Keeping your car and home upholstery clean can be a constant battle, especially with kids, pets, or just everyday life happening. Spills, stains, and general grime are inevitable. While a full-sized carpet cleaner might be overkill for smaller messes, a handheld compact steam cleaner designed for upholstery can be a game-changer. In the realm of portable carpet and upholstery cleaners, the Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner 1400B frequently emerges as a top recommendation. Let’s explore why this model is considered by many to be among the best handheld compact steam cleaners for upholstery, examining its strengths and potential drawbacks.
The Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner 1400B, a top choice for portable carpet cleaning.
Why the Bissell Little Green Excels as a Compact Upholstery Cleaner
The Bissell Little Green isn’t just popular; it’s consistently praised for its effective cleaning and user-friendly design. After rigorous testing and real-world use, it’s clear why this machine stands out as a leading compact upholstery cleaner.
Powerful Stain Removal for Upholstery and More
Despite its small size, the Bissell Little Green packs a punch when it comes to stain removal. In tests comparing various portable cleaners, the Little Green consistently outperformed competitors on a range of common household stains. From sticky Nutella and greasy peanut butter to colorful caramel syrup and outdoor dirt, this machine tackled them effectively. It also handled red Gatorade and Fanta soda stains better than other models tested. While tougher stains like blue Gatorade, red wine, and coffee presented a challenge (as they do for most portable cleaners), the Little Green still managed to significantly lighten these blemishes. For those with darker upholstery patterns, the cleaning results are often more than satisfactory, effectively refreshing and revitalizing surfaces. One reviewer from Wirecutter even noted their amazement at the Little Green’s ability to remove years of accumulated grime from car seats, including dried pet messes and food remnants. Users find it especially effective on fresh stains, making it ideal for quick clean-ups.
The brush attachment included with the Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner 1400B.
Easy Cleaning and Maintenance – A Key Feature for Upholstery Cleaners
Nobody wants a cleaning tool that’s a chore to maintain. Bissell understands this, and designed the Little Green with ease of cleaning in mind. The machine includes Bissell’s HydroRinse Self Cleaning Tool, simplifying post-cleaning maintenance. Bissell recommends cleaning the hose and machine after each use to prevent buildup and odors, and the HydroRinse tool makes this process significantly less cumbersome. Simply attach the tool, add water to the clean tank, turn the machine on, and flush the system. This self-cleaning feature ensures the handheld steam cleaner remains hygienic and ready for the next upholstery cleaning task.
Demonstration of using the Self-Cleaning Tool with the Little Green 1400B hose.
Lightweight and Portable Design for Upholstery Spot Cleaning
Portability is paramount for a handheld upholstery cleaner, and the Bissell Little Green delivers. Weighing in at just 9.65 pounds, it’s one of the lightest spot cleaners in its category. This lightweight design makes it easy to carry around the house, to the car, or even up and down stairs when tackling upholstery cleaning tasks in different locations. Its compact size ensures it won’t take up excessive storage space either, a bonus for those with limited storage.
Reliability and Customer Satisfaction – A Testament to its Upholstery Cleaning Capabilities
The Bissell Little Green isn’t just a flash in the pan; it has a proven track record of reliability. Wirecutter staff members have reported owning and using the Little Green for years, praising its durability and consistent performance, especially for pet-related messes. Online reviews echo this sentiment, with the product boasting a 4.5-star rating from over 75,000 reviews on Amazon. This widespread positive feedback underscores its dependability as a handheld compact steam cleaner for upholstery.
Excellent Customer Support for Peace of Mind
Even with reliable products, good customer service is essential. Bissell excels in this area, offering multiple channels for support, including text, email, and chat. When a Wirecutter reviewer experienced an issue with a missing self-cleaning tool, Bissell’s chat support responded within minutes and promptly offered to send a replacement free of charge. This responsive and helpful customer service adds another layer of confidence when choosing the Bissell Little Green.
Minor Considerations for the Bissell Little Green Upholstery Cleaner
While the Bissell Little Green is a top performer, there are a few minor drawbacks to consider. These aren’t deal-breakers for most users, but awareness is key to making an informed decision.
The detached tanks of the Little Green 1400B, showing their rounded bottom design.
Tank Design Quirks
The tanks on the Little Green, while functional, have a somewhat awkward design. They lack handles, and their rounded bottoms make them impossible to set down upright while filling. Additionally, the formula measuring line is located at the bottom of the clean water tank, requiring users to add formula first, then water, which some might find counterintuitive. The tank also lacks measurement lines for smaller cleaning solution doses.
Hose and Maneuverability
Compared to some other models, the Bissell Little Green is slightly bulkier and its hose is less flexible. This can make maneuvering in tight spaces a bit challenging. While it’s still considered lightweight overall, its slightly clunkier design might be noticeable when compared to more streamlined handheld steam cleaners.
Basic Brush Attachment
The Little Green comes with a single, 3-inch brush attachment. While sufficient for many tasks, it requires more manual scrubbing, especially for larger or heavily soiled areas. Users tackling bigger stains or seeking faster cleaning might find the more comprehensive brush set offered with the Bissell Little Green Pet Pro model to be more appealing. Some users have noted that cleaning larger stains requires multiple passes and that the brush is best suited for smaller jobs.
Conclusion: Is the Bissell Little Green the Best Handheld Compact Steam Cleaner for Your Upholstery?
The Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner 1400B stands out as a highly recommended handheld compact steam cleaner for upholstery due to its powerful cleaning capabilities, ease of use, portability, and proven reliability. While it has minor quirks like the tank design and basic brush, its strengths significantly outweigh these drawbacks for most users. If you’re seeking a dependable and effective solution for tackling upholstery stains and spills in your home and car, the Bissell Little Green is an excellent choice and arguably the best handheld compact steam cleaner in its class for upholstery cleaning needs.
