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I don’t know about you, but the biggest problem area in my house when it comes to keeping things looking clean is my floor. I swear I sweep *almost* every day, and every day I get a huge heap of YUCK!
I also always leave my floors for last because I want to be able to wipe counters and tables, etc. before doing the floors so that I can sweep crumbs without worrying that they’re going to land on my clean floor. So, needless to say my floors get neglected because by the time I get to that part, I’m exhausted and it’s late in the day. It gets pushed to tomorrow and sometimes the next day.
When I first saw an ad for the Bissell Crosswave I thought that it had to be too good to be true, or that it couldn’t possibly clean as well as they said. But I was also desperate for a better solution than what I had (going over my floors with a broom, then vacuum, then a mop).
I told my husband that I wanted the Crosswave for my birthday/Mother’s Day gift. I also promised him that I wouldn’t get mad that he got me a vacuum for a gift! Now that it’s been in my house for well over a year I can honestly say I’ve tested it on everything.
I'll never turn down help with cleaning up!
Overall I’m a pretty big fan of the machine. I have recommended it to friends and family.
So what is the Bissell Crosswave exactly? Essentially it is a stick vacuum that scrubs your floor at the same time. It works on virtually any hard floor surface AND also can be used on area rugs to give them a quick refresh.
I have the Bissell Crosswave Pet Plus. It’s the second edition of the Crosswave line, and the top model that is corded. With the exception of our carpeted bedrooms, I use it on every floor surface of my house; laminate, vinyl plank, tile, concrete.
So here I’ll break down how I use the Crosswave, what I like about it, and what I don’t. (Yes, even though I love it overall there are a few parts I don’t!)
I’ll break down how I use the Crosswave, what I like about it, and what I don’t. (Yes, even though I love it overall there are a few parts I don’t!)
The Bissell Crosswave has two water tanks; one for clean water and one for dirty water. The two tank system ensures that your floor is always getting fresh water and detergent and the gross stuff is sucked up and out of the way. In the dirty water tank there is a strainer that you can lift out to get rid of the big clumps of dirt and hair, so when you clean the machine that stuff doesn’t go down the drain. The brush that spins and scrubs the floor is removable too, which makes it easy to clean.
When I use my Crosswave I generally sweep the floor first, not because it can’t handle it, but because I figure it’s that much less that I need to try and filter out before rinsing out the dirty water tank. I don’t do an exceptional job sweeping, but I like to get the big chunks off the floor. We live in the country and dirt and debris have a way of following us in the house no matter how careful we are.
Next I make sure everything has been re-assembled since the last use, and fill the clean water tank with hot tap water.
There are handy lines that show you where to fill the water to, and then how much detergent to add. I have always used the Bissell cleaner and have been impressed. I honestly don’t know what else is out there that you could use because for what it costs and how long it lasts it has always made sense to get the Bissell brand.
There are two fill levels, one for a small area and one for a large area. Generally I go for the big area, or will eyeball it just below that.
My main floor is approximately 700 square feet of hard flooring, and it’s generally more than enough to clean all of that.
Next up I scrub. It’s pretty easy, just like running a vacuum. I try to work backwards so I’m not stepping on a damp floor. It doesn’t take long at all to dry but the floor will be wet for a minute or two after a pass.
The power buttons are clearly marked “hard floor” and “area rug” so when you switch surfaces you can quickly and easily adjust the machine accordingly.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my floors get gross. I have no idea where these stuck on messes come from, but they appear out of nowhere and they take some scrubbing to remove.
So far I have not had a mess that I couldn’t get cleaned up with the Bissell Crosswave. Sure, sometimes it takes a few passes with the scrubber, but that beats being on my hands and knees with a bucket and sponge!
My only real complaint about cleaning with the Crosswave is the transition from rug to hard floor.
It never fails that it brings a little bit of the dirt and grime off the rug and onto the floor.
To get around the issue I usually clean the rugs last, and if there is some gross stuff that gets on the hard floor I simply switch back to hard floor mode and make an extra pass or two.
After you’re done with the floor you have to clean the machine. Word to the wise, don’t put this part off. Once I did a quick clean before a birthday party and didn’t have time to clean it before guests arrived. By the time I remembered to do it, a week later, it was GROSS! Huge fail.
Anyway, to begin the cleaning process I park my Crosswave on the storage tray.
Once it’s on the tray I pour fresh hot tap water through the funnel and turn on the machine.
Essentially this process runs clean fresh water through the machine to rinse any dirt and debris that hasn’t made it to the dirty water tank.
I generally rinse it 3-4 times to make sure everything clears.
Next is the worst part about the Crosswave (and admittedly, it isn’t THAT bad); cleaning out the dirty water tank.
It’s icky, but it still beats all of it being on your floor. I start by taking the dirty water tank off, straining the solids out and throwing them into the garbage. Please note that you will not get all the solids, don’t try. Get the majority of them and call it good.
Then I dump out the dirty water tank. If there’s still a lot of dirt and debris, dump it in the toilet and rinse it there. After the dirty water tank has been dumped and rinsed I put in the dish drainer and let it air dry.
After that I pull off the front that covers the roller and pull the roller too.
I rinse both of those in the sink, and let them air dry. In our house we have a dog and two girls with long hair, so sometimes that roller gets all full of hair. I do my best to clean it off, but sometimes you just need a new roller.
I dump out any remaining cleaning solution and reattach the tank. After everything is dry I put it back together and store it until it’s time to clean the floors again.
TO RECAP:
What I love about the Bissell Crosswave
- Saves time because it vacuums and mops in one step
- Easy to use
- Always uses clean water to scrub thanks to two tank system
- I can use it on my vinyl, laminate and tile floors
What I don't love about the Bissell Crosswave
- The transition from rugs to hard floors leaving residue behind
- Cleaning the machine after use
OVERALL
I definitely recommend the Bissell Crosswave to anybody looking to simplify and streamline their floor cleaning process. If you have mostly hard floors and area rugs, this is a must.
I have the Crosswave Pet Pro which is corded and doesn’t do any self cleaning.
There are some other models, too. The least expensive is the original Bissell Crosswave. There are two cordless models, the HF3 and the Cordless Max. The cordless models have a self-cleaning cycle, but you still have to clean the dirty water tank.
The newest model, called the Hydrosteam Plus, is also a steam mop. It also has a self cleaning cycle, and this one is corded.
Generally I’m a fan of corded vs. cordless machines. I’ve never had great luck with rechargeable batteries on those machines and prefer to have a reliable power source that won’t quit.