Mopping floors is one of my least favorite chores. I will often get on my hands and knees with a spray cleaner and a paper towel to spot clean messes rather than haul out a mop, bucket, cleaning solution, and all of the other things needed for mopping. When I tried the Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner, I was surprised it was easy to set up, use, and store. The Bissell PowerFresh steam mop comes with all of the accessories I needed to steam clean almost every surface: the mop head, handle, steam unit, a scrubby mop pad, a standard mop pad, an angle tool, bristle brush, grout tool, flat scraper tool, toolbox, and water cup. It also has everything to mount the unit on the wall when not in use, including screws. Some models include a window squeegee tool, additional bristle brushes, and a mesh tool bag. I often get overwhelmed by added accessories that come with these cleaning tools; most end up lost in my house before I ever put them to use. I was able to store all of the tools in the included black mesh bag to keep them together, a nice feature. I could also store frequently used smaller tools in the mop unit. To start using the Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner, I had to assemble the mop by connecting the mop pad foot to the extension wand. Once fully assembled, I filled the water reservoir with up to two cups of water. I filled the included water cup to the max fill line and didn’t have any overflow issues. I needed to refill once I mopped my dining room. I let the water heat up before I connected the steam unit to the extension wand, but you could complete either step first. You can choose from low steam or high steam. There is no temperature control on the unit. While these two settings were fine for me, some people may want more options. The water takes a minute or two to heat up once you plug it in. You need access to a wall outlet, which limited the areas I could use the mop. Most of the surfaces that I wanted to mop were close enough to a wall outlet. However, I would have liked to see a battery option too. I used the white mop pad on a luxury vinyl plank (LVP) floor. It had been over a week since I mopped. Since I have three small children, the mop pad picked up a lot of dirt, food messes, and other unknown sticky residue left by the kids. The mop pad was pretty dirty, and I wished that I had a spare. I ended up using the scrubby mop pad for the rest of my floors. The kit includes two washable mop pads, but I will likely need to purchase more unless I want to stop mid-mop to wash them. Additional mop pads are available from Bissell for about $15 each. The Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner can be used as a traditional mop with the extension wand and mop pad, as a handheld unit using one of the included accessories, or an extended reach handheld unit using the extension wand and accessories. I mostly used it as a mop on my floors and used it to steam clean around my kitchen sink fixtures. I am a big fan of appliances and tools that have more than one purpose. When I realized that I could use this steam mop to steam garments, kids’ toys, and curtains, I was thrilled. I steamed the wrinkles out of one of my favorite shirts. Since it doesn’t have temperature control, I held the handheld steam unit further away from some of my delicate fabrics.
Frequently Asked Quesions
What comes with the mop?
The Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner kit includes a handheld steam pod unit, wall mount and screws, mop pad foot, white mop pad, scrubby mop pad, extension wand, toolbox, green bristle brush, grout tool, flat scraper tool, angle concentrator tool, and water cup. This model also came with a window squeegee, fabric steamer, flat surface mop pad, fabric steamer cloth, a red bristle brush, and a black mesh tool bag.
What kind of flooring can I use this mop on?
You can use this mop on any sealed hard floors or surfaces, such as ceramic, linoleum, marble, and hardwood. I used this mop on LVP flooring without any problems. The steam leaves behind some moisture on the floor as it cleans, but it dried within minutes.
Does this mop sanitize?
Bissell advertises that the microfiber mop pad cleaned 99.9% of germs and bacteria in lab testing. It uses steam instead of chemical cleaners to work its magic. If you want to be sure that you adequately sanitized an area, I recommend using a chemical cleaner followed by this steam mop for maximum cleaning power.
What can I clean in handheld mode?
The Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner includes many accessories that I have yet to find a surface that I can’t clean with the bristle brushes, grout tool, flat scraper tool, angle concentrator tool, or other accessories from the tool bag. Using the handheld unit, I cleaned my kitchen sink fixtures, kitchen counters, and bathroom tile. You can also use it to target hard-to-reach areas around the toilet, oven, microwave, sliding doors, and window tracks. The angle concentrator tool is excellent for this.
Is it worth the expense?
At $149.99, the Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner is not a cheap appliance. When you can purchase a simple mop and bucket for less than $10, it may be hard to justify this fancier mop unit as a necessity. If you can find it on sale and dislike mopping as much as I do, having something easy to use and store may be worth the cost.
Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner vs. the Competition
If you want a cheaper alternative that steam cleans as it mops, try the Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop. At $59.99, this model is more basic and does not include a handheld option for deep cleaning areas and items like fixtures or clothing. If you are in the market for only a steam mop, it brings the reliability and performance of other products from Bissell without the extra bells and whistles (and cost). For those not worried about cost, the Bissell Symphony All-in-One Vacuum & Steam Mop is a highly-rated combination cleaning tool that can vacuum crumbs and messes before you start steam mopping. Overall, you can’t go wrong with a Bissell product when it comes to cleaning your home. Just consider how much you want to spend and what features you need. I am happy with the performance and ease of use of the Bissell PowerFresh 3-in-1 Mop and Steam Cleaner but can’t imagine that most households need such an expensive mop. If you hate mopping or frequently need to deep clean hard-to-reach areas, this is a great product.
