Effortless Cleaning with the Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop – Family Handyman Approved!

Is your old bucket and mop no longer keeping your floors squeaky clean? Do you need something with a little more power to remove caked on dirt and grime?

A steam mop is a great tool to add to your cleaning repertoire, and we recently tested the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806 to see how it fared. Its cleaning power and easy setup were just as good as advertised, and we’ll go into detail why it gets the Family Handyman seal of approval.

Family Handyman Approved: Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806

I’ve tried other several steam mops before, but the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806 was the most user-friendly product I’ve tried.

What is the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806?

This steam mop uses steam to break down and remove dirt from hard floors, killing bacteria without using chemicals. It comes with microfiber soft and scrubby pads, both machine washable, as well as two fragrance discs and a water cup with measurement marks. You add water to the mop by opening a flap at the top of the tank. There’s a clear screen to easily see how much water you have in the mop.

The fragrance discs go into the compartment just above the base of the mop head. Use a whole disc or break it in half depending on how much fragrance you want. I went with a full disc on my floors, and the scent was not overpowering at all. Additional fragrance discs can be purchased online. However, they aren’t necessary to adequately clean your floors.

How We Tested It

I used this mop in my kitchen, which has tile floors, and in my family room at the back of the house, which has hardwood floors. The family room is where we usually come in from the car, and often track in dirt and mud from the backyard.

Each room provided different types of messes to test. The kitchen had several caked-on areas around the oven and trash can that I sufficiently cleared away. The family room had more dirt and dust than the kitchen, evidenced by how dirty the mop head became.

The detachable spotboost brush above the base of the mop works great on the most challenging areas to clean. The tough bristles cleaned through all the messy areas I tested.

I swept both rooms first, then filled the steam mop with tap water. The owner’s manual recommends distilled or demineralized water, but regular tap water worked fine cleaning my floors.

Performance Review

Family Handyman

This steam mop did everything I hoped it would do, and more.

Our family’s two black schnauzers love laying on their beds in the family room, and the mop head captured almost all of the pet hair I didn’t already get with the broom. The white mop head was almost completely black when I finished, which shows I should have been using a stronger mop a long time ago!

1. Performance: The mop works better than similar products I’ve tried, removing dirt and quickly warming up the water.
2. Value: For around $100, the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806 is about average for a steam mop. Other models might have more bells and whistles, but this one is a solid option if you’re looking for a standard steam mop to clean an average sized home.
3. Reliability and durability: The mop heads worked just as well on its second usage after going through the washing machine. You’ll need some elbow grease to break down really caked-on messes, but it would take a tremendous amount of force to damage the mop’s frame.
4. Ease of use: Setup only took a couple of minutes. Once I added the water to the mop, it heated up and was ready to go  within 30 seconds. The mop features a 25 foot cord, more than long enough to clean the two rooms I tested. However, in a larger home, you could opt for a longer extension cord to keep from changing outlets.

One thing caught me off guard: The mop makes a sputtering noise when heating up. I initially thought something was wrong or broken. However, the noise stopped after a few seconds and the mop heated up within 30 seconds, which aligns with the owner’s manual instructions.

Why You Should Buy This

I highly recommend the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806 if you’re in the market for a steam mop. It offers more cleaning power than an ordinary mop. The swivel head allows easy access in tight areas, helpful for getting around a coffee table in the family room and a cabinet in the kitchen.

Where to Buy the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806

Via Merchant

You can buy the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806 at Amazon, Best Buy and on Bissell’s website. It comes with a two-year warranty. Consider purchasing additional cleaning fragrancies at checkout.

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