Dilute the bleach with water before adding it to the machine (never use bleach full strength!). For basic cleaning, use a 185 ppm available chlorine solution, which you make by mixing 2 teaspoons
Bissell CrossWave Floor and Area Rug Cleaner
A: Good question however we would not recommend using bleach in this machine as it could damage the cleaner.
Ouch! Bleach does not ACTUALLY clean. It is a strong oxidizer, bleaching away stains til they disappear. It will ruin the seals in your carpet cleaning machine and should be used with great caution. I don't recommend it at all for carpet cleaning.
The solution is simple. You'll need 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of castile soap (I prefer Dr. Bronners), and 1/8 cup of baking soda. I run a bit of hot water and then mix this solution together. This eliminates the baking soda and vinegar reaction.
Can I use cleaning formulas other than the BISSELL brand? It's possible to use others, but we recommend against it. Our formulas contain no dyes, phosphates or optical brighteners, and will produce optimal cleaning performance when used in combination with BISSELL carpet cleaning machines.
Dilute the bleach with water before adding it to the machine (never use bleach full strength!). For basic cleaning, use a 185 ppm available chlorine solution, which you make by mixing 2 teaspoons Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach with 1 gallon of water.
Instead of using store-bought carpet cleaners, you can mix 3% hydrogen peroxide and water to treat ink, blood, pet and other stubborn stains from your delicate carpets. Some of the reasons are: It has oxidising properties that attack nasty stains and take them out of fabrics in a few minutes.
Mix one cup of bleach into a gallon of water and pour this solution into a spray bottle. Shake up the solution to mix it before applying it to the carpet. Only use a diluted mixture to bleach clean carpet. Never use concentrated bleach on your carpet.
Yes. Bissell will tell you no, because they want you to buy their stuff. But it is fairly pricey and I've found virtually no difference in cleaning between Bissell's stuff, Pine-Sol, Fabuloso or any other multi-surface stuff you'd use normally to mop with. The only thing to be mindful of is the concentrations.
Abrasive cleaners can damage the carpet fibers and leave a bare spot where the stain used to be. The same goes for heavy-duty scrubbing brushes. If you must scrub your carpet, use a mild cleaner and a soft bristle brush to prevent damage.
The short answer is that you should not use vinegar for carpet cleaning. There is truth to the idea you can use vinegar as a natural disinfectant for cleaning but it cannot remove dirt or soil from a surface or from carpet.
Laundry soap is designed to be used in washing machines to clean clothing. Using it to clean your carpets can damage owned or rented cleaning equipment and the carpet you're trying to preserve.
Toxins produced as a result of using bleach build up in the environment, causing dangers to the water supply, killing fish, harming animals, and can get back to people through the food chain. Therefore, we do not recommend using bleach in steam cleaners.
You can use any kind of non-foaming, good quality rug cleaning solution made for hot water extraction: Simple Green, Rug Doctor, generic, etc. The machine really doesn't "know" what you are using.
Detergent Carpet Cleaner
For synthetic carpets: Mix ¼ teaspoon of a translucent liquid dishwashing detergent, such as Dawn or Joy, into one cup of lukewarm water. For natural fiber carpets: Mix one teaspoon of translucent liquid dishwashing detergent, such as Dawn or Joy, into 1 cup of lukewarm water.
Step 1: Mix vinegar and dish soap into a large bucket. Step 2: Fill the bucket with hot water. Step 3: Stir the mix until the soap dissolves fully. Step 4: Pour this solution into your carpet cleaner's reservoir.
Use OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover to remove tough-to-get out carpet stains! Fill to line 1 per 16 ounces of water. Remove excess stains before treating. Only enough solution to saturate stain.
Mix a solution of 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent in a bowl. Sprinkle baking soda on the soiled area. Pour the liquid solution on the baking soda and the stain. Gently rub the area with a soft-bristled brush or cloth.
Stubborn Stains: Use a 25% solution of bleach to water (1 part bleach to 3 parts water) and spray the discolored area. Do not saturate the carpet as the backing can be affected by over wetting. Allow the solution to dwell for 15 minutes and rinse with water to remove any residue.
“Simply sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for several hours before vacuuming it up.” For lingering odors, some experts recommend letting the baking soda sit overnight. To keep pets and people from disturbing the area, place an overturned laundry basket or bowl on top of it. Clean with dish soap.
Most professionals would only be using a couple of good quality alkali cleaning products varying in pH, such as Advanced Cleaner or Fast Lane to remove the acidic soil on the majority of their cleans.
An optional step that we recommend if you have time is to go back over the cleaned carpet again with only hot tap water in the tank (no formula this time).