There’s a specific kind of silence in a house with pets that always sets off alarm bells. For me, it was 6 AM on a Tuesday. Our new puppy, who was usually a whirlwind of morning energy, was suspiciously quiet. I found the culprit—and the evidence—on our light beige living room rug. It was a moment of pure dread, a mess that paper towels and spray cleaners simply laugh at. This is the reality of life with pets and kids; carpets bear the brunt of every spill, accident, and muddy paw print. Over time, this transforms a plush, welcoming floor into a map of past disasters, trapping odours and allergens deep within its fibres. Ignoring it isn’t just an aesthetic issue; it affects the air you breathe and the overall hygiene of your home. Renting a machine is a hassle, and professional services are costly. We needed an in-house solution that was powerful, accessible, and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
- EVERY PURCHASE SAVES PETS. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets.
- CLEAN MORE CARPET TO SAVE TIME. This machine is designed to save cleaning time and help you get back to your everyday life faster.
What to Consider Before Buying an Upright Carpet Cleaner
An upright carpet cleaner is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for restoring and maintaining the health and appearance of your home’s soft surfaces. It’s an investment in cleanliness, allowing you to pull out years of embedded dirt, stubborn pet stains, and invisible allergens that a standard vacuum can’t touch. The primary benefit is the transformative deep clean. By spraying a mixture of hot water and cleaning formula deep into the carpet fibres and then powerfully suctioning the dirty liquid back out, these machines can revive matted-down carpets, neutralize persistent odours, and create a healthier environment for your family. This process not only makes your carpets look new but can also significantly extend their lifespan, protecting a major investment in your home.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the daily challenges of life’s messes—pet owners battling accidents and dander, families with young children who see carpets as their canvas, or anyone living in an apartment with high-traffic area rugs. It’s for the person who is tired of renting bulky, often poorly maintained machines from a grocery store and wants the convenience of a powerful cleaning tool in their own closet. However, it might not be suitable for those who live in homes with exclusively hard-surface flooring. Additionally, individuals with very large, wall-to-wall carpeted homes might find the tank capacity of a compact model like this requires more frequent trips to the sink, potentially making a larger, professional-grade unit a better, albeit more expensive, alternative.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: Consider the unit’s footprint, both for storage and maneuverability. The BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner is designed to be lightweight, weighing under 17 pounds. This makes it significantly easier to carry up and down stairs and navigate around furniture compared to heavier, more cumbersome models. Ensure you have a closet or utility space where it can be stored upright.
- Capacity/Performance: Tank size is a critical factor that dictates your workflow. This model features a generous 1-gallon clean water tank, which is excellent for covering a good-sized room or several area rugs without constant refills. However, you must also consider the dirty water tank capacity. A smaller dirty tank, as is common on compact machines, will require more frequent emptying to keep the suction effective.
- Materials & Durability: Most consumer-grade carpet cleaners are constructed from durable plastics to keep them lightweight and affordable. Look for a solid build quality that doesn’t feel flimsy. Based on our testing and user feedback, Bissell’s construction is robust and designed to hold up to regular use. As one user confirmed after nearly two years of ownership, it “still works like new.”
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: A machine is only effective if it’s easy to operate and clean. Look for features like simple assembly, removable tanks that are easy to fill and empty, and accessible brush rolls. Post-cleaning maintenance is vital for preventing mould and odours, so a machine that comes apart easily for rinsing is a huge plus. This model’s components are designed for straightforward cleaning after each job.
While the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- Easily clean around furniture and other obstacles with Swivel Steering
- Upgraded Cyclone System: The Eureka PowerSpeed is now upgraded with new cyclone technology to handle larger debris, smaller dirt, and even microscopic dust.Specific uses:hard floor,carpet,dual action
- Light as It Is Capable: At just 7.7 lb, this canister-style upright glides across hard floors and low-pile carpets without strain, ideal for multi-level homes or small-space living.
