BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop Review

For most of us, cleaning can be a dreary task. Whether it’s pet hair or a spilled bowl of cereal, someone has to (reluctantly clean it up. As it is, messes are inevitable no matter how hard we try. Sure, it’s possible to minimize them, but we’d still have to deal with them from time to time. Fortunately, though, there are a bunch of tools that can help us. For instance, we can easily use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of stuff from the ground. In some situations, however, you’ll need more than that; after all, there’s only so much that a vacuum can do.

Mops are great. Not only are they effective at sanitizing the floor, but they do so without scratching the surface. Add steam to the equation and you’ve got yourself a fantastic cleaning tool. The best part of all is that they can be used on various different surfaces from marble to hardwood. Incredibly versatile, they are a must for anyone who wants to try to keep their house clean. 

On this page, we will be taking a look at the Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop. How well does it work? Does it live up to its hype? What are some pros and cons of the mop? These are all some of the things that we’ll be addressing below. Without further adieu, let’s get to our review.

The Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop

Bissell was founded by Melville R. Bissell in 1876. Ultimately, it was after he invented the first carpet sweeping machine that they started to gain an international presence. Since then, the company has expanded from producing only sweepers to other products such as vacuum cleaners, cleaning formulas, and more. In the late 2000s, they ranked number one in terms of floor-care sales in North America.

The Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop is a handy tool when it comes to cleaning hard floors. Not only does it come with a digital steam control (which can be set to low, medium, or high), but it also features an Easy Scrubber, which is perfect for removing sticky messes. Given that it’s used properly, it can easily eliminate up to 99.99% of all germs. If you want, you can even add scents by using their Spring Breeze Fragrance discs (more on those later).

To use it, simply attach a microfiber pad to the mop head, fill the water tank (distilled water is recommended), and plug the machine into an outlet. Once it’s ready, an indicator light will go on (usually around 30 seconds). From there, you can choose the level of steam desired by pressing the Steam Level button. If necessary, you can push down on the scrubber at the back.

What’s Included in the Box

• 1 microfiber soft pad
• 1 microfiber scrubby pad
• 2 spring breeze fragrance discs
• 1 carpet glider

The PowerFresh Steam Mop comes with everything that you need to get started. To assemble it, you want to first attach the lower body to the mop head. From there, all you have to do is slide the handle assembly down to the lower body, until it is tightened. In some cases, the mop pad will already be attached to the head out of the box. If it isn’t, you can attach it by pressing on the quick-grip release tab on the back.

As far as the pads go, they are both washable and reusable. Simply toss them into the wash after you’re done with your cleaning session. If you want to get a little more life out of them, we recommend that you let them air dry, instead of putting them into the dryer. After a while, though, they will need to be replaced; however, that probably won’t be for several months.

One of the things that’s unique about this product is that it comes with scent discs. Essentially, they’re fragrances that you can add to the mop head. Depending on how sensitive you are to smells, you may love or hate it. Personally, though, I find that it leaves a fresh, pleasant odor—one that reminds you of just how clean your floor is.

Last but not least, it comes with a carpet glider that allows you to use the machine on carpets. All you have to do is move the mop in a continuous motion (it’s important not to leave it in one spot). It’s important to note, however, that it’s intended only to refresh and not clean carpets.

Build Quality

Build quality is something that you always want to look at when picking out a mop. In general, you want to get something that’s both lightweight and durable. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to research a product thoroughly before making a decision. If you can, it also helps to look at it in person—that way, you can actually get a feel for what its construction is like. Sometimes, however, that won’t be possible.

As far as the PowerFresh Steam Cleaner goes, it is made out of both metal and plastic. More specifically, the handle is made out of durable aluminium. Considering that, you probably won’t have to worry about it breaking off anytime soon (this tends to be a problem for some products). Unfortunately, though, the handle is not extendable; that is, there is only one set location. Depending on how you want to use the mop, that might make things a little inconvenient. One neat thing about it though, is that it can stand by itself—this can be handy when it comes time for storage.

Below the handle is the lower body, which is made out of plastic. Aside from the removable water tank, it also features the Smart Set Steam Control, an area where you can wrap the cord, and of course—the mop head. Before you start cleaning, you’ll want to attach one of the microfiber pads to the bottom. Thick and absorbent, the pads are great at picking up debris from the floor. In fact, they’re so thick, they can even reach the grout on tile! Generally speaking, you’ll be able to mop two small rooms with a single pad.

Possible Issues with the Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop

As with most products, the PowerFresh Steamer Cleaner isn’t perfect. Depending on the construction of your unit, you may run into a few issues. We’ll be going over some of them below.

