BISSELL® Big Green® PET PRO Carpet Cleaner, 3288

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I have posted two pictures of the very first short pass on our homes carpet using this new machine. This is at the top of the stairway in the upstairs hallway. She placed the machine and then pulled the handle releasing the cleaning solution and water and pulled the machine backwards ONE TIME. She did not go back over the spot. Look at the results. Strange thing is, you dont really notice how dirty the carpet is until you use a GREAT MACHINE like this one.........These carpets were cleaned with the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 just two months ago. My wife vacuums our entire house EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. In fact, she has a machine on each floor to avoid having to carry the vacuum up and down three floors. We have Simplicity Pro Upright Vacuums (an $800 plus per machine vacuum) and a Shark Upright, and they are very good vacuum cleaners. We have 3 large canine kids all who reside in the house, where they belong. Of course, most of the carpeting in our home is an off white berber style carpet. We have tried everything over the years from professional carpet cleanings to various rental carpet cleaners and we have owned a number of machines ourselves. Recently, our neighbors allowed us to borrow their new Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 to clean our carpets. It worked well and I decided it was time to buy our own machine (again). The Rug Doctor we borrowed from the neighbors worked better than the upright Hoover Pet Machine and another similar upright vacuum cleaner looking carpet cleaners we have owned. Usually, the biggest flaw in these upright machines which are styled like vacuum cleaners are that they dont extract the water and cleaning solution well (weak suction) which leaves the carpets wet. Also, they have small water holding tanks for both clean water and extracted water. Small tanks mean a lot of filling and emptying of those small tanks. Every minute spent filling or emptying dirty water tanks is a minute NOT spent cleaning the carpets. You can spend more time emptying and filling those small tanks than you actually spend cleaning the carpets. Its critical that you dont overuse ANY of the carpet cleaning solutions when cleaning the carpet. Its a common mistake people make when cleaning their own carpets. Some people equate more soap with cleaner carpets and in reality, just the opposite is actually true. When you use too much soap, the machines dont rinse the carpet well and it doesnt extract the solution OR the water from the carpet. The carpets will actually get dirty faster when they have excess dried cleaning solutions on them. Also, carpets which remain wet longer because the water and solution are not extracted properly will mean more dirt will stick to the carpets and running a vacuum cleaner over damp carpet gums up the vacuum cleaner and reduces the vacuum cleaners dirt lifting ability, not just when the carpets are wet, but afterwards as well. Typical residential Vacuum cleaners (not the Shop vacuum types of machines) are NOT designed to extract moisture from any surface. Getting your vacuum cleaner wet underneath from using it on damp carpets will cause the brushes to gum and the belts to slip and eventually it will wreck the machine. Wet / damp carpets are not only a nuisance, they are destructive to vacuum cleaners. Just ask any vacuum cleaner repair person and they will confirm just how destructive it is to use any residential vacuum cleaner on damp carpets. Ideally, when you begin the project of cleaning your carpets, you want to spend as much of your time actually cleaning the carpets and not shuffling clean and dirty water back and forth. This is where the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning machine really separates itself from the competition. Not only are the clean and dirty water tanks larger than virtually every other machine we have either owned, borrowed or rented, the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine also has a much better cleaning bar to scrub the carpets. But one of the greatest distinctions between our new Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine and the Rug Doctor which we had borrowed from our generous neighbors, is the Bissell is far superior at lifting the water and cleaning solution out of the carpet when you are extracting the water and solution. I would say it is at least TWICE as good as the Rug Doctor machine at actually extracting water and cleaning solution from your newly cleaned carpets. Having owned about half a dozen different machines over the years, I wasnt too excited about spending $400 plus shipping on another carpet cleaner. I have cleaned and repaired our previous machines numerous times and its really disappointing how many of the machines are really made. The Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine has a 5 year Residential Warranty on the machine, which is excellent. The machine is well made and another SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE between this machine and the Rug Doctor Blue machine is the actual handle height when you use the machine. My wife and I are both taller than average, she is 510 and I am 64. I personally found the handle on the Rug Doctor machine at a terrible height for me to use. The Rug Doctor machine handle requires me (and my wife) to stoop over to operate the machine, which becomes a problem very quickly. Not the case with the Bissell Big Green Machine. Near as I can tell, the handle operating position on the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine is about 5 taller than the Rug Doctor machine. This makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE when using the machine. Big advantage to the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine. The water and solution extraction of the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine has to be at least DOUBLE that of the Rug Doctor Machine we had borrowed from our neighbors and theirs is a