BISSELL® Big Green® PET PRO Carpet Cleaner, 3288

I just got this last night and tried out a small high traffic area on my floor, we bought the house in June and was thinking about replacing the carpets. after just one pass, Im not sure if they look new but they look, feel and smell clean.!!!! good -This machine weights 50 lbs or so, you might think this is bad but it is very good, you dont have to push or pull up for the machine to clean or suck up the water, in short - no extra effort on your part. -it is very easy to push and pull, the large tires in the back really help with this - my wife is able to use it, and she has back issues - filling and emptying the water is very easy - floor is very dry even after 2 passes - attachment is easy to attach and use. - pulled up lot of hair out of the carpet, did leave strings on the floor but it sucked them up just fine - chocolate stain that was dried in for 3 months cam up in 2 passes could be better (nit picking here) - the trigger for the water is only on the right side of the handle I wish it was on both - some kind of laser grid to project on the floor, if carpets are dirty its easy if they are not so dirty you may have trouble seeing where you have cleaned already - wider clean path seems to only clean between the back wheels , the right side seem to clean closer to the edge then the left side - in a high traffic area where the padding has wore down, it will miss spots so you may have to go over this area at many different angles what to watch for make sure to follow the directions for cleaning, specially for your first time on your carpets to get them nice and clean pull in trigger and push, then still holding trigger pull back on the same path, then release trigger and push on the same path again, then pull on the same path. (that 4 pass on one path 2 with trigger and 2 without) When i read this i thought it would take forever, but it does no take that long and in heavy soiled area it does work much better, also the 2 passes with no trigger are the suction and drying passes they also do some cleaning too. I tried one pass of and it did not clean as well, for light areas or touch up one pass would be fine, the machine seems to do the most cleaning when you push with the trigger pulled. so if you just need to touch up i would say push with trigger in then push without the trigger to get the best results. if you need it to dry faster make an extra push or 2 with the dry pass Im very happy with this machine thus far and will update this if i find anything else out. the above is from only about one day of use. UPDATE: MAY2013 I have used this many times, in the high traffic areas its about 1 time every 3 weeks, then rest of the time is justs catch up before company comes over to knock out the pet dander in the house we have about 2500 sq feet of carpet and i can do all of it in about 1.5-2 hours, I have found if you just hold the trigger in a push down a path then pull back the same path, its still cleans 80% of what the above does, and you can get 100% if you just move slower. this floor is still very dry as long as you finish a path with a pull pass. It take 1.5-2 hours to dry and not get wet socks and 2.5-3.5 to dry where you feel with your hand its dry. IF you want an area to dry faster i just make one pass over the carpet to suck up more water (usually do this when it run out of clean water) if you put a fan on the damp area it will dry amazing fast. good luck and happy cleaning :P

Used for some pretty deep stains, unfortunately. Did a good job, not sure they could be fully removed, but it took 85% of it out. Ging to try again. Pretty easy design, and unlike a typical floor model, this one has CAPACITY. Large water tank is separate from waste tank, so you can go longer between changes. Recommended.

When I first bought my home, there were some pet stains that the owners could not remove. I did not have time to clean it myself, so I hired a professional cleaning company. Needless to say, I was not impressed. So I rented the Rug Doctor and after several passes, I was able to remove the stain. I continued to rent the Rug Doctor over the years for my carpet cleanings and had been pleased. The last time I used one, I did notice the carpets were somewhat stiff. I am going to attribute this to the fact that I may have used too much cleaning solution. Then spring came around again and I wanted to clean the carpets again. I had stains from drinks, heavy traffic areas and again some pet stains. I own two lovable cats, who sometimes like to leave love spots. I went to my local grocery store to rent the Rug Doctor and they did not have any machines available. I went to several other stores and could not find one. Someone told me to try the Home Depot or Lowes. I went to Lowes and they had the Bissell instead of the Rug Doctor (RD). Never having used one and very unsure that it would perform as well as the RD, I decided to give it a try. First off, I noticed the rental rate was higher due to the deposit required. I loaded it into my car and home I went to give it a try. I am not sure if it is lighter or easier to maneuver than the RD when removing from my car. I followed the simple instructions and off I went cleaning the carpets. One of the things I noticed was the cleaning solution is applied in both the forward and backwards movements. Cleaning was pretty straight forward and exactly as I expected. First mistake I made was dumping the dirty water. I slipped and dropped the dirty water all over the floor. Quick fix, use the vacuum aspect and suck up the water. Another positive I noticed was the filling of the water. No more filling a large bucket and dumping it into a smaller fill slot. You fill the bucket, which removes and add solution, tighten the cap and place it back on the Big Green. No more water saturated lines on the carpet when I pour too fast. Place the empty container that will collect the dirty water on top, secure the latch and off you go. I have read that people are experiencing clumps of dirty hair, etc when using the Big Green. The ONLY times I notice this is when I fail to vacuum my carpets thoroughly first. I also noticed that the suction is somewhat better than my vacuum, so it is picking up cat and human hairs (that vacuum cleaners can and do miss) and depositing them on the carpet. No Problem, just pick them up. As a note I noticed this as well with the RD, so it is NOT a specific problem to the Big Green. You must vacuum before using the cleaner. The other major positive was the drying time using the Big Green. It is MUCH less than the RD. So I purchased this on 6/22/12 and opted for next day delivery. I ordered this mid-morning to mid-afternoon I believe and by 9am the next morning I had my Big Green. Less than 24 hours for shipping! I opened the box, removed a few cardboard packing materials, removed the bottle of solution from the tank, filled it with water and off I went. No more than 15 minutes total from unpacking to cleaning. No assembly required!!!! I am happy with my purchase. If you are familiar with using a RD, the Big Green is similar in size and maneuverability. This is not a small upright vacuum size. For me it seemed to maneuver easier than the RD. It removes stains, leaves your carpets feeling great and dries faster than any other cleaner I am aware of. The Bissell cleaning solutions smell nice and are not over powering. Pros: cleaning capabilities Less drying time Carpets feel soft ease of use Cons: cost, rather expensive but worth the cost for thorough deep cleanings

