Among the models tested, the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe Steam Mop 1800A ranked as one of the most effective and easiest to use, cutting through tough stains with strong steam and a scrubbing brush. TechGearLab praised its maneuverability and ease of use, the quick heat-up time, and the ample 474ml tank capacity. A scrub-and-steam option lets you switch cleaning modes without stopping. It has no hands-free pad changing and no extra accessories for other surfaces. Households that want reliable, chemical-free cleaning on sealed hard floors are the fit; anyone needing extensive attachments isn't.
Full review
A scrub brush that detaches from the mop head
The PowerFresh Deluxe's distinguishing feature is a scrubbing brush built into the head that releases with a foot lever, so switching from steaming to scrubbing a stuck-on patch happens while standing up. TechGearLab's reviewer singled this out against designs that hang a scrubber off a hose, since pressing down through the handle gives far more leverage than working a hand tool at floor level. Two pads come in the box, one soft for general mopping and one textured for heavier work.
Nineteen ounces of water and a 25-foot cord
The tank holds 19 ounces, in practice enough for a kitchen and a couple of bathrooms on one fill, and the opening is wide enough to use the supplied measuring cup without spilling. The cord runs 25 feet and the machine weighs 6.2 pounds. It stands up on its own, which sounds trivial until both hands are needed, and there are two steam settings chosen by a single control. There is nothing else to learn.
Heats in about thirty seconds, on sealed floors only
Bissell rates heat-up at thirty seconds, and both cited reviews treat the steam volume as more than adequate for everyday messes on tile and sealed hard floors. The heat is doing the sanitizing, so no detergent is involved. Distilled water is recommended because tap minerals eventually scale up the steam path, and the machine is wrong for unsealed wood or anything porous.
No hands-free pad change, and few attachments
Changing a dirty pad means handling it, because the elastic band arrangement has no release mechanism, and a hot wet pad is unpleasant to pull off by hand. The accessory list is short: there is no set of tools for grout, upholstery or above-floor work of the kind that comes with fuller kits. Large liquid spills are also the wrong job for it, since a steam mop spreads standing water rather than lifting it.
$109.05 for the cleaning, not the kit
TechGearLab ranked it second in its steam mop test group, scoring it high for maneuverability and ease of use and low for features, which is an accurate summary of the machine. Family Handyman reaches a similar conclusion. At $109.05 the money buys strong steam, a genuinely useful scrub brush and controls nobody needs to read about, and skips the accessory box entirely, which is a fair trade for a house with tile, sealed hardwood or laminate.
Strengths
- +Impressively effective at cleaning stubborn stains with powerful steam and scrubbing capability
- +Easy-to-use controls with simple steam output selection and convenient fill tank with 1-inch opening
- +Maneuverable design that stands up on its own and can clean hard-to-reach corners
- +Heats up in only 30 seconds and has a 474ml water tank capacity sufficient for most cleaning jobs
Watch-outs
- −No hands-free mop pad changing mechanism
- −Lacks additional attachments for cleaning other surfaces or items
How it compares
The Deluxe model outperforms the Bissell PowerFresh Slim 1940A in terms of stain removal and tank capacity, but lacks the slim profile that makes the Slim ideal for under-furniture cleaning. Compared to the Platinum 2004A, it offers better pad changing mechanisms and more intuitive controls, though it doesn't include the comprehensive accessory kit that the Platinum provides.
Rating sources
“Its cleaning power and easy setup were just as good as advertised, and we'll go into detail why it gets the Family Handyman seal of approval.”
Our 4.7 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