new machine with very little use. How can you tell how much water the machine is extracting? Simple, if you put two gallons of clean water in and when you extract it, you only get 3 quarts of dirty water, the rest of the water is remaining in the carpet, along with some which will evaporate during the process. The point is to get out as much of the water and cleaning solution that you have put into the carpets. The Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine clearly is superior to the rug Doctor in extracting cleaning water and solution out of the carpets. By far, the best machine we have ever used to clean carpets. The carpets were even dryer than when we have paid someone $800 or more to clean our carpets. When my wife cleaned the carpets with the Rug Doctor machine, we actually used those floor drying blower machines for 2 or 3 days after the carpet cleaning to help dry the carpet.Truth is, we are so used to having damp carpet after cleaning that we own two of those clam shell styled floor dryers which the carpet cleaning pros use. With the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine, there is no need for the floor drying blowers as the carpet was dry to both the touch, but more importantly, it passed the SOCK TEST after 24 hours. Walk on the carpets in your socks and see if they get wet. After a day, our carpets passed the Sock Test where it took nearly three full days with the rug Doctor machine. The two machines are similar in appearance and in style. But that is where the similarities end. The rug Doctor is a good machine. The Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine is a GREAT MACHINE, especially for the price. I asked my wife to honestly give me any negative about the Bissell machine she could think of after having spent two days cleaning several rooms of carpet and hallways and staircases. We discussed the two machines and their use. In the end, the ONLY negative comment about the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine is that we didnt purchase it sooner. Hands down, The Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine is the best carpet cleaning machine we have ever used, owned, rented or paid others to clean our carpets. Having a direct comparison to the comparable Rug Doctor machine was very handy. I would give the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 a 7 out of 10, where as I would give the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine a 9.9 out of 10. Why a 9.9 and not a perfect score? I don;t want the Bissell engineers to stop their pursuit of perfection in residential carpet cleaning machines, but with this machine, they are much closer to perfect than any other machine we have ever used.

Got this to replace my parents Hoover which has been sorely abused and used due to the pet messes and insane amounts of carpet cleaning I have had to do. I will highlight on some of the good points and some of the bad. Pros: Excellent brush and suction control, had I used the Hoover over this, my carpet would STILL be wet 20 minutes later. At the same mark, using this machine the carpet was just Damp with a hint that it was just cleaned and completely dry within the hour.*Drying conditions vary upon environment, material, temp and humidity levels of the area being cleaned. The suction hose Locks in tight and has a rubber gasket to ensure maximum suction, the design is also loaded directly into the soiled water holding tank from the top unlike the Hoover which spills all of its nastiness back onto the floor that was previously in the hose. Its advised that you walk the water back into the tank (Hold the head of the hose up high in the air to make a straight line as possible with the hose into the holding tank to reduce residue when you detach the hose (make sure unit is running during this time). The soiled water compartment is extremely easy to detach, dump and clean. Unlike the Hoover which has a filter inside of the soiled water compartment, this one has a wide mesh filter so only the heaviest of particles get caught in it (works wonders on soiled carpet thats covered in dog hair, no more stopping and having to clean the filter) Easy foldup and store for later design, the machine is actually LIGHTER than my Hoover. It does tend to be a little bit more heavier when fully loaded with solution. Machine does not have a separate vat for solution, it requires the solution to be mixed with HOT water (Faucet Hot, not steaming hot). However if your just doing a general spill pickup, loaded regular water and you should be fine. Cons: A bit harder to turn than my Hoover but not much more. Tends to get caught up a little bit more on carpet seems (from tile to carpet) and such but then again, this is also the design of the machine to ensure maximum contact with the carpet. This thing really did an excellent job cleaning dog diarrhea out of my carpet that was standing for some time (Looked like a giant cookie by the time I got home from work and found it) This is the best machine between Commercial and Home Use, a mixture of both at a decent price. DOES NOT HAVE A HEATER! Then again, you shouldnt be using a steamer on Carpet to begin with, especially with wood floors underneath. Best way to clean a stain from a carpet. 1. Clean ASAP 2. Put a pre solution down, I generally like to dilute Dawn Dish Soap in hot water and use it on the stain, let it set for about five minutes. 3. Power up the BG and go over it with solution mixed in hot water, pass over the area a few times or until stain is removed. Allow to dry and vacuum after to restore the fluff of the carpet. Never, ever ever use steam on a carpet stain. This permanently sets the discoloration of the stain into the carpet and ruins it. Steaming carpets also destroys the hardwood underneath the floor so if you enjoy floor rot, I would highly recommend using a cold water machine like the BG. This did an excellent job bringing the water back up over my Hoover. (As long as you can get as much water up as possible your hardwood should be OK) Do not use on hardwood or laminate wood composite floors.

