Spilled drinks and muddy paws are less stressful with this cleaning machine in my closet.
Key Points
- The Bissell Little Green HydroSteam Pet helps clean up spills before stains set in.
- Its steam is ready in just 30 seconds, making it handy for quick cleanups.
- This compact cleaner works on carpets, most upholstery, grout and tile.
I truly enjoy hosting during the holidays, whether that’s planning and executing the full Thanksgiving meal or putting together a spread of appetizers for a New Year’s Eve soiree. I find spending the day in the kitchen cooking and baking therapeutic, and I love watching my guests enjoy the food I made. The one part of hosting I don’t enjoy is cleaning, but it’s inevitable.
First, there’s cleaning to get ready for guests, and then there’s cleaning up afterward—or sometimes even during the festivities. Let’s face it, things don’t always go smoothly. Someone might drop a plate or knock over a drink. That’s why I like having a reliable cleaning tool on hand to tackle spills as they happen.
Bissell Little Green HydroSteam Pet Portable Carpet Cleaner
$250 $200 at Amazon
When it comes to spills, it’s best to tackle them quickly to help prevent stains. That’s where the Bissell Little Green HydroSteam Pet Portable Carpet Cleaner comes in. This little machine has a steam function and can be used to clean up everything from red wine to gravy.
All you have to do is fill the tank with water and cleaning solution, turn on the machine and let it heat up until the steam is ready (it takes just 30 seconds). Next, spray and steam the mess, scrub it with the included attachment and make slow passes with the attachment to soak up the mess and excess cleaning solution. It amazes me how quickly it works (and how dirty the water in the dirty tank gets!).
It does leave whatever you clean a bit damp for a while depending on the surface type, so guests might need to move to another spot if a spill happens on a couch cushion. And the machine is about as loud as a vacuum when it’s running, so you can’t discreetly clean a mess without guests noticing. But I think that’s better than fretting about a stain setting in.
The Little Green works on carpets, rugs and most upholstery (check the manual for more details and be sure to try a test spot first). It also has different cleaning modes and tools to choose from depending on the mess. The SteamWash Max Clean Mode is best for liquids, sticky substances like honey or jelly and cooking grease that gets on rugs or upholstery. The Steam Mode can help loosen stains and give your upholstery a refresh. And the Wash Mode is really great for stains or heavier messes that need scrubbing.
I recently spilled a little cranberry juice on my rug and after blotting it up, I set up the Little Green and got to work steaming and scrubbing the spill. It barely took a minute, and all the juice came right out. Once the rug dried, you couldn’t even tell I had spilled anything.
It’s nice to be able to host without worrying about the occasional accident. And, as a bonus, the Little Green also helps me get my house ready for guests. I can easily clean my kitchen backsplash and even my shower grout and bathroom tile with the multi-surface tool. I can almost say it makes cleaning fun—almost.
How To Use It Beyond Entertaining
When I’m not hosting, I also appreciate having the Little Green on hand for pet messes. No one wants a sick pup, but it’s helpful to have a quick way to clean up when accidents happen. For some reason, my dog refuses to get sick on the hardwood floors and always goes for the rug. I feel prepared for these moments with this carpet cleaner on hand. It’s also great for those occasional muddy paw prints your dog might track through the house after playing outside.
I don’t have kids, but I imagine it’s also handy for anything they might track into the house after playing outside or messes that arise during meals or snacks. Accidents happen!
Easy Cleanup and Storage
The little machine is easy to clean. Both the clean-water and dirty-water tanks are removable, so you can empty and rinse them, and you can rinse the attachments in the sink. To clean the hose, I simply fill a bucket with clean water and run it through. The machine is small enough to tuck away in a hallway or mudroom closet.
The Bottom Line
If you do a lot of hosting, have a pet or just want an easy way to clean your grout, the Little Green is a handy machine to have. Its compact size makes it easy to store and pull out whenever a spill or mess happens. And the quicker you can clean up, the sooner you can get back to enjoying time with your guests.
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