BissellCrosswave Hydrosteam Plus Vacuum

I’m the Problem

My fiancé has been talking about the CrossWave for years. I mostly ignored him, because obviously I know everything. But after too many days with five dogs, a 7-year-old, and a yard that apparently produces unlimited dirt, I finally broke down and ordered one. The box arrived and I opened it immediately, set everything up, filled the tank, and started cleaning. Within seconds I had brown water pooling everywhere. The machine looked like it was just spreading muddy swamp water across my floor. Instead of using my brain to troubleshoot like a rational adult, I spent half the tank of water mentally drafting the most brutal review ever written. I was furious that I had just spent this much money on a machine that seemed designed to spread dirt around as efficiently as possible. Finally, I went back to the instructions. It said the brush might be too wet or there could be a clog. A clog seemed unlikely considering I had owned the machine for about seven minutes, but I pulled the roller out anyway. And there it was — a soaking wet piece of cardboard from the packaging jammed in the brush. I removed it, put everything back together, and tried again. And suddenly the thing worked perfectly. The suction was back and stronger than ever. The steam came pouring out. My floors looked amazing — which is impressive considering my five dogs seem personally committed to keeping the floors muddy. So the CrossWave HydroSteam works great st. No streaking, no leftover water, and not a single muddy paw print. My only criticism is the debris separator. I think the design could be improved. There’s nowhere to set the filter/lid while you’re pulling the separator out, dumping debris in the trash, and then running to the toilet to dump the dirty water. It turns into a slightly chaotic balancing act. I strongly recommend removing the packaging from the machine before using it. (Apparently that step is important.) If your house deals with the same level of chaos that mine does — kids, dogs, mud everywhere — this machine is absolutely worth it. And if it seems like it’s spreading brown water everywhere… check the roller first. Trust me. Unfortunately, my fiancé was right. Please don’t tell him I said that.