Bissell ProHeat 2X
We have two dogs living with us. Plus my 3 sons have dogs who accompanying them when vising too. (And when we “babysit” our furry grandchildren!)
Although I dearly love seeing everyone, all these dogs do play havoc on the house. Especially the carpets.
I was tired paying a good chunk of money to have Stanley Steemer come out and periodically clean the carpets, so I began doing some research on do-it-yourself steam cleaners. Hopefully the information I discovered will assist you if happen to be in the market for buying a carpet steam cleaner.
As I was ‘investigating’ around the Internet, I came across a deep-cleaning carpet steamer machine that seems to get a lot of attention: the Bissell ProHeat 2X.
The ProHeat has a lot of the features I was interested in, so buckle-up, we’re going to take a look at Bissell’s carpet cleaning machine!
Bissell ProHeat 2X Select Upright Deep Carpet Cleaner 9400
For starters, this is an upright vacuum/carpet cleaner that receives its power via a 12 amp motor. (Most standard steam cleaners have 12 amps, so this in itself is not a biggie.)
But I don’t want to make light of the ‘engine’. It’s what makes the thing work! So at 12 amps, we know we’re in the ballpark with plenty of power with this unit.
On the business end of steam-cleaner things, where the rubber meets the road … or should I say where the brushes meet the carpet … here you’ll find 12 rows of brushes on this ProHeat model.
Bissell says the 12 rotating rows provide the deep-cleaning and carpet grooming we’re all looking for. Bissell calls these workhorses DirtLifter® PowerBrushes. Their sole focus in life is to release and remove the deep-down trapped dirt and debris. They work just like the brushes on your vacuum cleaner.
The ProHeat 2X is built with a floating suspension. The goal here is for the brushes to self-adjust for all carpet heights. It’s also a safety feature as it protects the carpet if you leave the power switch on.
In the Upright position, the brushes automatically stop spinning. To resume cleaning, press down on the pedal which activates the brush once again to continue the operation.
And since we’re talking about the ‘business end’, the 9400 has a 12 inch cleaning path. Not huge by any stretch but good sized nonetheless.
The ProHeat 2X has edge-sweep brushes that are capable of cleaning flush against your walls without scratching. (Goodness knows I’ve ‘dented’ my walls a time or two so this is good to know!) This unit provides edge-to-edge cleaning.
One thing I’ve learned about carpet cleaning is that you have to take it slow. It’s not like a vacuum cleaner where you can go crazy! To achieve a good, deep cleaning, you have to ensure the machine has time to ‘suck up’ all that dirt and grime it’s lifting off the carpet fibers. So Go Slow. Be sure to allow plenty of time if your ultimate goal is clean carpets.
The unit comes with a generous 30 feet of power cord. Sometimes going from one room into the hallway requires a few extra feet. Thirty feet ought to do ya!
I don’t know about your carpets, but mine have some pretty stubborn stains (thanks to the aforementioned dogs). The ProHeat has a built-in Tough Stain tool for cleaning up gummy messes (yup, got those too) and for restoring your carpet to factory-like newness.
Bring On The Heat!
What I really like about this unit is it has a built-in water heater. A real heater too and not one that derives its heat from the motor. (I found that some units simply use the heat generated by the motor’s exhaust and call that a ‘heating unit’. Hardly!)
According to the literature, the built-in heater raises the temperature of the tap water a good 25 degrees. (Hot water just seems to clean just about anything better than cold!) Having an on-board heater seems to make sense. Many models do not offer this.
But Bissell states that the heater will never allow the temperature to exceed 190 degrees. The Heater switch on the front of the machine controls the heater so you have the option to turn off the heat. This is especially important if you’re cleaning delicate items like wool or Oriental rugs. There’s also a heat indicator light. The built-in heater heats the water and the cleaning solution for optimal cleaning.
The ProHeat automatically mixes shampoo and water for varying situations (high traffic vs. light traffic). This sounds like a good function but many users reported that on the ‘heavy’ setting it uses a LOT of soap. But then again, maybe it needs to!
The Custom Clean feature automatically mixes hot tap water with Bissell’s special formula. It’s designed for simple use: just choose one of the settings (Heavy Traffic, Normal Clean, Light Clean, or Rinse) and the ProHeat 2X will adjust just the right amount of cleaning solution to mix with the heated water to fit your cleaning need. Simple I like!