I should start this review by saying that my carpet is original to my house, which is 26 years old. I have had the carpets professionally cleaned and I have done them myself many times. I have owned several carpet cleaners in the past and really hesitated spending this much money for another. I have to say it is worth every penny! Seriously, it got out things I thought would never come out. My son had spilled Dr. Pepper behind a metal file cabinet in his bedroom, and of course didnt bother to mention it to me. It had set in for about six month by the time I found it, and the file cabinet had rusted on the soda. Not cool! So while I held out little hope, I pre-treated the stain with the cleaner that came with the machine (mixed with water) in a spray bottle. I let it sit around 10 minutes while I did other parts of the carpet. When I went over that area, almost all the stain came up, including the rust. I did go back and use the pre-treat again several times and each time more of the stain came up. There is a very faint rust stain that did not come out but you really have to be looking for it to see it. I found this machine to actually be more quiet than others I have used, which is not to say it isnt loud, because it is. But compared to other machines, even my husband commented that it was not as loud as the last one we owned. It cleans way, way better than other models I have tried and I didnt spend half my time running to the sink to empty and refill the tanks. I was blown away by the amount of water/solution that was sucked out of the carpet. Most other machines, even the professionals, leave the carpet so wet. Last time I had my Berber carpets cleaned it took 4 days to dry! With this machine it was mostly dried in 3 hours. I did have one spot that took till the next morning, but it was the area I went over several times. It was easy to operate and cleans on both forward and backward stroke. I also used this on my sofa, chairs, and an area rug with similar results. The hose is long enough to clean up the stairs, and the electric cord is long enough to not have to move it, at least in my house, very often. The Cons- It is heavy, which I guess is why it works so well but if you have stairs, you will probably have to carry it up in pieces like I did (machine, tanks separately). It did drip a little when I was carrying it to be emptied, which I hate, but every other machine I have owned has done the same...........Grrrrrrr! I dont like the water flow indicator. This little disk spins on the tank to show you the water flow. If you arent paying attention (I get into the zone when I clean and did this several times), you will be moving the machine around but no water/solution is being released. The way the tanks fit together make it a little difficult to tell when they are locked together. I was releasing solution into the carpet and nothing was coming back up. Had to turn the machine off, take the tank off and put it back on and fiddle with it to Lock it down. All of that said, I will and already have recommended this machine very very highly. Its really all about the clean!! The cons I listed are all small things that are more bothersome than real problems. I am please with my purchase and love that my carpet looks almost new again. Good for another 26 years??

