BISSELL 14005 Little Green Compact Carpet Cleaner

Minor Issues, But Better Than Others
Bissell 14005 Little Green verses Hoover F5411 Steamvac Jr.

I've used both of these mini shampooers and was not entirely satisfied with either, but I preferred the Bissell's Little Green over Hoover's Steamvac Jr. and here's why:

I first had the Little Green for about five years. It was a great little vac with only minor problems. The fill and empty containers are removable from the unit for convenient filling and emptying. There is a cord winder built onto the unit, the hose wraps conveniently around the unit and locks into place, and the shape and size are convenient for most applications including stairs and storage.

The problems I had with the Little Green:
- It would occasionally leak a bit. The water seemed to be coming from where the hose connects to the base. It was a small drip leak that was easily solved by emptying the clean water tank after each use. We used ours so frequently that I sometimes left clean water in the tank during...

I'm a pro, and say it's great.
I've owned a cleaning business for 26 years, and this machine is great. There are a few secrets to success with it:

To clean it and keep it from smelling, flush it after using. Suck hot clean water through the hose. If your unit is really dirty, suck a mild bleach solution and let it sit. ALSO, remove the rubber gasket at the bottom of the waste tank and clean it... this can be a major source of odor. It's very easy to do, but not mentioned in the instructions.

Use just clean water in the solution tank, and put the cleaner in a spray bottle. (The less soap the better. Use the scrubber on the nozzle and allow a few minutes of dwell time). Think of your machine as the rinse cycle in a clothes washing machine. Rinse the dirt and soap out, leaving a minumum of residue. A seperate bottle also allows more precise application of cleaner. And it extends tank refills, so you won't have to wait for the spray pump to reprime as much.

Durablility? I've...

Negatives outweigh the positives
I bought the Little Green the day after we adopted a puppy. Although it does a sufficient job suctioning accidents out of carpeting, I would not recommend it.

Positives:

--Good at absorbing spills or other liquids from carpeting

--Compact and easy to store

Negatives:

--Dirty water pools in the bottom of the unit under the tank that collects the dirty water.

--The unit then leaks the dirty water out the bottom while using it.

--It is extremely difficult to clean.

--The dirty water never seems to be fully emptied even after taking the entire unit and dumping it upside down.

--It smells horrible! Even emptying it immediately after every use has not prevented it from smelling awful while using the machine. I think this is because the dirty water is never fully emptied. Hot, soapy water suctioned up after a clean up has not helped to remove the lingering smell.

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