Other models that I’ve researched have two tanks: one for clean water and one for the dirty. This Bissell unit has a 2-1 tank system. From the reviews I’ve read, it seems very easy to use although the tank does require frequent emptying.
Just The Facts
Here is a down’n'dirty overview of what’s all included with the Bissell ProHeat:
Features Microban® antimicrobial product protection
- Outcleans all other leading models
- 12 Row DirtLifter® PowerBrushes remove deep down dirt
- Built-In heater for maximum cleaning
| Microban Protection: | Yes |
| Surface Type: | Carpet, Upholstery, Bare Floors, Auto, Stairs |
| Power Rating: | 12 amps |
| Heater: | Yes |
| Cleaning Path Width: | 12″ |
| Weight: | 26 lbs |
Suction Power
| Power Rating: | 12 amps |
| Power Source: | Corded |
| Heater: | Yes |
| Flow Gauge: | No |
| Brush System: | 12 Row Dual DirtLifter PowerBrush |
| Brush On/Off Switch: | No |
| Surround Suction: | Yes |
| Power Cord Length: | 30′ |
Filtration
| Microban Protection: | Yes |
Dirt Collection
| Surface Type: | Carpet, Upholstery, Bare Floors, Auto, Stairs |
| Cleaning Path Width: | 12″ |
| Tank Capacity: | 1 Gallon |
| Edge Sweep: | Yes |
| Custom Clean: | Yes |
Specialty Tools
| Multi-Use Tools: | Crevice Tool, TurboBrush |
| Stain Tools: | 3″ Stain Tool |
| Stair Tools: | 6″ Stair Tool |
Other Specs
| Color: | Black Cherry Fizz |
| Carry Handle: | Yes |
| Soft Bumper: | No |
| Belt Type: | Brush Belt (non-corded side), Brush Belt (corded-side) |
| Formula Included: | Professional Deep Cleaning Advanced Formula |
If you happen to have your carpets Scotchguarded, many steam cleaners will void your warranty. According to Bissell, theirs is the ONLY machine that will NOT mess with your Scotchguard warranty — if used as directed.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Reviews
I spent a good deal of time reading over the reviews for this product on epinions.com, Amazon, and on Bissell’s website.
One thing is for sure, you just can’t please everybody!
What amazes me is that one person will just trash a product and say it doesn’t work and the very next review says it the very best purchase they’ve ever made and highly recommend it to all their friends.
Huh?
I guess that’s just human nature. But judging on the majority, I must say that the reviews for the ProHeat 2X are overwhelmingly favorable.
In fact, 75% of current users/owners rated this carpet cleaner with either a 4 or 5 star rating. Knowing that folks don’t ‘suffer in silence’ about purchases that don’t cut the mustard, that’s pretty significant!
Here is a sampling of comments from owners of the Bissell ProHeat 2X Deep Carpet Cleaner:
- I bought my ProHeat a few years ago and it is by far one of the best home purchases I have made.
- Cleans so much better than the rental cleaners
- My friend uses this thing for house cleaning and she has been told many times that she does a better job than the carpet cleaning companies around our area.
- We purchased the 9400 and I must say, it is absolutely amazing! I’ve used a few different kinds of carpet shampooers (including a rug doctor and a few different Hoover models) and this one just blows them all out of the water!
- It’s bought new life to our carpets
- Our carpets look and feel brand new
- It really brings all of the dog hair up and out of the floor
Here’s one common complaint I came across: fuzzballs. A few reviewers expressed frustration with the fuzzballs that may get left behind after a section of carpet had been cleaned requiring you to pickup these little ‘presents’ left behind. But the good news is that stuff the fuzzballs are comprised of are no longer “in” your carpets!
Currently there are over 250 reviews for this product online at one website. And as previously mentioned, the vast majority are very favorable: 4&5 star ratings.
CLICK HERE to read them yourself.
ProHeat 2X Price
The manufactured suggested retail price for the Bissell ProHeat 2X is : $299.99. After visiting a number of websites that were offering this machine, I found the best price for this unit where you can do much better than the MSRP.
The good news is that right now the Bissell ProHeat 2X Select Upright Deep Carpet Cleaner 9400 is ON SALE – and with Free Shipping!