First Glance: Unboxing the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner
Upon opening the box, our first impression was one of straightforward simplicity. There’s no “some assembly required” dread here. The BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner clicks together in just a few intuitive steps, a sentiment echoed by numerous users who found it “extremely easy to put together.” If you’re familiar with other Bissell products, the design language is instantly recognizable. The unit feels solid yet surprisingly light, tipping the scales at less than 17 pounds. This is a game-changer for anyone who’s ever tried to haul a rental machine up a flight of stairs. The black-with-blue-accents design is modern and functional. The two-tank system is clearly visible and accessible, and the inclusion of the 3” Tough Stain Tool and the Spraying Crevice Tool right in the box means you’re equipped for both large floor areas and detailed spot-cleaning from day one. It doesn’t have the bulk of professional-grade models, positioning it as a powerful, home-friendly solution that’s ready to tackle messes without being a burden to store or use.
What We Like
- Shockingly effective deep cleaning performance
- Lightweight and highly maneuverable, even on stairs
- Large 1-gallon clean tank minimizes trips to the sink
- Extremely simple, tool-free assembly
- Versatile attachments for upholstery and crevices included
What We Didn’t Like
- Dirty water tank fills up quickly, requiring frequent emptying
- Operation can be quite loud
- Can leave behind clumps of hair if carpet isn’t thoroughly vacuumed first
A Deep Dive into the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner’s Performance
A carpet cleaner’s worth is measured in the filth it extracts. It’s about that morbidly satisfying moment when you empty the tank and see the dark, murky water, confirming that your carpets were hiding a dirty secret. We put the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner through its paces on a variety of surfaces, from a high-traffic hallway runner to a large area rug that has seen years of pets and parties. We wanted to see if its real-world performance lived up to its impressive specifications.
The Heart of the Machine: DeepReach Powerbrush and Cleaning Power
The core of this machine’s cleaning prowess lies in its 4-Row DeepReach Powerbrush. This isn’t just a passive brush; it actively agitates the carpet fibres, working in tandem with the hot water and cleaning solution to loosen embedded dirt, grime, and pet dander that a vacuum could never hope to reach. We started our test on an 8×10 area rug that, frankly, we thought was a lost cause. After a thorough dry vacuuming with a quality machine (a crucial first step, as some users note it can leave behind clumps of wet hair otherwise), we got to work.
Following the instructions for slow, deliberate passes—one forward wet pass and one back wet pass, followed by a forward and back dry pass—the results were immediately visible. The machine glided easily, and you could see the water being laid down and then powerfully sucked back up. The true “wow” moment came when we emptied the dirty water tank for the first time. The water was the colour of black coffee. It was absolutely shocking to see how much dirt was hiding in a carpet we vacuumed weekly. This experience is the single most common point of praise among users, with many sharing photos of their shockingly dark wastewater. One reviewer, after a catastrophic puppy incident, noted in disbelief, “Everything came up with a couple of passes.” We found this to be true; even older, set-in stains that we had long given up on began to fade significantly. The BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner has a cleaning power that truly punches above its weight class, delivering results comparable to much heavier and more expensive machines.
A Tale of Two Tanks: Capacity vs. Convenience
The two-tank system is a fundamental design feature of any carpet cleaner, and Bissell made some interesting choices here. The 1-gallon clean tank is a major advantage. It’s large enough to clean a significant area, like a full living room rug or a small bedroom, without needing to constantly run back to the sink. This is a huge time-saver and a feature we greatly appreciated during our testing. We could maintain a steady workflow without interruption, allowing the machine to do its job effectively.
