A carpet cleaner does what a vacuum cleaner doesn't – it deep cleans the floor. Instead of picking up dust and debris, a carpet cleaner uses specialized cleaning solutions to wash dirt and stains out of the carpet fibers for a floor that looks, feels and smells clean.
Bissell is one of the leading brands in this market so I was excited to get my hands on the Revolution HydroSteam, a dual steam cleaner and carpet cleaner that's been a brand staple for years.
I tested the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam in my own home and in a busy local animal shelter, to find out how well it fares alongside the best vacuums for pet hair.
Bissell Revolution HydroSteam: Specifications
Unboxing the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam
The Revolution HydroSteam came in a relatively large box but one that's smaller than most upright vacuums. Included in the box were: the Revolution HydroSteam, handle, clean water tank, upper body, and three cleaning solutions. Many models will come with a hose and attachments, but I already had some from a previous cleaner Bissell had sent to me.
Assembling it was almost instant. I attached the upper body, handle, then clean water tank. No screwdriver was needed unlike with the Bissell Pro Heat 2x Revolution Pet Pro.
Design and features of the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam
Bissell states this is 'the only carpet cleaner that uses HydroSteam Technology,' which is a combination of carpet cleaning and steam cleaning. While it's easy for a manufacturer to say their product is the only one to use their own special tech, this feature actually is incredibly rare to find in a carpet cleaner. It's what sets the Revolution HydroSteam apart from others.
Most carpet cleaners use suction and cleaning solutions to deep clean carpets. The Revolution HydroSteam does this while also using hot, targeted steam to loosen tough stains and any dirt that's deeply embedded within the carpet fibers.
Aside from that, it works similarly to what you'd expect from any carpet cleaner. At the handle there are two buttons – one to turn it on, and another to switch between cleaning modes – as well as a trigger to release the cleaning liquid.
The cleaning modes include: Steam Pretreat, Steamwash Max and Quick Dry. With Steam Pretreat you can penetrate food and drinks stains on carpets by slowly passing over them while releasing steam. Then, use one of the two cleaning modes to wash the carpets. Steamwash Max is the complete cleaning performance while Quick Dry uses less solution if you need dry floors sooner.
It also has a hose attachment with a selection of tools, which varies depending on which bundle you buy, but the hose doesn't utilize the steam function. So, while you can use this for spot cleaning, you won't get as much cleaning power as with the main floorhead.
What is the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam like to use?
One thing I absolutely love about Bissell cleaners is how intuitively they're designed. While the user manual is helpful, you can easily figure out how to use it and what everything does yourself. There's a button by your feet to depress the cleaner when in use, the clean and dirty water tanks pop in and out with effortless ease, and the cleaning modes are explained at the handle. It's clear that everything's designed to be as user-friendly as possible.
Using the Revolution HydroSteam is as simple as using one of the best upright vacuums. Turn it on, push it forward and back (slowly works best) and you're left with a clean floor. It's quite satisfying too, as you can see visible steam coming from the floorhead as it leaves a dark, clean finish where you've cleaned.
When holding the trigger to release the cleaning solution, you can see the clear, clean liquid running through the floorhead. Then, when doing dry passes, the water turns a murky brown as it sucks away the dirt from the floor. It shows that, no matter how often you vacuum carpet, it'll never be completely clean without a carpet cleaner.
I will say that the Revolution HydroSteam is heavier than what you'd expect from a vacuum (it weighs 22.5 lbs compared to the typical 16-17 lbs of the best upright vacuums), which isn't an issue when cleaning, but can be cumbersome when going up and down stairs.
Also, as it primarily uses liquid, it can be beneficial to carry it over spots that you're not looking to clean as the floorhead is often left wet. Doing this around the house with such a heavy appliance could easily be too taxing for some.
It's also incredibly loud at 84 decibels (as loud as a food blender), but that's no surprise as carpet cleaners reach around 80 decibels on average anyway.
Bissell Revolution HydroSteam's performance on cleaning tests
I used two tests to assess the cleaning performance of the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam: carpet cleaning with different substances in my home, and cleaning the floors of a pet shelter to deal with pet mess and old stains.
At the pet shelter, Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, I immediately noticed how powerful of a cleaner this is. On the day I was testing, the carpets hadn't been cleaned in over a week, and there were even some stains that were more than two years old. It was the perfect environment to test what Bissell's team referred to as 'the Bissell.'
In the pet shelter, I tested the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam alongside the Bissell Pro Heat 2X Revolution Pet Pro so I could easily compare the two's performance.
