A big, mean cleaning machine: Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro review

Carpet cleaners traditionally have come in two forms; the first is the humble bottle filled with a solution that requires enough hand scrubbing to give you tennis elbow. The second is one of those massive upright carpet cleaners that take up more space than a vacuumcleaner and cost a small fortune. Spot Cleaners such as the BISSELL SpotClean exist to fill the gap between these two products, portable and affordable but with effortless stain extraction.

This model distinguishes itself with an included stain remover attachment, a smaller brush head and an exclusive purple finish. The £149 RRP places it right at the top of the spot cleaner market, meaning it needs to offer outstanding performance to cut it against options from the likes of Vax and Rug Doctor.

What's good?

Lugging it by the carry handle proves that despite the small intentions, the BISSELL is best suited as a semi-portable appliance, like a little pressure washer. With the device placed down and only moved when necessary, only then does it begin to make sense as a design.

For a start, every single part you can touch feels robust and sturdy. Then there are the specifications that are downright impressive and wouldn’t be out of place in a far larger carpet cleaner. Like the regular SpotClean Pro, it features a 750W motor, 1.5-metre hose, 6.5-metre cable and a huge 2.2-litre water collection tank. All very impressive numbers for a device of this size.

Perhaps the best feature of any carpet cleaner is the secure locking mechanism that ensures you won’t accidentally tip murky water all over yourself. The dirty water tank handle prevents the tank from opening until it's fully lifted, something you can’t do accidentally.

The cleaning power of the SpotClean Pet Pro

The difference between a spot cleaner and a vacuum is that a spot cleaner is designed to undo years of embedded grime while a vacuum will largely target loose crumbs and debris. A spot cleaner should be able to restore lost piling, abolish odours and remove stains you didn't even know existed.

The included Stain Trapper attachment was a clever gadget designed for use on particularly harsh, baked-in stains (often left by pets). It worked by pulling the stain out of the carpet into a smaller tank for easier, more controlled cleaning. This was used on a white rug that had been befouled by a dog and with a single pass removed any evidence.

The perfect testing ground for the BISSELL then was an armrest that had been subjected to hands and a dog. It was visibly dirty and no amount of stain remover and scrubbing could make a dent in the marking. With a liberal amount of the included cleaning solution sprayed onto the armrest, the BISSELL was quickly able to lift away the grease and grime.

What's okay?

The shampoo trigger was rather stiff and holding it down for an extended period of time did lead to a sore trigger finger. But when the results look so good, you won't mind this. With a couple of sessions complete, the BISSELL delivered cleaning that helped make the chair look better than new. Best of all, there was no damage to the rather fragile fabric, good news for anyone with older upholstery that needs cleaning.

Any spot cleaner worth its salt needs to be small enough to be portable. These devices should be capable of cleaning stairs, sofas and car interiors, meaning they should be light and easy to manoeuvre. The BISSELL looks comically oversized for handheld use. Its chunky, rounded design and hefty 5.8kg weight certainly detract from any portability potential, and that’s before you add any liquid to it. But its hefty weight is a strong indicator of impeccable build quality, so whilst it isn't the most manoeuvrable, it is particularly powerful for its size.

Any downsides?

The biggest problem with the BISSELL is its overall size, and while it is truly commendable how BISSELL have packaged so much power and capacity into the device, the weight and size mean it would be better suited to a small set of trundle wheels and a telescopic handle.

It's not the best option if you don't have much upper-body strength and the dimensions will make storage difficult in smaller homes. You'll need big arms and a big house to make the most of the BISSELL SpotClean Pet Pro.

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Who tested it?

Ryan Gilmore is a contributor to What's The Best, who also writes for Parkers. When he's not reviewing cutting-edge cars, he's testing a variety of top-tier cleaning products and gadgets.

How the product was tested

The BISSELL SpotClean Pet Pro was used on a variety of upholstered surfaces around the home of a pet owner, including a rug, staircase and armchair. It was also used to clean a selection of car interiors to examine just how portable and easy to use it was.

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Ryan Gilmore is a contributor to What's The Best. He also writes for CAR and Parkers.

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