For one thing, the water tank cap seems to be fairly fragile. In some cases, it will crack even with gentle use (which might be a sign of a possible design flaw). Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use the mop if the cap is broken; as a result, you’ll have to order a replacement from their website. If you’re under warranty though, Bissell will typically replace it for you; it might just take a while to arrive in the mail.

Another issue is that that reservoir can leak—often from a small hole in the back. Judging by some of the reviews on Amazon, this seems to be one of the most common problems with the mop. As you can probably imagine, this can be quite frustrating, not to mention a safety hazard (water and electricity together is a no-go). If you run into this problem, you’ll want to contact Bissell’s customer service to see if they can offer you a free replacement, as it may be due to a faulty unit.

Rarely, the unit can also stop working—that is, it either won’t turn on or there won’t be any steam. Alas, it’s hard to know when exactly the mop is nearing the end of its lifespan. Don’t worry though, just because there’s a chance that it can occur, doesn’t mean that it will. If anything, the majority of them are able to function for several years. On the off chance that it does, though, you can get it replaced under Bissell’s one-year warranty program (just remember to register the product through their official website after you receive it).

Lastly, you want to watch out for the steam. This might seem like a no-brainer, but the hot setting is hot.   In fact, a few people have experienced problems where the high heat actually melts part of the floor. Luckily, you can avoid this by using the “low” and “medium” settings—it should suffice for most surfaces, anyway.

Does it Clean Well?

Moving on to the next section—how well does it clean? Well, there’s a reason why the PowerFresh Steam Mop has so many positive reviews on Amazon. Assuming that you’ve thoroughly swept or vacuumed the floor prior to using the machine, it does an amazing job at sanitizing and cleaning surfaces. Thanks to the microfiber pads, which are nice and thick, the mop picks up an incredible amount of gunk. Whether you’re trying to get rid of dirt or pet hair, it’s got it covered. For an extended cleaning session, you’ll probably need to change the pad at least once.

To make things easier, the mop head also swivels 180 degrees—this allows you to clean those hard to reach areas, something that might not be possible with some of the other products out there. Reaching under the kitchen cabinets has never been easier! For those of you who like efficiency, the cord is also long enough so that you can clean an entire room without having to move to a different outlet, which is nice.

For tougher messes, there’s also a scrubber brush that’s attached to the back of the unit. To use it, just carefully press down on it with your foot—be careful, though, the steam can be hot (especially if you’re barefoot)! Great for those dried-on spots, it provides just enough friction to scrub out the filth. If you have tile, you can even use it to get rid of grout.

As mentioned earlier, the mop is designed to be used on various hard floors including linoleum, ceramic, granite, and hardwood. Given that, it’s suitable for a variety of settings; for instance, it can come in handy in the office, where coffee spills are commonplace. Of course, you can also use it in your home. As a matter of fact, it’s ideal for cleaning bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. While the machine doesn’t fold down, it does stand up on its own, which can be a plus when you’re trying to find storage space.

Cost and Pricing Information

The PowerFresh is competitively priced compared to most of the other steam mops out there. Currently, it sells for $89.99 on their official website. Sometimes, they also have coupons that you can use to save $10 with free shipping. For those who prefer monthly installments, they have that option as well. If you’re not in a rush to get it, you can also check out Amazon, as they tend to discount it from time to time. As a matter of fact, the mop is on sale for $74 at the time of this writing. You probably already know this, I’m sure, but you’ll also get free, speedy shipping if you’re a Prime member.

Now, you’re probably wondering—what about the pads? Fortunately, they are reusable; they’ll be as good as new after being put into the wash. However, it never hurts to have some extras on hand, especially if you plan on doing some major cleaning. On Bissell’s official website, you can purchase a replacement for $12.99 ($14.99 for the scrubby variety).

If you’re a fan of their fragrance discs, you can also buy it as a set (microfiber pad and two discs) for $21.99. In terms of how long the pads last though, it really depends on how often you use them (obviously, they’ll wear out much quicker if you use them every day as opposed to every two weeks).

In addition to the pads, there are also the fragrance discs. While it depends on various factors, I’d say that you can probably get a handful of uses, maybe more, out of each one before the scent goes away. If you want to buy extras, you can find a pack of eight for $10.99 on Bissell’s website. Speaking of which, they also sell pet odor eliminating scent discs (8 pack) for $10.99. Once again, these are optional.

Another thing that you might want to purchase is their scented demineralized water (which you use instead of normal water for the tank). Depending on which set you buy, you may or may not receive them with the mop itself. If you want to get them separately, they’ll cost you $7.99 each or $24 for a bundle of three on Bissell’s website. Similarly, you can also get them on Amazon. Are they worth it? We’ll leave that up to you.

Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop Overall – Is it Worth It?