I started with entrance barrier matting – the thick, rough carpeting style that's designed for high foot traffic. This material is notoriously difficult to clean but the Revolution HydroSteam did a stunning job. I pre-treated the entire area before cleaning on Steamwash Max mode. As per Bissell's guidance, I did two full passes with the cleaning solution then two passes without to remove the dirty liquid. It worked just as advertised, and the staff walking through the entrance noted that it had never looked so clean.
I then tackled an upstairs area that had two-year-old stains from a dog belonging to the charity's previous owner. As people were coming in and out of the office every day, these stains had been pushed further into the carpet over the years they'd been there.
The Revolution HydroSteam was able to clear all of them. It took almost an hour, and I had to repeatedly re-clean the stains as I went, but they were cleaned eventually. This is the kind of cleaning power you'd expect from a professional, and it was as simple as using a vacuum cleaner with cleaning solution.
As I tested the Revolution HydroSteam alongside the Pro Heat 2X Revolution Pet Pro, I divided the floor into two halves. But as good as the Pro Heat 2X Revolution Pet Pro was, it wasn't quite able to completely clean the stains, so I used the Revolution HydroSteam to finish cleaning the entire floor.
I vacuumed the entire floor before using the carpet cleaner (as it's not equipped to deal with solids), but by the time I'd finished carpet cleaning, there was a thick layer of pet hair inside the Revolution HydroSteam's floorhead. I found it useful that all the hair had collected in this easy-to-remove spot in the floorhead, and it goes to show how powerful the cleaning is to remove hair that a vacuum cleaner couldn't.
In my home tests, I used a quarter cup of red wine, a half cup of cola and a half cup of marinara sauce. All three have different consistencies and staining properties so they work well to test the carpet cleaner's abilities. I poured one set of stains to set for a couple hours then a second set of stains to clean up straight after.
The Revolution HydroSteam cleared away every stain, new and old, in no more than two passes. There was no residue from the red wine, cola or sauce afterwards. I was expecting to have to use the hose attachment for more focused cleaning but I didn't have to.
From my own mistake, and not remembering the golden rules of stain removal, I tested two mustard stains (a quarter cup), before realizing that mustard is not a stain that a carpet cleaner should deal with. Brushing and movement push the stain further into the carpet, so the Revolution HydroSteam, with its floorhead brushroll and brushed attachments, is not equipped for this. The mustard stains are still there now.
Cleaning and maintenance of the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam
The clean and dirty water tanks easily slots in and out again by grabbing the handles. Then you can remove the lids, empty them and rinse them with clean water and dish soap before letting them air dry.
The opening is also wide enough for you to scrub with a sponge, except for two thin tubes in the dirty tank which, if you wanted to deep clean, you would need a tube cleaner such as this cheap brush set from Amazon.
The floorhead has a cover that pops out by pressing two buttons at either side, so you can remove any debris that's been captured and clean the internal parts.
How does the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam compare?
Our current favorite carpet cleaner is the Shark CarpetXpert. Like the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam, it's easy to use, easy to clean, and does an incredible job cleaning the floor. At full price it's $100 cheaper than the Bissell but it doesn't come with any steaming capabilities, so it's a great alternative if you rarely have to clean any tough, dried stains. If you do, I'd recommend paying the extra for the Bissell.
The Revolution HydroSteam is one of Bissell's top upright carpet cleaners, and there are alternatives priced more than $100 less. The ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro, which I tested at the same time, costs $130 less, but it wasn't as strong of a cleaner than the Revolution HydroSteam. At times, I had to rely on the Revolution HydroSteam to clean what the ProHeat couldn't.
The Revolution HydroSteam is also a hefty machine. If you don't have loads of floor space, or you're only occasionally cleaning up stains and spills, I'd also recommend going for a spot cleaner like the Shark MessMaster or the Bissell Little Green Max.
Bissell Revolution HydroSteam: Verdict
It may be more expensive than other carpet cleaners out there, but the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam truly is one of the best. Its unique steaming feature breaks down dirt and tough stains to make them easier to clean, and you can use this whenever you're passing over an area of the carpet that needs extra cleaning power. It was able to clean deeply ingrained pet stains that were more than two years old.
It's also incredibly user-friendly in true Bissell fashion, with parts and features that are quick to grasp and effortless to use. Emptying and cleaning the machine takes little work, and you even get a hose and a series of attachments for any spot cleaning.
Next, consider one of the best vacuums for carpet to pair perfectly with a carpet cleaner.