When it came time to do the Spring Cleaning this year, I decided to purchase a new carpet cleaner. The Hoover Platinum had served me well, but keeping the machine clean was a pain, it left the carpets pretty wet and the resulting shampoo residue led to the carpet getting dirty much quicker. When I started researching new cleaners, the Bissell quickly rose to the top of the list. The primary reasons were the simple, easy to clean design, powerful motors and all of the excellent reviews from fellow shoppers at Amazon and across many sites on the Internet. I was not disappointed. The cleaner arrives in a large box, fully assembled. This model also includes an upholstery tool with a pretty long hose. Other than removing a few pieces of cardboard from the base and inside the dirty water tank, it comes ready to go. I love the overall design of the unit. It is manufactured of rubbermaid-like plastic that looks like it will hold up fine. Unlike other consumer cleaners, such as the Hoover Platinum, there are not a bunch of fancy lights and other bells and whistles on this one. It is simply the base cleaner, a clean water tank, dirty water tank and top that directs dirty water into the tank. The power cord is 25-feet long, enough for a large room without going back and forth to the wall to disconnect and reconnect it to other outlets. The machine is ugly when compared to the fancier consumer models, but I cared much less about that than how it worked and the simple design that makes it ugly also lets it work well and be easy to maintain. Using the unit could not be much simpler. Fill the water (bottom) tank with hot water from the faucet and the right amount of cleaner (water tank cap is also a measuring cup), re-attach the dirty water tank on top and you are ready to go. This unit dispenses water and cleaner while moving both forward and backward if the button on the right handle is depressed. The instructions advise you to make a forward and backward pass while dispensing water and a without pressing the button to suck up excess water and heat dry the floor. I followed the instructions, but made a second dry pass just to get the carpet as dry as possible...Im not at all convinced that second pass made a difference and it is absolutely not required. In my experience, the water tank is adequate to clean about 80-90 square feet of carpet, depending on the number of passes you make and how much you overlap. With a single pass and a 2 inch overlap, I got about 90 square feet between fills. Having used 5 or so different carpet cleaners from Bissell and Hoover, at all ranges of pricing, I am very impressed with the Big Green. It did a great job cleaning the carpet. Its strong suction led to the carpets being dryer after cleaning than any until I have ever used or seen used, rental and professional cleaners included. In fact, during the cleaning, the Bissell was regularly deposing small balls of hair and fur that 4 passed with my Dyson did not get out of the floor and the Dyson has excellent suction. The carpets took about 2 hours to dry in a 68 degree Fahrenheit room with the ceiling fan circulating air and the windows open. The Bissell also cleaned up several stains in the carpet that were left by my Hoover. That said, I am also using a new cleaner, the Bissell Pro brand so it is hard to say if that is due to the shampoo or the machine. There is a handy flow meter than is directly driven by water flowing past that lets you see when the tanks are empty or if there is still water in the carpet that needs extracting. This unit is heavy and bulky. It is not much heavier than my Hoover Platinum, but the extra bulk of the design makes it harder to carry up stairs. Doable but folks with less upper body strength might need help. Emptying the Bissell is easy. Pull the black handle on the cover forward, remove the cover (I tilted it off from the back to keep from dripping on the floor) and then carry the tank to the toilet for a dump. One thing to note here is that a significant portion of the top of the dirty water tank is exposed. While the water level in there is 1 1/2 or so from the top after using a full water tank, those who are balance challenged may want to push the machine close to where they plan to dump to avoid spilling on the way. After dumping the dirty water, it is a good time to fill the clean since it is on the base of the machine below the other tank. This process is simple as well. Lift the handle and pull the tank up from the machine, open the lid and use it to measure the amount of shampoo to add then fill the tank to the line, which is basically a completely full tank. One thing I appreciated is that water does not drip when the tank is removed, even though water is drawn from a valve at the bottom of the tank. The only downside to the design of this tank is that the bottom is not at all flat, so you cant just sit it in the sink and get a full tank. Not a big deal, but some may find it the weight of a full tank a little hard to hold below the faucet. The Upholstery nozzle and host is nothing special as far as design goes, but the suction from the Bissell motor lets it work like a champ. I used it to clean carpets and it worked very well. Would be nice if there was a way to mount it to the machine but the design does not allow that and it is something I am willing to deal with. Cleaning the unit when done is a snap. Rinse out the tanks and the top cover and then use a towel to wipe it all dry. The handle folds down to minimize the space this takes, but it is a bigger unit so plan on dedicating a spot for it. Overall, this gets a strong recommendation from me. Its roots as a commercial rental machine help this shine in the home. The design is simple and easy to learn to use. There are not a lot of bells and whistles to break down...the only indicator is a simple flow meter not some fancy electronic gadget. And it works and works very well. Exactly what you would expect if you shelled out $50+ dollars to rent one.

