The Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner Lifted Years of Dirt Off My Living Room Carpet

4 min readIn my experience, one of the biggest downsides to having a home with carpet is that, eventually, just dry vacuuming isn’t enough. I’m the first to admit that I often put off deep-cleaning the carpet because it just feels like such a chore. It felt a lot more manageable, though, with the help of the Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner.This carpet cleaner is a serious household appliance, with plenty of capacity to make larger cleaning jobs feel much less overwhelming. Despite its bulk and weight, it proved to be a maneuverable cleaner, with excellent cleaning power and a fairly easy assembly and disassembly process. These features made it a natural choice as our Best Commercial-Grade carpet cleaner, giving a near-professional-grade clean without the hassle of renting a machine or hiring someone.I took this cleaner for a test run to see how it performed, and the powerful suction and extra-large tank were powerful enough to cut through years of dirt, while still being gentle enough to handle upholstery—a true multitasker.ProsLarge tank capacity for greater area of coverageExtra-long hose to reach upholsteryEasy to assemble, take apart, and cleanCleans well without leaving carpet too wetSurprisingly maneuverable for its sizeConsNo steam functionHandle doesn’t lock into placeKey SpecsPowerCordedWeight42 lbTank capacity1.75 galAttachments & ExtrasSpot cleaning tool with 9’ hose; cleaning solution How I TestedI set aside a morning to run the Big Green machine in the most high-traffic areas of carpeting in my home, as well as frequently used upholstery. Following the included directions, I treated a well-lit, well-trod section of carpet (one that hasn’t been replaced since the early 2000s), using the (also included) Bissell ProMax Clean + Protect cleaning solution. Then, using the hose and small cleaning attachment, I went after the couch.Amanda PrahlThe Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner’s attachment tool tackles stains and messes on upholestery with ease.Throughout it all, I kept tabs not just on the quality of the cleaning, but also on other important factors. I tested to see how easy it was to move the machine, both in straight lines and around corners. I kept track of how long the water tank lasted before needing a switch, as well as how long the area stayed damp after use.Easy Assembly, but HeavyAlthough we selected this as our Best Commercial-Grade model, one of the first things I noticed about this carpet cleaner is just how user-friendly—even beginner-friendly—it really is. The machine came ready assembled right out of the box. All I had to do to prepare it for cleaning was to fill up the clean water tank with hot water, add a couple of capfuls of the cleaning solution, and tilt the handle.Opinions may vary on this particular part of the design. I didn’t mind having to add the solution to the water directly, rather than in a separate dispenser, but that does mean you’ll have to do some on-the-fly calculations to get the proportions right if you’re planning on a smaller round of cleaning.Amanda PrahlThe Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner is fairly large and heavy, but is still easy to maneuver.Without water, the unit clocks in at 42 pounds, and a full tank makes it even heavier. Although it does maneuver around corners with surprising agility for its bulk, it can feel stiff and heavy to push in general. I also found the handle took some getting used to.A latch on the back of the unit releases the handle so it can tilt back to any angle, but there’s no option to lock it into position. As a result, the handle constantly moved with my hand pressure, and a few times, it even felt like it was going to slip and fall, with no mechanism to keep it from falling right on my feet.No Steam, but Cleaning Is ImpressiveI’m used to carpet cleaners that use steam or an internal heating element to really loosen the dirt and grime, so I was a little wary that the Big Green only uses preheated water and cleaning solution. I shouldn’t have worried.Amanda PrahlSetting up the Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner didn’t take too long and basically came assembled right out of the box.Working across a high-traffic area, the cleaner lifted out more accumulated dirt, hair, and debris than I expected. Not only did the carpet look visibly cleaner than before, but it also looked (and felt) truly refreshed. It’s well-supported by a powerful suction system, which removed most of the water from the carpet.It only took about two to three hours for the carpet to feel fully dry again, when I was expecting it to remain damp for several hours. The spot-cleaning attachment performed similarly well when tested on a sofa, getting the dirt and grime out without damaging the upholstery or leaving behind soapy residue.Cleaning the Cleaner Is Easy, TooAfter the carpet cleaning comes the other half: cleaning up the machine so it stays in good working order. The clean and dirty water tanks are kept separate, and it’s easy to remove them to dump out without sloshing.Amanda PrahlDue to its size, it is fairly difficult to move the Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner on its side to clean it.You can clean the hose and attachments by running clean water through them. Because of the size of the machine, it is a little unwieldy to get it flipped on its side to access the brush roll and belt cover, and you’ll have to maneuver a couple of screws and latches, too. But once you’re there, it’s about as easy to unwind any clogged-up hair or debris as it’s ever going to be.Final ThoughtsIf you only need to clean a smaller space, or you don’t really have any set-in dirt and debris, the size and weight of the Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner may not be worth the trade-off. But for anyone with a medium or large area to clean, or anyone who has let years elapse since their last deep clean, it’s a powerful option that justifies its cost.I was able to refresh both carpet and upholstery with surprising ease and a relatively quick drying time, all without having to constantly stop to refill the tank. If you’re looking for a carpet cleaner that cuts down on the in-between steps and powers through the task at hand, this could be the best pick for you.Shop the Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet CleanerOther Carpet Cleaners We RecommendBissell Revolution HydroSteam Carpet CleanerNow 13% OffBissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet and Upholstery CleanerNow 11% OffTineco Carpet ONE Cruiser Smart Carpet CleanerAmanda Prahl is a freelance writer, with several years of experience writing about home, lifestyle, product trends, and culture. She has several years of experience in the digital media space, with bylines at Real Simple, BHG, Mic, Bustle, POPSUGAR, and others. She loves covering a wide variety of topics and products, all geared at helping people live their best and most joyful lives.