I have previously owned a Bissell but it wasnt a deep cleaner. After reading the reviews and Amazon running this on a lightning deal, I purchased it. After vacuuming all the carpets, I started this machine up. I have used a Rug Doctor and thought that it did a fair job. This machine BLOWS a Rug Doctor out of the water. It came already assembled, all I had to do was remove all of the packing material and lift the handle. My first impression: 1. While heavy, it maneuvers very easily. Much easier than the Rug Doctor. I attribute this to the fact that the handle pivots forward and back like a vacuum cleaner does rather than being stationary. 2. I liked that you didnt have to fill a bucket or other tank to fill the clean reservoir. The clean tank comes out of the machine to be filled. 3. This thing SUCKS! I mean that in a good way. When using the RD (rug doctor) the carpet always stayed wet for hours. With this machine, even with spraying in a forward motion and then again when pulling backwards (so 2 applications of solution with only one removal), on a second pass to remove the water, there was very little left in the carpet. 4. I LOVE that I can see the water that has been pulled out of the carpet. It lets me know just how much water is being put down and how much is being pulled back out. 5. The machine does tell you when you are out of solution and its easy to see the level by looking at the tank. Its similar to knowing how much milk is left in the carton thru a frosted surface. 6. Dumping the waste water is fairly easy. The only downside is that once you remove the top portion (where you see the water being sucked into the waste tank) there is nothing really to hold onto when dumping the tank since the handle is on the top part. 7. Even after thoroughly vacuuming the carpet, this machine found hair that my commercial vacuum did not get out of the carpet. 8. We do have a cat and dog. The dog is very stubborn and if anything hits the floor, she either will try to eat it or cover it up by peeing on it. There was a single spot that after treating with an enzyme solution and cleaning with the RD, there was still an odor. After a single pass with this machine, the odor was gone and there was no longer a strange feeling to that part of the carpet. 9. When using the RD, I felt that I had to go over the carpet several times, keeping in mind that all of our carpet is under 3 years old. With this machine, I could tell with my bare feet that there was a definite difference to how the carpet felt after just one pass. 10. The carpet was dry within 3 hours even in the areas that I had made a forward and backwards pass. Our carpet has a pretty deep pile as well. About 3/4 of an inch in length to give you an idea of what type it was used on. 11. The only problem that I had was operator error. When I filled the tank the second time, I did not get them lined up exactly right and it would put water down but nothing was being pulled back up. I unhooked the latch, reseated the top tank and viola! Back in business. So far I have not found any downsides to this machine but I will check back in after the next time I use it.

Ive tried a variety of carpet cleaning machines. I dread carpet/rug cleaning!!!! I finally decided I needed to invest in something that worked WELL so got this machine. Wow it works!!! Even on a shag rug. The key I think is to pretreat any very dirty areas with the solution (dilute in a spray bottle or even in a hand held compression spray container...the kind you mix fertilize/weed killer in). If the solution can sit on the carpet/rug even for 10min it makes a big difference in how clean the carpet/rug will get. Then use the cleaning machine. It takes a few passes but it gets it clean. Take a bit of time going over the area several times if you want it almost dry. I cleaned a shag rug a few hours before I had company and it was clean and dry in a very short period of time. I went over the rug very well with just suction and it was almost completely dry. To get the last bit of perfect cleaning... Do a final clean with just hot water in the machine. Leaves the carpet/rug soft with no cleaning residue left in the carpet/rug.

Don’t regret spending the extra money for such a nice carpet cleaner works great for pets

I purchased my Big Green during the 2016 Black Friday Sale for less than two-ninety. With three dogs and household members who never wipe their feet, I have struggled to keep cream colored Berber carpets and old 70s brown high-low shag clean. I have owned a Hoover branded cleaner and another Bissell which both worked OK, but there always seemed to be oversaturation of the carpet and minimal extraction. Thus the purchase of this model in hopes of faster drying times with positive, clean results. These are my impressions after unpacking and using this cleaner the first time. ☆ The Big Green was well packaged in a heavyweight cardboard box. Cleaner, cleaning hose + attachment for upholstery and User Guide were included with the option to register by mail (included card) or online or by phone. ☆ I found bits of cardboard everywhere, and a small bottle of Bissell Pro Cleaning Solution in the dirty water tank. Check the cleaner carefully all over before using (in the rollers, in the tanks...) to make sure you get all the packing materials out. ☆ The User Guide is clearly written and includes a photo which labels all the cleaners parts. ☆ The Big Green is big and boxy, but stores away much easier than those without foldable handles. ☆ The Big Green is heavy, and my shoulders and arms were tired after using it. There is no machine assistance to propel it forward and backwards. ☆ The trigger which dispenses solution is well placed under the handle where your right index finger would be. There is some resistance, and the flow indicator on the top of the machine makes it easy to monitor. ☆ This was much easier to maneuver on Berber carpet than on shag high-low. ☆ It was easy to tell how much solution was in each of the tanks by glancing at the side of the tanks, although knowing when you are out of cleaning solution is tough at times if you dont look there. ☆ Dumping out the dirty water is easy and I did it frequently to avoid the machine being heavier than it had to be when working with it. ☆ Taking a room in 6-8 lengths would be ideal. ☆ On a flat surface (like Berber carpet) it was easy to feel the suction and know that water was being extracted from the carpet. A little tougher on uneven surfaces. ☆ The power of this cleaning machine is noticeably better than the sub-two hundred dollar machines Ive used before. Im glad I bought it, as its certainly as good as any rental pro machines Ive used in the past. ☆ Pre-treating spots on your carpet prior to using this machine will make all the difference where pet or other stains are concerned. You may still have to go over those areas a few times, but this machine has the power to pull them out. ☆ There was never too much water and solution sprayed onto my carpets using this machine, and it extracts the solution very well. Overall, Im pleased with this purchase and would recommend it to others for home or office. It should be noted that in the case of lighter colored carpets that have not been cleaned for a long time or have existing high traffic or pet stains, a second cleaning may be needed to achieve the desired effect. I found streaks after the carpets dried and in places like the entry and where the dogs had had accidents, I did need to reapply pre-treatment and shampoo again. When used with Bissells Pro Deep Cleaning solution, the Big Green does what it promises and is easy enough to use frequently if desired. It stores easily into a standard closet (with the handle conveniently folding down) and the directions for use are clear. If you arent looking for a magical fix to carpets that need replacing, you should be pleased with the results you get from this product. ------------------ -------------------------- NOTE: instead of using the Bissell pre-treat, you may want to consider this product that works wonders!

