Bissell Steam Shot Review
My OCD got the best of me and I finally hit the buy button on the Bissell Steam Shot Hard Surface Cleaner.
This thing has been on my wishlist forever. So now, after using it for a few weeks around the house, I thought I would share this Bissell Steam Shot Review with y’all.
About the Bissell SteamShot Hard Surface Cleaner
What got me obsessed with this thing in the first place? I’ll tell you. It was the Amazon Reviews. People rave about this thing left and right. I guess I was curious to see if it’s really as good as everyone says.
Plus – I’m a certified clean freak, and even with all the cleaning I do, there were still some tiny little areas that I just couldn’t clean to my liking no matter what I tried (more on that below). I was hoping that this could finally be the answer I was looking for.
The Bissell SteamShot Cleaner is about the size of a teapot, with a handle that makes it easy to hold and maneuver. It comes with 7 attachments for different cleaning purposes, although I just use the main one for most things. Honestly, I find the attachments to be just okay.
Here is a rundown of them:
- Grout Tool
- Three Different Colored Scrub Brushes (so you can designate them for different rooms/purposes!)
- Flat Scraper Tool
- Angle concentrator tool
It uses tap water only (or distilled if you prefer) and heats up fairly quickly, only a couple of minutes to get it going to its full potential.
The cord is really long! This is a plus if you are cleaning something that’s far from an outlet. It uses 100 watts of Steam Power to clean and loosen dirt, and kills over 99% of germs with just water!
It’s easy to fill, it comes with a measuring cup that you fill with water, then pour into the small hole at the top of the unit. Then, screw the cap back on, plug it in, and wait for it to heat up. You’ll hear it bubbling in there!
There is a blue button that has to be pressed continuously for the steam to come out. That’s annoying, but I don’t mind it too much. I found holding the Dyson button down on my cordless to be much more of a pain until I got used to it.
Uses for Bissell Steam Shot
Again, I mainly purchased this to clean those itty bitty stubborn areas I couldn’t get to, and for the most part – this thing worked like a charm! It was hard to put down, in fact. My husband came out of his office and stared at me for like 5 minutes. Because this thing is LOUD, but he’s used to my quirky cleaning habits at this point.
Here are the areas where I found the Bissell Steam Shot to be most useful:
- Door Tracks
- The little spaces on your toilet seat lid hinges (I told you I was picky)
- Around the little screw cap on your toilet (again, picky)
- Sink Stopper and Sink Drain Areas
- In between the little handles on a faucet and around the faucet in general
- Tub Drains
- Inside the Microwave (amazing at getting in those little hole areas!)
- Kitchen and Dining Tables, especially if you have table extensions put in (that little crack drove me nuts until I steamed it clean).
But, according to Bissell, this thing works magic in other areas too:
- Grout
- Trim and Baseboards (here’s my method for cleaning baseboards)
- Windowsills
- Stove and Oven (read how to clean oven racks here)
- Sanitize doorknobs
- Refrigerator (get shiny stainless steel with this magic cleaner)
- Kitchen Sink
- Sanitizing Throw Pillows
- Dog Beds and Dog Crates
- Steaming Clothes and Drapes
- Shower
- Car Crevices
Those are just a few ideas – I’m sure there are others. Since this is a steam cleaner, it shoots out hot water – you gotta be careful or you can get burned.
Also, it’s not steam and walk away, since the things you are cleaning will be wet, and this cleaner will push any dirt and debris away from the area. You still need to follow up with a microfiber cloth or paper towel and wipe it clean. But I found it does a pretty good job in those smaller little crevice areas and I’ll definitely be using this thing fairly often. PS: Check out my favorite carpet cleaner while you’re here.
This is not meant to tackle LARGE jobs unless you have kindergarten teacher patience and a lot of time. The reservoir is somewhat small (only about 6 ounces!) and refilling can be a pain. You have to unplug it, make sure all the steam is out, then refill it, then wait for it to heat up again. Plus – I did burn myself on the little screw part under the cap where you refill. This thing is hot once you take the cap off so be mindful of that.
Pros & Cons List
In case you skipped ahead, here’s a list of pros and cons for the Bissell Steam Shot Hard Surface Cleaner.
→Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Small and Compact, easy to hold
- Awesome little cleaner for Small Cracks and Crevices
- Cleans with just water – no chemicals
- Safe for Kids and Pets
- Long Cord
- Heats up Fairly Quickly
- Your purchase also helps pets in need (a cause near and dear to my heart)
→Cons:
- Small Water Reservoir
- Not for large jobs
- Still requires you to “clean” water after steaming.
- Refilling is a pain
- The cap is a bit fussy to get on and off
- Have to hold the button down the whole time
- The attachments are just “meh”
Final Thoughts
Would I buy the Bissell Steam Shot Surface Cleaner again? Yes, absolutely. Especially at this price point. It’s perfect for smaller jobs and I finally, FINALLY, got all the dirt and grime out of those tricky areas that were bugging me for years.
That being said, if I had a giant mess on my hands I might consider upgrading to a bigger steam cleaning unit to avoid the hassle of refilling it.
If you are a type A, OCD clean freak like me – then this will satisfy you for those small jobs.
Xo Karen