Worth the price. Best carpet cleaner I’ve ever owned. Comparatively speaking, it is a bit pricy, but worth every penny. Could not possibly recommend more.

I have multiple dogs so there is always plenty of mud and dirt getting tracked into the house, along with the occasional accident. Ive been using the top rated rug cleaner for household use for years and have been happy with the results - until I decided to purchase the Bissell Big Green when my last carpet cleaner died. I am SO impressed. It is well worth the money. The first thing I did was clean a carpet I had deep cleaned just a few weeks prior with my old machine to see if it was as clean as I thought it was. I was stunned at the amount of dirt that came out of the carpet that I had thought was clean. I then tackled my master bedroom which has white carpets (I know, not a great choice with dogs but it was there when we bought the house). It had a bunch of stains and I was starting to think about replacing it because it was getting pretty bad, but I tried my Big Green on it and was blown away. First off, with my old machine, it would take me hours to do the bedroom and I had to go over areas repeatedly before I saw much difference. With my big Green I saw an immediate difference with just one pass. I kid you not. It took me a fraction of the time to do the bedroom and the carpet is clean enough that it looks almost new. I did use the pet stain treatment, which Ive always used, so Im sure that made a difference, but overall Im blown away with how well this machine cleans. The other thing I like about this machine is that it is really simply made. There arent a bunch of moving parts and there arent a bunch of things to remove to get rid of clogs. Its just a fresh water tank and a dirty water tank and scrubbers and thats pretty much it. With my old carpet cleaner I was always having to take it apart to track down clogs which could be in any number of spots which was a pain to do, but the Big Green is so simply designed that you wont be getting many clogs at all. The only drawback, and I knew this going in, is that its heavier and bulkier than the household carpet cleaners. This one is definitely industrial strength so its heavier to push and its a bit more awkward to haul it around. Thats not an issue for me because Im getting my carpets much cleaner and in a fraction of the time so its a trade off Im willing to make. If you are on the fence and wondering if the higher price (compared to the household level cleaners) is worth it, just climb down off that fence and hit Buy Now. You wont be sorry.

I am amazed (and disgusted) with what came out of my carpet. I have been buying cheap ones from Walmart for years and they do not hold a candle to the amazing job this carpet shampooer did. Worth every penny.

