The Bissell Spotbot carpet cleaner is a very nice tool for cleaning up small spills and stains in your carpet. We all have those small places where someone spilled something, but cleaning a small spot can actually be more difficult than cleaning a large one. Either you have to get down on your hands and knees and scrub the spot, or you have to drag out a large carpet cleaner that resembles an oversized vacuum, and set it up, all so you can clean a tiny area. But with the Spotbot, cleaning is made much easier.
The Spotbot couldn’t be more simple. To use it, you set the machine on top of the stain, unwrap the cord, and plug it in. After adding the solution the first time, you simply press one button, and it begins cleaning the carpet for you. When it’s done, it begins beeping. You simply press the stop button, unplug it, and empty the dirty water.
This simplicity makes it sound as though the Spotbot does not allow you to custom program the machine for different types of spots. This could not be farther from the truth. The Bissell Spotbot has two automatic settings, and also a manual setting. Of the automatic settings, you can set it for a set-in stain or a surface stain. Either one of these only require you to push one button. The manual setting allows you to clean areas that might be difficult to reach with the Spotbot. I have cleaned a mattress with the hand tool, and it was very easy to use. You push a small button on the side of the machine to disconnect the hand tool. Then you push another button to detach the hose. Line these two up and snap them together. After pushing the manual button on the machine, you use the hand tool to clean the area. Holding a button in on the hand tool sprays water, and releasing it sucks up the water. After using it, you simply remove the hand tool, wrap the hose around the machine again, and you are ready to store it. In addition to these buttons, there is also a Pause/Resume button so that you can stop it mid-cycle if you need to do so.
The best features of the Bissell Spotbot are that it is easily stored and easily used. It does not take up much space, so it is perfect for a small home or apartment. There is a downside to being able to clean a spot without any work. The Spotbot is inappropriate for large areas. You will not be able to clean an entire room with it, unless you spend a lot of time and effort with the hand tool. It cleans a circle about 9 inches across, so obviously it would be difficult for a large area. It is best used in conjunction with a standard carpet cleaner. I have owned both, and I think that the Spotbot is most useful, but when you need a large carpet cleaner, the Spotbot is not a good replacement.
I got this after my standard carpet cleaner broke when some of the seals froze. The reason they froze is because the only place I have to store a machine that large is on my indoor porch, where the temperature is very cold in the winter. In other words, the very problem that caused my old one to break makes the Spotbot a good choice for my house.
The Spotbot is one of those gadgets that I was always curious about, but wasn’t in a rush to buy while I had a working carpet cleaner. After that broke, I did some research at all the different models available and came to the conclusion that the Spotbot was by far the best solution for my needs. I love that I don’t have to do any work, and it’s a carpet cleaner that my husband will even use. It’s quick, it’s easy, and the price was great compared to a standard carpet cleaner. I don’t know how I got along without it.
