Does anyone own one of those home carpet cleaners like the "Little
Green Machine"? Are you happy with the results? I would like information before I invest in one.
Thanks!
Lauren from Seattle, WA
I have owned a Bissell Powersteamer Deluxe machine for about three years. It does an excellent job of cleaning both the medium green wall to wall carpeting in my living room and hall, and the area rugs in other rooms. I clean the hall every couple of months, as it is a heavy traffic area. It is used to go from kitchen to living room, as well as to the bath and bedrooms. There are three adults, one teenager, two cats and a dog in the household.
By Jean
I didn't like mine & gave it away.
(04/12/2006)
I do not think my Green Machine did as good as a full size carpet cleaner. (04/12/2006)
By Tracey
I have owned two and threw them both away. There is a design flaw in the spray mechanism within the machine that clogs up. It is irreparable rendering the machine 100% useless. Buy something else. I understand the small Hoover cleaner has reviewed extremely well. (04/12/2006)
By Jen In Austin
Funny I like mine. I use it all the time. No, it doesn't get every stain out but neither does anything else. I also have a large Hoover steamer for the whole house. Now that was a waste of money. I like the Green Machine. (04/12/2006)
By Esandy
I have one and I love it. I have a cat who occasionally throws up a fur ball and a grandson who tends to drip juice from a sippy cup so I use it often and so far I've been able to remove all stains. (04/13/2006)
By Marty
Make sure it isn't too heavy to use comfortably. (04/13/2006)
By Holly
I have one and find it great for small cleanups like cat fur balls, etc. I did have to take off part of the outside of the handle after a couple of years because the button you press to spray kept getting stuck. But it still works great. (04/13/2006)
By Lynn
I have had a Little Green Machine for 10 years or more. I think it was the first one. It has been wonderful for quick clean ups. I have cats, dogs, and children and they have all made lots of messes and spills of all kinds. I just grab this machine and the spot is cleaned up in no time. If mine breaks I would buy a new one right away. I also have a big Bissel machine for all the carpets and it does a good job too. It is just hard to use for small spills and messes. (04/14/2006)
By Elaine Hiatt
I loved mine until the spray mechanism stopped working! (04/17/2006)
By Echo`
I bought a Little Green Machine model # 1720 and it's bad. I used it three times and the motor needs to be replaced, the motor cost $50.00 so it's not worth fixing. (01/08/2007)
By Joe
It's a piece of junk! I've owned one for ~3yrs. the first time I used it it worked fine. The second time I tried to use it the spay nozzle was blocked but after 45 min. on the phone with the Bissell people I got it working. The third time the nozzle was blocked again and after another 45 min. on the phone with the Bissell people it still wouldn't work. I was told that it was not on warranty and to take it to a Bissell repair shop 25 miles away. $20.00 gas, 2hrs. time ~ $30.00-$50.00 to fix it.
By Barry H.
Well, here's the issue with most of your sprayers. The nozzle does get clogged from time to time, but that's easy to fix. Internally, the motor that drives the water pump gets exposed to water (because it's poorly designed) and seizes. I took mine apart this morning after 4 years of constant use and bought a replacement motor from a shop in town. Things are going to break, it's a given, especially electric water sucking things if you catch my drift. I hope this helps. Changing the motor took about 1 hour. (03/10/2007)
By Kris S.
Well I just got on the internet to try to find a way to fix mine and this is what I found. Mine has worked for about 4 months, now the sprayer won't work and it's really angering me. Before that I liked it, but I doubt I'll buy another one.
By Pat
This is the best invention ever! This is my second one. I have had it for around 5 years now and I couldn't live without it. I have 2 dogs and me and my hubby like to eat watching TV. Say no more. This is a great machine. It's easy to use, not too heavy and does a fantastic job. Like any carpet cleaner you are supposed to vacuum carpet first to pick up big stuff. To avoid clogs, when I'm finished using it I hold the handle under faucet with the unit on. It vacuums in the clean water and leaves the machine nice and smelling good for the next time. (12/21/2007)
By CYN
I bought a BLGM for my two messy little dogs. Within 5 uses it began to clog. I'm an engineer by trade so I took it apart and did some investigating. What I found was that it wasn't the nozzle that was clogging but the heating element inside. I live in an area with moderately hard water so the heating element 'S' curves became clogged with excess calcium deposits when the heated water cooled.
By David from San Diego
I'm in the "save your money" camp. Borrowed my in laws' and found the sprayer was clogged. The manual says that if the sprayer is clogged "Clean spray nozzle". Shoved in a pin, and it flows for 2 seconds, then the clog is back. No way to easily remove the nozzle and blow the clog out the back. So now soaking the head in vinegar (seems like the clog may be a hard water deposit). Given other comments re: hard water on the heating elements, the manual should suggest distilled water.
But to say "unclog" with no instructions gives me a pretty clear sense of how much Bissell invested is engineering and customer service. So we're using the other head (no power brush). Works OK, but clogs with dog hair and rug fibers (yes, we vacuumed before starting), and the head angle is so sharp there is not easy way to clear it. Not a product I'd recommend. (06/29/2008)
By Dan W.
I've had mine about 6 years I think. It's been through puppies, sick dogs, and sick cats. I don't know how I'd keep my carpet remotely clean without it. I also used it to suck up water from a leaky basement a couple times. Slow going, but it worked (just keep a bigger bucket nearby). Recently, I too have had problems with the sprayer button sticking, so I took off the outer button today. Also, be sure to empty the dirty tank immediately after use.
Somehow, if you don't, liquid must seep from somewhere in there, and is hard to clean from the area under the tank. I suck up a couple tanks of clean water, and leave the top of the tank open after using to keep it from smelling funky. All in all though, I have been happy with it, and have used it a lot. (09/02/2008)
By Amy
Mine has leaked since day one. Now the sprayer doesn't work and I'm sure the motor is gone too. Would not replace with another as this one lasted maybe 18 months of careful use. (11/03/2008)
By Carole
It works fine. Yes, all of what everyone says is true in that it can get junk/water buildup, etc. However, keep in mind that this is a spot cleaner. It's not intended to clean a whole house! I use mine for my very old dog who has decided it's easier to go to the bathroom inside than to be bothered to take 5 extra steps to go outside.
Just make sure to empty it after each use so it doesn't smell and suction clean water through it occasionally to keep it clean. I would say the hardest thing to clean is the detachable head. Haven't figured that one out yet. (11/15/2008)
By KB
Don't buy this machine! It's ironic that the bulk of comments here revolve around non spraying problems. Well, I have an over spraying problem with the one I just bought. The spraying "nozzle" which amounts to a pinhole through which cleaner is sprayed against a poorly positioned deflector, sprays cleaner in a beautiful 180 degree pattern.
That translates into cleaner being delivered not only to the area being cleaned but straight out both sides which naturally covers everything anywhere near (and not so near) the area you're trying to clean. Very aggravating and a total mess. Don't expect to be able to spot clean with this. The spray will be about 24 inches wide no matter what you do. Wet'n'Maddened. (12/10/2008)
By Mark
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