The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus allows you to vacuum, clean and steam your floors, eliminating messes with just one machine.
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We Tested the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus Vacuum on a Variety of Pet Messes
Updated on Nov. 25, 2024
If you’ve got pets, young children or someone in your house who can’t stop making spectacular messes, the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus may be the answer to your cleaning prayers. This all-in-one machine cleans up wet and dry messes on hard and soft floors, with features designed to handle debris as light as pet hair and as heavy as tracked cat litter. Here’s what I learned when I put the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus to the test.
What is the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus?
The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus is a wet/dry vacuum that lets you vacuum, wash and steam floors at the same time. This floor cleaning machine is made for tackling big messes as well as the day-to-day dirt and debris that collects in cracks and corners. It’s made for use with a specialized cleaning formula that steams and sanitizes hardwood, tile and other flat floors, as well as low-pile area rugs and carpets.
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus
With this multi-surface wet/dry vac, you can vacuum, wash and steam at the same time.
Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus Features
The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus employs Two-Tank Technology that ensures you don’t end up cleaning your floors with dirty water, and has a self-cleaning cycle to run between uses to make sure one mess doesn’t carry over to the next. When used with Bissell’s hard floor sanitize formula in the tank, this machine eliminates 99.9% of bacteria on floors. A special brush roll helps prevent pet hair from getting tangled up in the machine, and light-emitting diode (LED) headlights help you see what parts of the floor still need your attention.
This wet/dry vac comes with two 8-ounce bottles of cleaning solutions (the hard floor sanitize Ffrmula and pet multi-surface formula) so you can put your machine to work right away. It also includes an 8-ounce bottle of Clean Out to use when running the CrossWave’s self-cleaning cycle, and an additional pet multi-surface brush roll and two CrossWave replacement filters.
How We Tested It
To test the Bissell CrossWave HydrosSeam Plus, I used it in a house that had a variety of surfaces to clean, and a wide variety of pet messes from three dogs and six cats. While it did an outstanding job of cleaning up the accidents of a potty-training puppy, where it really wowed me was how it performed in the areas around cat litter boxes. Many carpet cleaning machines can leave something to be desired in the suction department, but the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus quickly picks up clay cat litter without leaving a trace behind. If it can make heavy cat litter disappear, you can imagine what it does to daily dirt and debris!
One of my favorite features of this unit is that you can dispense cleaning solution only as needed by using the trigger mechanism on the handle. This allows you to easily suck up messes, like pet urine or kitchen spills, without adding more liquid to the problem, preventing you from spreading it further. Once the liquid is removed, it only takes a few passes with cleaning solution and steam to fully remove any trace of the mess, including odors. This is also beneficial when cleaning up areas around litter boxes, since it won’t saturate any clay particles or dust and end up making a bigger mess.
Another thing I love is the large cleaning tank, which is easy to fill and has excellent visual indicators for adding cleaning solution. And because it only dispenses water and cleaning products as needed, you can steam clean the floors in multiple rooms without needing to continually stop to refill. However, as you move from room to room, you’ll need to find a new place to plug in your machine, as it’s not a cordless model. While this is a small annoyance, it’s ultimately for the best, as the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus wouldn’t be able to deliver the horsepower needed to clean as well as it does on a cordless battery. That extra horsepower also means this machine is noisier than weaker models on the market, but not overwhelmingly so.
Pros
- Incredible cleaning power
- Easy to operate
- Eliminates messes quickly and thoroughly
- Works spectacularly on old messes and stubborn stains
- Lights on the front help ensure you don’t miss a single spot
- Large cleaning tank with easy-to-read instructions
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Cons
- On the pricey side (but it is a vacuum and steam cleaner in one!)
- Heavier than other models at 12.5 pounds
FAQ
How long does it take carpet to dry after using the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus?
The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus is not meant for cleaning carpets; it’s designed to be used on tile, sealed wood floors, laminate, linoleum, rubber floor mats, pressed wood floors and other flat surfaces, which dry in a matter of minutes (or even seconds!) after cleaning. While it can’t tackle high-pile carpets, it can be used to clean area rugs, runners and low-pile carpets, which will dry quickly in a warm, well-ventilated room.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus has earned nearly 500 five-star ratings on Amazon alone. Here’s what real-life users are saying about it:
Verified purchaser, M. Lee, raves, “I’ve tried several products for hardware floors and they’ve all left a residue that seemed to attract even more dirt. This product is amazing! On top of efficiency, vacuum and clean at the same time, it totally conquered a husky pet hair problem with ease. My heavy-duty entryway rugs were cleaned in a few minutes—the dirt and debris this little unit picked up was mind blowing. I am so impressed with this unit. On top of it, when finished cleaning it has a clean-up tray that cleans up the dirty roller for next time. This product is amazing. No more dirty pet hair floors!! Yay!!”
Five-star reviewer, Sam, purchased this product for his “bustling homestead” of dogs, cats, children, chickens, goats and cows. “This all-in-one machine, combining vacuuming, mopping and steam features, has proven to be a monumental time saver, leaving our floors impeccably clean,” he says. “The self-clean mode is particularly impressive, as it effectively prevents animal hair from clogging or tangling around the mop head. In fact, I found this product so effective that I decided to part ways with two other floor-cleaning machines since it excels in performing all their functions.”
“This is by far the best purchase that a dog owner can do,” writes another five-star reviewer, Micaela Seoane. “I’ve been struggling with keeping my floors clean and free of hair of three big-sized dogs for years.” she says. “In 20 minutes, my floors are sparkling and smelling so good. It is extremely easy to use; not heavy at all. I am not a friend of vacuums with a cord, but this one right here [is] worth it. The suction power is great.”
Product Comparison
The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus is your best option for non-carpeted floors and low-pile rugs. Even though it doesn’t have the word “pet” in its name, it’s still dynamite at cleaning up pet messes! Meanwhile, the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam pet carpet cleaner is specifically designed for carpets, and is able to remove deeply saturated messes and stubborn stains that have penetrated carpet fibers.
Final Verdict
The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus is a miracle when it comes to cleaning up messes. Though it’s not the cheapest wet/dry cleaner on the market, its high horsepower, strong suction and stain-destroying abilities make it well worth the price.
Where to Buy the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus
This wet/dry vac tackles everything from pet hair and kitty litter to muddy paw prints and puppy accidents.
The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus has a suggested retail price of $349.99, and can be purchased directly from the company’s website. You can also buy this mighty machine through retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target. Please note that the amount of cleaning solution may vary depending on merchant and bundle type selected.
