Bissell 19404 PowerFresh Pet Steam Mop & BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop Pads (2 pk) with Fragrance discs (4 ct), 5938

I generally don't leave reviews especially if one has such high ratings and thousands of reviews. However,I felt compelled to review this one because when I was deciding to purchase or not, I didn't see my particular concern listed, which was: can or will it effectively clean our 10-year old grout? My husband always did the mopping because his strength lended itself to being more effective and faster (plus I hated mopping and the mess that came with it!). Unfortunately, I lost my husband unexpectedly a few months ago and realized I would now be the one mopping. I decided to once again research the steam mops. I have always been frustrated with how awful our grout looks, through 3children now grown and two labs and 2 cats, plus a husband with forever muddy, dirty work boots. I have to say, this mop deserves its 5-stars even with a few minor concerns (see below). First, the pros:1. Easy to put together-takes maybe a minute including the time to grab the screwdriver to put the handle on.2. Price is beyond reasonable, in my opinion3. Love never having to buy cleaners again!4. Steam is great - heats up super quick and if general cleaning can cover most of my 800 sf of flooring in the about 20 min that the tank lasts (which was a concern because it used to take a good hour with a reg mop!).5. Changing/refilling the water if you need to is as easy as pulling it out of the handle and taking the lid off. Takes about 30 seconds to complete the process and be back to mopping.6. Cleaned my grout!!! Granted I used the little scrubber brush on the back of the unit (which I do wish were a little longer), but I carefully pressed on it with my foot so it would "scrub" and reach down in the gap, and in two min time it went from black to nearly new clean. I expect over time it will only improve. *note- see below for warnings/concerns with regards to this aspect7. Floors were clean and almost instantly dry even with 2-3 run overs.8. You can let it "sit" on an area particularly hard to clean and it will also sanitize after about 15 seconds9. It gets super hot - yes, it really does steam steam (much like a new iron does when you press the steam button)10. No residue left on the floor.11. Worked on hard tile as well as hardwood floors.12. Light -easy to carry upstairs, etc. And has a decently long cord so you don't have to keep unplugging room to room.Now, not sure these are "cons" but perhaps more of concerns/cautions to not be misleading I any comments above:1. When using your foot to press down on the scrubber be careful! The steam can burn your toes (yes, it gets that hot - which is good!) and can also make them wet so you could slip/fall easily. It took me some practice but so far have still found it the preferred way to go - though perhaps a scrubbie by hand could work as well if you really wanted to go that route (or had kids in need of "making amends").2. While I said above that the floors remain relatively dry even after a few swipes, I need to mention that if trying to deep clean the floors can become quite wet esp with the highest steam setting. This is in part due to the high steam level combined with the mop head getting saturated and no longer able to absorb the water or dirt. At this point you can either have spare mop heads or follow up with a towel or other mop to dry the door and pick up the loosened dirt (easier than actual mopping as the hard part is done!). Again this isn't a defect simply a matter of practicality and really only an issue if you become obsessed as I did once you see the dramatic difference you can achieve with this thing! Regardless it can become quite slippery and even a little "messy" so wanted to mention.3. If you leave the steamer on a spot for too long, at least with my porcelain floor, the flooring retains that heat for some time and can burn your feet if you're not wearing shoes (just a matter of prob 5-10 min but again, yes it gets that hot!). Not a big deal, but surprised my feet when I happened to step on them - not a big deal for adults, but if you have crawling or walking toddlers maybe good to know (however on the plus, they now can literally eat off the floor without concern due to the sanitizing properties). :)4. While I did use tap water, you really should (and I will be going forward) use filtered water. I just didn't have any on hand and didn't want to run out because it was Christmas Eve.5. While it fits beside toilets and gets in small spaces, getting the grout right up next to cabinets or walls, etc will prob require some old fashioned getting on ground and using some "Goo Gone" cleaner and scrubbing. Note, it will clean up against the walls, just not easy to scrub there.Now with that said, proof is in the pudding so to speak, and so I included a before and after of one area of my floor so you can judge for yourself. The time lapse was approx 2min using highest steam and a little foot pressure on the scrubbie. For the close up you can tell it's the same area because I believe there's a crack in one of the tiles - though even that became less noticeable after cleaning! :)

I've owned 3 steam mops. Bissel, Dirt Devil and some other brand. Of the three, Bissel seemed to last longer. This "purple pet" is obviously my 4th steam mop. Having said that, this "Bissell 19404 Power fresh Pet Steam Mop Purple Pet" seems to do exactly the same job as it's 3 predecessors. Despite the fancy promises(in my prior steam mops), the only difference I have found in this "purple pet" steam mop is that is *comes with* a few more accessories. The "pet" part of the name (and the color) seem to be a marketing ploy. Otherwise it appears to function exactly the same as the other steam mops that look just like it, and that I've owned before. But this isn't a complaint.I do have pets. Cats, dogs, ferrets. I also have carpeting, real wood, ceramic tile and vinyl flooring. This mop works as expected on all the surfaces I've mentioned and it does a very nice job on each. On dirtier areas, I just make more passes over the surface. The reservoir seems small, but the mop seems to be a little more efficient in the use of the [distilled] water when set on the medium setting. So far, I haven't had any issues with the cap. But it is fragile.I've had this "purple pet" mop for a couple of months now and I'm pleased with it. Even my husband uses it. There's a plus! ;)I gave this 'purple pet" 4 stars because it doesn't really seem to stand out from the other 3 prior steam mops I've owned. Each made big claims, and yet they still did exactly the same thing. Each lasting about a year with frequent use, distilled water, and good care. Hopefully this one will last longer because of technological advances. For the price I paid, I think it's well worth it's weight in ease and use of chemical free cleaning. If I need to, I'll happily get a new one next year.

Over the past 2 years I have had 2 PowerFresh Steam Mops. Both failed within a year. Have since bought a Shark Genius Steam Mop. First the Shark is better designed. Steam is almost instantaneous and comes out with greater force then the Bissell. The Shark pad area is greater and the pad release is so superior. It is extremely easy to change the pad or flip it over. No contest here. For a few more $$$ purchase the Shark.

Am using this every other day on Porcelain tile floors. It steams well but is very powerful even on the low setting. I am using on my old laminate wood floors but am careful to go fast and not let the steam sit. When I first got it I damaged my new laminate wood in the living room. The edge of a board started to bubble and lift. And that was just a once over. So, those are still being done by hand. This works great in the bathroom and kitchen. I like how the head swivels (see photo). However, it does not work on grout. I suppose you could steam the grout and then go back in with a grout brush and then mop to lift out the crud. But I got the wrong impression from reading a review where the lady said it miraculously cleaned her 10 year old funky grout. No way, not happening! Also, you will most likely need extra pads. I use two for each floor every time. Wash them with oxyclean in hot water since they get really dirty. (see photo - surprisingly the floor didn't look so bad to the naked eye.) They recommend using distilled water but I use filtered tap water from my Waterlogic. It has a nice LONG cord. It will stand independently if you position the handle straight up but it is not very sturdy. They have a thin plastic base you can insert it into to hold it upright (see photo). I like it though. My little dog was reacting badly to the Pinesol we cleaned the floors with before. This steamer is allergy free and looks just as good.