Bissell PowerClean 2X Review
A powerful carpet cleaner that works on the biggest and smallest messes
Verdict
Powerful enough to deal with the toughest of stains, the Bissell PowerClean 2X has both a floor head for large areas and handheld tools for tackling spots on both carpets and upholstery. This carpet cleaner is easy to use, well priced and, most importantly, brings carpets back to their best. The only minor complaint is that the brush roll can’t be easily removed for cleaning.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Handheld tools add flexibility
- Cleans brilliantly
Cons
- Can’t remove roller for cleaning
- Loud
Availability
- UKRRP: £219
Key Features
- TypeAn upright carpet cleaner, it comes with a plug-in hose and handheld attachments for spot cleaning, too
Introduction
Most carpet cleaners can deal with general muck pretty well, but removing tough stains or dealing with specific stains on stairs, for example, requires a model with flexibility. And the Bissell PowerClean 2X is exactly that – an upright carpet cleaner for dealing with big areas, but one that comes with a handy hose attachment to enable more focused cleaning for particular areas.
In terms of both price and performance, the Bissell PowerClean 2X is excellent; but it could be a little easier to clean up at the end.
Design and Features
- Separate detergent and water tanks
- Plug-in hose and handheld attachments
- Rollers can’t be removed for cleaning
The Bissell PowerClean 2X looks much like other carpet cleaners. At its base is a fixed floor head with a rotating brush, whose stiff bristles are designed to agitate dirt from the carpets.
You can’t easily remove the brush roll from the cleaner, which is a shame, since it can become dirty and clogged with hair.
Tip the PowerClean 2X back, and I was able to access the roller to cut away hair and wipe away dirt with a cloth. Removable rollers would have made the job far easier, though.
Using the Bissell PowerClean 2X is easy. The 4.7-litre tank on top holds a mixture of water and detergent. There are marks on the side of the tank for Express Clean and Deep Clean options, and both have water-fill and detergent lines, so you’ll always get the correct mix.
Bissell provides a 1.9-litre water tank for dirty water. On an average clean, then, you’ll need to empty and clean this dirty tank a few times for each fresh-water/detergent tank. Thankfully, the process of removing the tank and emptying its contents is easy enough.
When empty, the Bissell PowerClean 2X weighs 5.6kg; full of water it’s just under 8kg. That’s pretty light for a carpet cleaner – and, remember, this is a product designed to be used on the floor, so you won’t have to lift it often.
With the tanks in place, it’s simple to get going with the Bissell PowerClean 2X. Just turn it on, and then select the level of clean you want: Deep or Express. The difference between the two comes down to the water used, with an Express clean using less and leaving your carpet’s dryer. Bissell says that, using this mode, carpets can be dry within 45 minutes – although the style of carpet and ambient temperature will also have a part to play.
To use the machine, squeeze the trigger to release the detergent, then let go and run the Bissell PowerClean 2X cleaner over the same area a few times to suck up excess moisture and dirt. The 8m power cable means you’ll easily be able to tackle a room without having to change sockets.
The above is similar to how the majority of carpet cleaners work, but the Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner makes life easier still, using auto dosing of the cleaning detergent.
As usual, there will likely be areas that prove tricky to reach with the main floor head, or tough stains that require a bit more effort. For those, the Bissell includes a plug-in hose that slips into the slot just above the floor head.
This hose accepts both a crevice tool and brush attachment, enabling you to tackle tough stains, specific areas of mess or even upholstery and chairs. These handheld tools add flexibility to the Bissell PowerClean 2X.
Performance
- Quite loud
- Tackles stains easily
- Handheld tool makes tough stains easy to tackle
To test the Bissell PowerClean 2X, I used it on a variety of stains. First, I started with my carpet tiles, which get muddy from deliveries coming in and out of the lab. As you can see from the images below, these started off pretty grubby.
Following an initial clean, you can see that the cleaner has made a difference, with the bulk of the mud removed and the tiles almost back to their best. Subsequent cleaning over the next week managed to get these almost as good as new.
I then spread ketchup onto a test carpet and let it dry. Running the Bissell PowerClean 2X over the mess managed to lift much of the stain, although there were some traces remaining.
To tackle what remained, I could have kept pushing the cleaner over the stain – but this is inefficient, and could take a long time. Instead, I used the hose and brush attachment. Manual agitation combined with the power of the carpet cleaner cleared the stain easily.
If there’s a downside to this carpet cleaner, it’s that it’s very loud, with sound peaking at 93.1dB in use. Fortunately, wearing a pair of headphones did manage to fade the noise somewhat, plus this isn’t the kind of appliance you’ll need to use all of the time.
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Should you buy it?
If you want a quality carpet cleaner at a good price, one that comes with the option for spot cleaning, too, then the Bissell PowerClean 2X is a brilliant choice.
If you want a machine that itself is easier to clean, or one that automatically doses detergent, you may want to look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
The Bissell PowerClean 2X’s direct competition is the Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner. I found the latter a little easier to clean, prefer its auto-dosing feature, and the fact that it has a separate detergent tank. The Vax cleaner also has a more powerful rotating handheld cleaner for tackling tough stains. However, it’s a lot more expensive than the Bissell PowerClean 2X, and not that much further ahead in terms of performance.
If you want value and the option for handheld cleaning, then the Bissell PowerClean 2X is a great buy. If you just want a lower-cost traditional carpet cleaner, then the standard Bissell PowerClean is a great choice. Otherwise, read my guide to the best carpet cleaners.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every carpet cleaner we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested with real-world dirt in real-world situations for fair comparisons with other carpet cleaners
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FAQs
It has a motorised floor head, plus two handheld tools – a crevice tool and brush.
Yes, thanks to the handheld tools, you can clean stairs, spot stains and upholstery.
Full specs
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.