However, this creates a notable imbalance with the dirty water tank. While the collection tank *looks* large, the internal float mechanism, which prevents the motor from sucking in water, triggers a change in suction noise and stops collecting water when it’s only about a quarter to a half full. This was the most common critique we found, with one user stating they had to “refill and empty the tanks many times for a 5×7 carpet.” In our tests on a 10×10 area, we had to empty the dirty tank three times. While initially frustrating, we came to see it as a necessary trade-off. It’s a design necessity to keep the machine compact and lightweight. The frequent emptying is a small price to pay for a machine you can actually carry and store easily. The key is to manage expectations: you will be emptying the dirty tank more often than you fill the clean one, but the cleaning results make this minor inconvenience worthwhile.
Beyond the Floor: Versatility with Upholstery and Tough Stain Tools
A great carpet cleaner shouldn’t be confined to just floors. Pet messes happen on couches, stairs are magnets for dirt, and car upholstery needs love too. The BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner truly becomes a whole-home cleaning system with its included attachments. The 8-foot hose provides excellent reach, and swapping from floor to tool mode is simple. We tested the 3-inch Tough Stain Tool on a dining room chair that had fallen victim to a juice spill. The tool allows you to spray, scrub, and suction in one controlled motion. The stain was gone in under a minute. The Spraying Crevice Tool is perfect for getting into those impossible-to-reach areas like along baseboards, in carpeted corners, or between stair spindles.
We found the machine particularly effective on stairs, an area where its lightweight design shines. As one user noted, its “weight is great for stairs.” However, they also provided a valuable tip we were able to confirm: the unit can sometimes drip dirty water when lifted and moved between steps. Their clever solution of placing a towel on the step below to catch any drips and then using it to wipe the machine down is a brilliant, practical piece of advice. This versatility elevates the machine from a simple floor cleaner to an indispensable tool for tackling almost any fabric-related mess in the house.
Living with the Cleaner: Assembly, Maintenance, and Usability
Long-term satisfaction with any appliance depends on how easy it is to live with. Assembly of the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner is a breeze, taking less than five minutes with no tools required. In terms of everyday use, its maneuverability is excellent. It glides back and forth smoothly, and its relatively narrow 10-inch cleaning path allows it to get into tighter spaces than wider machines. We do have to confirm what others have said: it’s loud. It’s not unbearable, but it’s certainly not a quiet machine—though no powerful carpet cleaner really is. Another critical user tip we must pass on is to never carry the machine by the main handle used for pushing and pulling, as it can detach. Always use the dedicated carrying handle located on the front of the unit, between the two tanks.
Maintenance is refreshingly simple. Both tanks detach completely for easy rinsing in the sink. The most crucial maintenance step, as highlighted by a savvy user, is cleaning the brush roll area after use. While the manual provides basic instructions, taking the extra five minutes to remove the brush roll cover (a few simple clips) allows you to thoroughly remove trapped hair and fibres. This prevents build-up, maintains suction performance, and stops musty odours from developing, ensuring your carpet cleaner is ready to perform at its peak for years to come.
What Other Users Are Saying
Across the board, the sentiment from real-world users is overwhelmingly positive, often bordering on astonishment. A common theme is how the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner “blows rental machines out of the water.” Many, like us, are shocked by the colour of the water it pulls from their carpets, with one user stating, “I had no idea it was as dirty as it is!” The dramatic before-and-after results are a frequent point of praise, particularly from pet owners and families. One reviewer shared their success story of reviving a 7-year-old apartment carpet that had endured smokers, multiple puppies, and parties, saying the “picture speaks for itself.”
However, the feedback isn’t without its critiques, which align closely with our own findings. The most prevalent complaint is the small effective capacity of the dirty water tank, which “really bloats the time it takes” to clean a large area due to frequent emptying. The machine’s loud volume is another commonly mentioned drawback. A few isolated reports mentioned a lack of suction, but as one astute user concluded, many negative reviews likely stem from “user error” (like not seating the tanks properly) or, in rare cases, receiving a defective “lemon” unit.
How Does the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner Compare to the Alternatives?
The BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner is a specialized deep cleaner, but it’s important to understand how it fits into the broader floor care landscape. Depending on your primary need—be it daily vacuuming, premium deep cleaning, or versatile dry cleaning—other options might be a better fit.
