Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: possibly the only floor cleaner your home needs

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Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: one-minute review

The Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner is a cordless vacuum and mop in one. It effectively picks up dirt from bare floors as well as certain kinds of rugs. A single charge is probably enough to vacuum and mop an average-sized home, though you might need to refill the cleaner if you have a lot of carpets or rugs. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and not too loud. A headlight really shines a light on dirt so you can be sure to get it all. However, it lacks some features that may be a dealbreaker for some.

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: price and availability

List price: $369.99 (about £280 / AU$540)
Available on BISSELL’s website and Walmart

As of this writing, the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner is available on Bissell’s own website and at Walmart. The price is the same at both places, $369.99 (about £280 / AU$537). It’s fairly expensive for this type of cleaner but might be worthwhile if it fits your needs.

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: specifications

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Price	$369.99
Cleaning modes	Power Vac Mode, Power Mop Mode, Turbo Mode, Scrub Mode
Parts included	Docking station, handle, body, trial cleaner formulas
Self-cleaning?	Yes, you can run a Clean-Out Cycle
Cleaning method	Dirty tank must be disassembled and parts hand washed
Time to charge	Five hours
Run time	45 minutes
Weight	10.6 pounds

BISSELL CrossWave HydroScrub: design and features

Cordless
Wet and dry cleaning modes
Cleans bare floors and rugs

The cordless Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner takes about five hours to charge fully, and then will clean for about 45 minutes on a single charge. Vacuum your floors and rugs with the PowerVac Mode, and then switch to Power Mop Mode for wet cleaning. A headlight comes on automatically as you clean, and makes it easier to find and clean any dirt.

It’s relatively lightweight, weighing in at under 11 pounds. The front of the handle has three buttons: Power, Cleaning Mode button, and a Turbo Mode button for extra suction. The inside of the handle has a Scrub Mode trigger for extra scrubbing in mopping mode. On top of the handle, you’ll find the Clean-Out Cycle button.

A lit display on the front of the body indicates which cleaning mode you’re in and how much power you have left. This display informs you of any issues, such as clogs, an empty clean tank, or a stuck brush roll, among other things.

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Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner charging — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

The size and shape allow you to get close to walls and in corners to clean. There are no hoses or attachments that would allow you to clean sofas or other furniture.

The back of the unit houses the clean water tank. You fill it with warm tap water up to the water fill line, and then add cleaning formula to the formula fill line. This gives you the right concentration of cleaner to water. Empty out the dirty tank as needed; you’ll have to disassemble all of the parts and give them a good clean by hand.

If you wish to run the Clean-Out Cycle, you need to empty the dirty tank first. Add cleaning solution up to the Clean-Out Cycle line on the clean water tank, then put the machine in the docking station and press the Clean-Out Cycle button. It takes just 45 seconds to clean out the machine. Then you’ll need to clean out the dirty tank again.

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: performance

The Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner made quick work of food crumbs on my kitchen floor. I also threw down some salt and that was easily vacuumed up as well. I ran it over some dried-on mess in Power Mop Mode and that was easily cleaned up as well. I did need a few passes in the same spots, especially near walls. One odd thing I noticed was that the wheels got dirty very quickly, and there’s no easy way to clean those.

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Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner vacuuming up crumbs — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I vacuumed and then wet-cleaned three good-sized area rugs plus two carpeted bedroom on a single tank of cleaner and a single charge. I also attempted to clean a thin, flimsy, washable area rug and unsurprisingly that didn’t work at all; it just got sucked up into the CrossWave HydroScrub.

It never gets particularly loud. My dog usually barks at vacuums because she hates the loud noise; she didn’t bark at this one until I’d been using it for a while (and I got into her space.)

The pulling back motion on rugs feels a bit rough sometimes. Forward motion is consistently smooth. It took several passes to vacuum up a single hair on an area rug, but it did get up eventually.

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Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner being used to clean area rug — (Image credit: Karen Freeman Future)

My area rugs had actually been shampooed rather recently, but not the bedroom carpets. I didn’t realize how dirty they were, but wow: the dirty tank was filthy after my cleaning session. I mean, really gross.

After wet cleaning, the rugs were slightly damp but not soaked. They dried pretty quickly after cleaning. I did have some old, set-in stains and those did not come up. It’s worth noting that my rugs and carpets are all very dense; the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner is not designed for plush or fluffy rugs.

I cleaned out the dirty tank after I was done with this cleaning session, and then I added more cleaner and ran the 45-second Clean-Out Cycle. Again, the dirty tank was filthy, so I cleaned it out again and then hand-washed all of the parts.

Should you buy the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub?

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Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub report card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	It’s pretty pricey but worthwhile if it fits your needs	4/5
Design	A handy display on the front keeps you apprised	4.5/5
Performance	It performed well on bare floors and decently on dense rugs	4/5
Overall	Great for your daily cleanups	4/5

How I tested the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub

I tested both wet and dry modes and Scrub Mode
I ran a Clean-Out Cycle
I took apart the dirty tank and washed all of the parts

I vacuumed up crumbs and food from my kitchen floor. I ran a mop cycle on some dried-up mess on the floor. I vacuumed several area rugs. I did a wet-cleaning cycle on three area rugs and two bedrooms. I attempted to clean some set-in stains on carpet. I ran a Clean-Out Cycle when I was done cleaning. I took apart the dirty tank and hand-washed all of the parts.