Can You Use A Bissell CrossWave On Carpet?
Cleaning your home’s floors is a tedious but important part of household upkeep. Clean floors lead to a sanitized and tidy home, and ensure that your floors last for many years. There are even modern products that exist to help cut down on your cleaning time. The Bissell CrossWave, for example, mops and vacuums your floors at the same time, which essentially cuts your floor cleaning duties in half. But can you use a Bissell CrossWave on your carpet?
The answer is yes, you can use a Bissell CrossWave on carpet. This cleaner, however, does not clean carpets as effectively as a vacuum, nor is it marketed as a carpet cleaner. You can run it over any fresh spills on a carpet, but it is not designed to clean deep into a carpet. Its cleaning brush, design and power capabilities are different from vacuum cleaners and carpet cleaners.
If you are considering using a Bissell CrossWave on your carpet, or wondering if you should purchase one, you first must learn what the device is capable of. So before you start using your CrossWave on your carpet or experimenting with it on all types of other surfaces, it is best you learn the capacity of the device. You should also know the difference between this 2-in-1 cleaning machine and a traditional vacuum or carpet cleaner.
Four Key Differences Between Bissell CrossWave vs. a Vacuum
The Bissell CrossWave may serve as a combination mop and vacuum, but it is not exactly a vacuum in the traditional sense. Knowing the major differences between this 2-in-1 machine and a classic vacuum will help you understand CrossWave’s capabilities.
1. The Purpose And Function
The main difference between a vacuum and a CrossWave is the fact that a vacuum is designed to suck up and thoroughly remove dirt from floors and carpets, while a CrossWave is designed to clean and suck up spills and general messes.
While both of these drives are designed to clean up filth from the ground, a vacuum’s main purpose is to remove the un-sweepable and unseeable messes. A CrossWave is designed to make cleaning and mopping easier, or to make sweeping and mopping as easy as vacuuming, essentially.
2. The Force/Power Capabilities
The second major difference between a traditional vacuum and a Bissell CrossWave is the power and suction capabilities. A CrossWave may be multi-functional, but it does not necessarily perform either task better, or as well as a mop or vacuum. In fact, one of the downsides of this 2-in-1 cleaner being so versatile and light is that it does not pack the same power as a vacuum. A traditional vacuum uses far more force and is designed to suck and pull up dirt more effectively than a CrossWave.
3. The Cleaning Brush
One part of the Bissell CrossWave that is different from a vacuum is its cleaning brush. The bristle brush is the part of a vacuum you see when you turn the device over and look at what is underneath. In a vacuum, the cleaning brush has lots of bristles that are strong and sometimes coarse. These are designed to get into carpet and essentially comb through and loosen up any dirt particles so the machine can suck them up.
Since the CrossWave is designed more for flat surfaces and to clean up spills, it has fewer and less abrasive bristles. Instead it is a more gentle microfiber style brush. This is great in that there is no risk in damaging a wood or stone floor by scratching. It does not, however, help when it comes to vacuuming, as it may miss deeper levels of dirt than a stronger vacuum would effectively suck up.
4. The Design and Capacity
In addition to looking at the differences in the bristle brush on both machines, it is important to look at the overall design of the CrossWave and a classic vacuum. Vacuums charge large filters to collect dust and dry particles. This makes them highly effective at removing dust and dirt that can make air difficult to breathe. They also normally have attachments to collect dust in hard to reach areas.
The CrossWave, however, is designed to clean floors and suck up messes. It has an area for cleaning solution, which a vacuum does not have. It does not, however, have the air filtration capacity to filter out tiny dust particles, or the attachment to reach into corners like most vacuums.
Surfaces The Bissell CrossWave Works Best On
You should know the surfaces a Bissell CrossWave works best on to understand how effective it is when coming in contact with carpet. Some of the surfaces a CrossWave works best on include the following surface types listed below.
- Tile
- Solid Wood Floors
- Laminate
- Sealed Concrete
The reason these surfaces are preferred is that they are sealed and flat. These last surfaces make for a perfect canvas for a CrossWave to both clean and remove messes. Using a CrossWave on these surfaces are ideal, but there is also an “areal rug” setting, which allows you to clean up messes on area rugs. While area rugs are similar to carpet, you should consider a few factors before using your CrossWave on a large carpeted area.
Things To Think About Before Using Bissell CrossWave On Carpet
When you consider how well a Bissell CrossWave will work on your carpets you need to know there are several factors at play. Not all carpets are created equal, as some are more challenging to clean than others. Here are factors that will affect how well a CrossWave works on your carpet.
Carpet Thickness
The thickness and density of your carpet will certainly affect how well the Bissell cleaner works on your carpet. Remember that the CrossWave does not come with a strong bristles brush, so a dense carpet will be a tough task to tackle. Sure, the CrossWave can likely help clean any top-level stains. If you are looking to deep clean your carpet, you will need a strong vacuum and a genuine carpet cleaner that has the power and tools needed to do that job.
Carpet Length
Carpet length is a similar factor to consider. Longer carpets (think shag and decorative carpets) are much harder to clean, even with a vacuum. A CrossWave can likely remove any fresh spills, but don’t reach for it if you are looking to do any deep cleaning. The CrossWave does not have the strength or the design capabilities to clean such long pile carpets.
If, however, you have very low pile carpet, you may have much better luck. This type of carpet is on a more solid and flat plane, which is exactly the type of surface your CrossWave was designed for. It will not give you top-rate deep cleaning results, but it may do a serviceable job without over-stressing the machine.
Type Of Cleaning Needed
If you are simply hoping to run your CrossWave over parts of your carpet from time to time, you are not likely to run into issues. If, however, you have wall-to-wall carpeting and want to use the CrossWave instead of a vacuum on a regular basis, you may run into issues.
Cleaning your carpets with this device should be more an exception, rather than the rule. That is to say, you can try running the device over your carpets from time to time, but you should also use a standard vacuum to remove the majority of the dirt and dust.
The Type Of Cleaning Solution You Use
It is important you use the proper cleaning solution in your Bissell CrossWave. The cleaning solution should be compatible with both the machine and your carpet. You should be able to easily find such a solution.
Do not use any random cleaner in the device. You can damage the device or your carpet. You can also potentially create a larger mess on your floor than the one you started with.
Consider Buying An Add-On Brush Roller
Bissell recently created some add-on features, one of which might come in quite handy if you plan to use your CrossWave on your rugs and carpets. If you have a Bissell CrossWave and lots of carpeted floors, you can look into getting an add-on brush roller. This brush roller acts more like a vacuum brush, in that it gets into the fibers in the rug and carpet more effectively.
Before you purchase your 2-in-1 cleaner do your research. There are different power levels and designs. Choose the model and type that will work best for your home. Ideally, you will buy a model like the Bissell CrossWave that also has the add-on capabilities. Doing so will allow you to customize it even further as needed.
Concluding Ideas On Using A Bissell CrossWave on Carpet
If you want to know whether or not you can use your Bissell CrossWave on carpet, be aware it is not a simple “yes” or “no” answer. You can absolutely run this popular 2-in-1 vacuum and mop device over area rugs, and carpets. In fact, it has an “area rug” setting. This does not, however, mean the CrossWave is designed to deep clean carpets. It also is not necessarily a complete substitute for a vacuum.
If you have lots of carpets in your house, it is best to use a vacuum. The Bissell CrossWave can be used occasionally on the carpets. Its main purpose, however, should be used to clean up spills on more firm surfaces. It works best on surfaces like tile, wood and laminate floors, or short pile rugs.
Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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