would prefer that the on and off switch was on the foot pedal instead of the front of machine. Its more a preference because so many appliances do that, that every time I use it I automatically go to turn it off by my foot and its not there. I imagine I am not alone.

Does it Clean?

The big question is honestly, does the Bissell ProHeat 2x CLEAN?

Here you go:

1) Very old cat stain

2) First swipe with the cleaner

3) Few more swipes and concentrating on stain

Success!

Also, with the stairs, the hose goes up quite a ways, so you can get a good half of the stair well done without moving it to the top. For the hose, the water sprays on the side of the nozzle (so my legs got wet when I turned it to the side) and I could feel that the water was indeed heated up.

My Impression:

Overall, its a good solid steamer and I would recommend purchasing it if you are looking to keep your carpets clean and fresh. I find myself using quite often and it has yet to fail me in the past several months…in cleaning or in power.

While I have read many times about a “heating” steamer taking away the power of cleaning, I didn’t find that to be the case. I did go ahead and use hot tap water and in addition added the steamer, which might have reduced some load, but I didn’t notice any power change regardless.

Bissell carries several versions of this cleaner. You can get a Healthy Home, Pet Upright or the Deep Cleaning Upright.

Click to find out more:

~Trisha

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disclosure: product courtesy provided by Bissell for test

Take Bissell’s Sock Test and Win!

It’s a time for hardworking moms to kick back, enjoy brunch … and brave a visit from the in-laws. The kids love seeing Grandma, but meeting Mom’s high cleaning standards can be stressful – She’ll notice hard-to-reach dust on blinds, spots on the tablecloth and dirt in the carpet. If your readers are among the 70 percent of women stressed by mothers-in-law, help them prep for Mom’s visit with two simple, at-home tests. These timely tasks can be done before company arrives – and they’re so easy, kids can help too!

Pass the white glove test: This iconic test is an old standby for catching dust – Use it in your home to catch spots you don’t clean every week. Have kids use a glove (or an old white t-shirt) to “inspect”’ for dust hidden in areas like blinds, dining room chairs and wall paneling. Follow closely behind your little detective to remove the dust before your mother-in-law finds it!

Pass BISSELL’s White Sock Test (and win prizes!): Your home may be hiding dirt you’ve never noticed – each square foot of carpet can hold up to a pound of dirt before it’s visible! BISSELL’s White Sock Test reveals deep-down dirt vacuuming may leave behind. To take the test, have your kids put on a clean, damp white sock and do “the twist” in a high-traffic carpeted area for 30 seconds. The carpets’ grime will be revealed in the socks – If it’s not pretty, make sure to deep clean carpets before Mom arrives.

(Here is mine!)

(this is about 2 minutes of dancing to Youtube)

Meanwhile, adults can upload a photo of those dirty socks to Facebook.com/bissell, and be randomly entered to win a $15,000 home makeover. You can also visit BISSELL’s Facebook page daily for instant-win prizes like Visa gift cards and BISSELL deep cleaning systems. (Cleaner carpets and a home makeover? Mom will be so proud!)

You can visit Bissell.com/socktest for more details.

The White Sock Test

Your socks know how much dirt is lurking in your carpet. Do you?
If you vacuum your carpet regularly, you probably think it’s clean. But if you don’t deep clean, it’s probably not. Don’t believe us? Take the BISSELL White Sock Test and find out for yourself.

Wet a clean white sock.
Do “the twist” in a high traffic area of your carpet for at least 30 seconds. (Really get your foot in there!)
What’s the sock look like now?

Take the White Sock Test and enter for a chance to win a $15,000 home makeover, plus get daily chances to win instant prizes like a BISSELL deep cleaner or $25 Visa gift card.

Happy Mother’s Day!