Let me start by saying I have never written a customer review before but feel compelled to take the time to write one now for this product. I made the mistake of purchasing very expensive wall to wall carpet in an off white color for my large family room. This room is used by my family of 2 small children as well as a family daycare. Need I say more, big mistake. I have owned the carpet for just over a year and was at the point of having it professionally cleaned every month for the price of $75 each time. The rug would look great when my professional left but by the time the rug dried most of the stains would resurface. Professional kept saying there really wasnt anything he could do about that. I was on the verge of ripping up the carpet and installing hardwood when I researched carpet cleaners for myself and after reading dozens of reviews decided I had nothing to loose by trying the Bissell Big Green. The first thing I was thrilled about was that it came fully assembled and I was shampooing carpet 15 minutes after the Fed Ex driver dropped it off. I started with a small area rug I have by the front door. There were no major stains on the carpet but thought if things didnt go well with the shampooer it would be a small loss to throw the rug away. I only wish I had taken before and half way through photos because I couldnt believe the difference. I thought the rug was only marginally dirty but in truth it was filthy. On to the family room. I used the Bissell Pre-treat, waited a few minutes and dug in. The machine is easy to use, very similar to a vacuum cleaner. I went over areas without stains one time and any area that had big stains I went over twice. The rug looks absolutely brand new. Even the stains that the professional said would never come up have disappeared. There were even three stains of cranberry juice which I believed would never come up. The room was dry enough to walk on with a few hours. After the family room I was so thrilled that I kept going, cleaning all my area rugs that are on all my hardwood floors throughout the house and everything came out perfectly. Next, I did my upholstered sofas and chairs. You have to believe with a house full of small children and their friends that keeping all these surfaces clean is next to impossible. However, at this point I feel this is easy enough to do every month if need be. I am now going to friends houses to clean their carpet. (Truthfully, they have asked to borrow it but it is now my absolute favorite appliance and I dont want to take the chance that anything will happen to it.) People in other reviews commented on the heaviness of it making it difficult to carry up stairs, etc. but I took off the two water tanks and carried them separately and didnt find it heavy to move at all. Also, the entire basement of my home is covered in berber carpet where the main daycare area is and it cleaned all the carpet beautifully without causing any damage or fussiness as was mentioned in other reviews. The one thing I wish it had was an indicator to let you know when the clean water/shampoo runs out. I made several passes when the tank was empty now I just keep an eye on the return water tube. This was a big financial investment for me but I feel it will pay for itself in a matter of months.

I was out of town my puppy got about 15 bottles of water from the kitchen (my friend watching her was at work) and opened them all over my sofa and rug. After 2 days my house smelled like mold and I thought Id have to replace both. I wish I wouldve gotten a before pic of my sofa :( Smells gone and its like new clean! Way better than all the other carpet cleaners Ive had..its industrial strength, and dries in like 30 min. The upholstery extension is b@d@$$ too. Huge tank of water so youre not constantly dumping out and filling up.

Yes, it is expensive, but forget buying the smaller, lesser machines. Unless, that is, you are someone who doesnt have a space for a machine this large. I have now had this thing for over four months and it has saved my carpet. I have 7 cats. Running over a great swath of cat vomit with this machine is like taking an eraser to a chalk board. Sweep sweep sweep and it is gone. I no longer cringe when my senior cat, Toby, has a problem. Because I know the solution is just sitting there in my closet. I had a room upstairs filled with over 50 birds (I was breeding canaries), and a tortoise in a house. I got out of breeding birds and found a better place for the tortoise, and then I found myself staring in horror at the carpet under the two aviaries and the tortoise house. I had several inches of accumulated bird dander and seed dirt under the aviaries. The tortoise had dumped her water repeatedly and the red substrate I had as her bedding got wet and soaked into the carpet under her house to the point it was literally black. I tried my smaller Bissell and it really did very little. I saw this machine and hated the price. But I bought it anyway. It is literally on my top five purchases EVER in my life. It took 10 repeated shampoos to get that carpet in that room looking like new. Which it does, by the way. I cant even believe it--even the black carpet under the tortoise house looks new. You cant buy into those pictures that show a filthy floor and a path of perfect cleanness behind the machine like its done this with one swipe. It takes repeated shampoos. I used over an entire bottle of cleaner to get that room to the point that the water in the tank was finally clean. Anyway--if you are chewing your nails at the price, dont. Better to get a machine that does the job at the start, then get lesser machines that kinda sorta do the job, until you one day throw up your hands and go for the big one. You save money in the end to not buy the smaller machines. Unless, as I said, you dont have the space. Or maybe you live alone and you arent very strong. This thing is rather heavy. But I find when I want to take it upstairs, its easier to remove the two tanks first. Also, Bissells anti-urine odor product that goes with this machine is very effective. My Toby liked to pee on my carpet in one spot until I found premium cat litter to get him back to using his box. My entire condo smelled like pee after the first shampoo as this machine drew up all the nasty stuff from the carpet pad under the carpet in that area. After the second shampoo I wasnt smelling urine anymore. At all. And now when I walk into my condo I no longer smell that disgusting smell. So do I recommend this machine and the products that go with it. Hell, yes! Best investment I have made since I bought my home.