1. Bissell PowerGlide Pet Slim Corded Vacuum 3070
- EVERY PURCHASE SAVES PETS. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets.
- LIGHTWEIGHT WITH POWERFUL SUCTION. Weighs less than 10 pounds, and picks up pet hair with strength and agility.
It’s crucial to understand that the Bissell PowerGlide is a corded stick vacuum, not a carpet cleaner. It does not wash or deep clean carpets with water. Instead, its specialty is powerful, everyday dry vacuuming. It’s designed to tackle pet hair, dust, and debris on multiple surfaces, from carpets to hard floors. Someone would choose the PowerGlide over our reviewed model if their primary need is daily or weekly vacuuming to manage surface-level dirt and pet hair. It’s the tool you use before you bring out a deep cleaner like the PowerClean Turbo Pet XL. They are complementary products, not direct competitors.
2. Bissell Revolution HydroSteam Pet Carpet Cleaner
- HYDROSTEAM TECHNOLOGY. The ONLY carpet cleaner with the power of HydroSteam Technology.
- 2X BETTER CLEANING1. Wash & remove embedded dirt, stains and allergens in SteamWash Max Clean Mode.
The Bissell Revolution HydroSteam represents the next level up in Bissell’s own lineup. This is a direct, premium alternative. It performs the same function—deep cleaning carpets—but incorporates advanced HydroSteam Technology, which uses the power of steam to break down and dissolve extremely tough, oily, and sticky messes more effectively. It often comes with more specialized tools and features. A user might opt for the Revolution HydroSteam if they have a larger home with more carpeting, face exceptionally stubborn stains regularly, and have a higher budget. It’s the “upgrade” choice for those who want the ultimate in-home deep cleaning power from the brand.
3. Shark Navigator Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Self-Cleaning Brushroll
- SELF-CLEANING BRUSHROLL: Engineered for more pet hair pickup with no hair wrap (vs. Shark bristle nozzles)..Voltage:120 volts. Wattage : 1200 watts
- LIFT-AWAY FUNCTIONALITY: Detachable pod for cleaning under furniture or detach the nozzle to clean above the floor, on upholstery, furniture, stairs, and more.
Similar to the PowerGlide, the Shark Navigator is a traditional upright vacuum cleaner for dry messes only; it does not wash carpets. Its key features are very different, focusing on versatility and air quality. The “Lift-Away” feature allows the canister to detach for portable cleaning of stairs and furniture, while the HEPA filter traps allergens. The self-cleaning brushroll is a huge benefit for pet owners, as it prevents hair wrap. This is an excellent choice for someone looking for a single, powerful, all-purpose dry vacuum for their entire home, especially if allergies are a concern. It is not, however, a substitute for the deep-washing capability of the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner.
Our Final Verdict: Is the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner Worth It?
After extensive testing and poring over real-world feedback, our conclusion is clear: the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner is an outstanding machine that delivers exceptional value and performance. It occupies a sweet spot in the market, providing cleaning power that rivals heavier, more expensive models in a lightweight, user-friendly, and affordable package. Its ability to extract deeply embedded dirt is genuinely shocking, and its versatility with the included attachments makes it a comprehensive solution for homes with pets, children, or just high-traffic areas.
Its primary weakness—the need for frequent dirty tank emptying—is a manageable trade-off for its compact size and powerful results. For those living in small to medium-sized homes, apartments with area rugs, or anyone who simply wants the convenience of a reliable deep cleaner on hand for life’s inevitable messes, we can recommend it without hesitation. It transforms a dreaded chore into a satisfying task, restoring carpets and peace of mind. If you’re ready to see what’s truly hiding in your carpets and bring them back to life, we believe the BISSELL PowerClean Turbo Pet XL Carpet Cleaner is an investment you won’t regret.
Last update on 2025-11-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API