The unit works great.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. The carpets had seen better days of cleanliness. The old Hoover had died under warranty but they no longer make that model. So we had the purchase price in hand but no carpet cleaner. What to do? What to do? WHAT TO DO? Research and buy a different cleaner was the only recourse short of paying a service or renting - both so gauche and demeaning. As a self-made DIY amateur, the best bang for the buck based on good old Google searching and the fantastic fanatic reviews on amazing Amazon, led me to the BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner. The first drawback I experienced was sticker shock; I had never spent this much on a carpet cleaner before. The old favorite dead one was easily $100 less but alas it was no longer available to me - unrequited. Sticker shock be damned, on with the purchase after weeks of deliberation and ever-so-gentle prodding from my lovely wife. The order was placed. The dice was cast. Would it measure up to expectations? Would the detracting reviews be more correct? The mystery was afoot; only delivery and a test run would provide the answers. The BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner arrived. I could barely contain my excitement to unpack and test the beast. Unpacking and assembling for use was very simple. To my chagrin, in my zeal to start the test run, I failed to remove the two pieces of cardboard and the bottle of cleaning fluid stored in the recovery tank. The oversight became obvious on the run to the commode to empty the test collection. A bonehead move to be sure. How could I have completed a test run without using the provided fluid, you ask. Simple, I had other cleaning fluid on hand because I wasnt certain any came with the BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner. Despite the potential of being asked to surrender my MAN card, I admit I DO read instructions and manuals - just not all at once - and definitely not all (obviously) prior to operation. Sure enough, it was in there. So, here is the first bonus and positive point about the BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner - it comes with a small bottle of concentrated cleaning fluid - most likely enough for a once-over of several rooms. Other operational observations: The BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner delivers as described in most of the positive reviews. It does a good job cleaning the carpet. Dirty carpets will require more passes with it - the dirtier the more passes required - or perhaps more patience than I have in laying down a pre-treatment or applying the solution and waiting a bit before collecting. My carpets dried in good time; I didnt notice any excessive wet or damp spots. I measured the capacity of the dispensing and collection tanks on the BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner before use - perhaps a bit overly scientific or some might say anal. Then during use I observed that the collection level was just a little lower than what was dispensed. I am very happy with this. Multiple passes helped pick up water but only to a point. There is a small view port on top where you can observe the fluid collection; when it stops spotting youve picked up about as much as you can. On the negative side, it is a little loud. Im no audiologist but I dont think hearing protection is required. Your significant other will be able to sneak up on you while it is in operation. If you have a weak bladder or queasy bowels, appropriate adult protective garments may be in order. You can yodel, belt out opera, rock, or your favorite nursery rhymes whilst operating and probably not notice how bad or good you really are - but keep in mind that it isnt so loud as to drown out your voice so that others wont notice - they will - and they may comment. If you have thin skin keep this in mind. One must pay attention when seating the dispensing and collection tanks. Only once did I fail to do this. I almost immediately noticed the little observation port wasnt showing any incoming fluid. I stopped and checked - re-seated the tanks and went right back to work. The BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner is a tad cumbersome to move around but during operation I had no difficulties. During my initial marathon test run cleaning, my my back was negatively influenced - it started to ache. I attribute this to my extended test run time and my propensity to not take breaks. It is also cumbersome to carry up/down stairs for storage. I am an average male. Capet cleaning is my household duty; my wife has not had the opportunity to play with my toy yet. Overall, I LIKE it. Alas, I cannot love the BISSELL Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Professional Grade Carpet Cleaner as my carpet cleaning heart love will always be with the no-longer-offered Hoover it replaced.

This machine saved my carpet. It cleans far better and dries far quicker than the Rug Doctor which I tried first. We have a condo rental unit and a fully carpeted home, so for us, a good machine is worth having. We havent shampooed our carpets in several years, so they were in bad shape. Bad enough that we were planning to soon replace our great room carpet. A few weeks ago I narrowed the search down to a Rug Doctor and the Bissell Big Green. An app on my phone pointed me to Kohls for the Big Green, but all they had was the Rug Doctor, on a pretty good sale. So I thought, why not, Ill give it a try. Took it home, cleaned the great room rug pulling disgusting water up and it looked pretty good. But the carpet was very wet and took all weekend to dry. The manual said it should pick up 70-80% of the soapy water, but no way it was more than 50%. I utilized the bucket used to fill the machine to measure the dirty water coming out. By the time, it dried, the stains had wicked through from below leaving it dingy again. The matted high traffic parts were still matted. Disappointed, I returned it, and turned to Amazon for Big Green. A few short DAYS later, it shows up and I got to work. AMAZING RESULTS! The carpet is noticeably brighter (a white carpet), the matted parts are re-fluffed, and to top it off, was dry before I finished the two couches and lower half of the stairs. The water was far dirtier, darker, and sandier than what the Rug Doctor pulled up, and it had first crack. I waited several days to write a review to see if stains would re-appear. NOPE! Moving on, the couch tool didnt look like much, so I wasnt expecting a lot, but with the Bissell soap, the couch went from an oily and matted down microfiber suede, to normal dry looking fabric with the texture restored. (It is still a 10 year old couch, so some of the texture is missing from when new, but it breathed new life into these old couches. The main machine doesnt get extremely close to the wall, and we had some black lines along the baseboard from walls that breathe letting the carpet act like a filter along the baseboards turning it black. Well, using their soap, the upholstery attachment and a separate scrub brush, the carpet is white along the baseboards too. The strong suction of big green pulled the soap out nicely leaving the baseboard sections to dry quickly as well (though not dry as fast as the rest of the carpet.) In the end, we are not going to replace the carpet for a while now, and I thought it was overdue to replace. This machine, despite the steep price, already paid for itself saving this carpet. This machine is built tough. Thick plastic parts, large clips, strong motors. Having 2 removable tanks is easier than toting an open bucket to the machine like the Doctor. This is easier, fill at the sink, dump at the toilet. Folds up nicely to store, get a tote bag for the hose, and it will store nicely too. The warm air exhaust has a diffuser to hit the carpet evenly to aid drying, not just an open hose like on the Doctor. I see the upholstery attachment as something that could break with any misuse, so I would be careful with it, but this might be an excuse to pick up the brush attachment that reviews poorly with the smaller Bissells but very well when used with Big Green. Where it attaches could particularly be a weak point, pointing to the soap hose connection. On the plus side, if youve had any other smaller Bissells, those attachments might fit this too. The drawback is it didnt get the toughened design treatment the rest of this beast got. I picked up an extra belt seeing that as a wear item, like on any other vacuum. Plan on finding a medium bristle scrub brush to help along the baseboards where the machine cant reach. (If they designed it to reach there too, there would likely be a few compromises from where this thing shines and not worth the trade off) Ive heard Bissell is weak on Customer Service, so if it breaks under warranty, Ill probably just find parts on Ebay which seem readily available there. It seems built such that I doubt Ill need that help. This is a great machine! Hope this helps. Update, after 7 years it’s still running strong. I typically do a rinse after shampooing the carpet and then run the water until it stops spraying when finished. So far, no problems. Maybe the rinsing and draining is preventing some of the flow meter and other issues I see in other reviews?