Anyone who’s dealt with sudden spills, mud tracked in, or the dreaded pet mess knows the feeling of panic that washes over you. You just want to make it disappear *now* before it sets in and becomes a permanent, unsightly reminder. Ignoring these accidents isn’t an option; they can leave behind stubborn stains and lingering odors that damage your carpet and make your home feel less than fresh. I often found myself needing a quick solution right when a mess happened.
What to Consider Before Investing in a Portable Spot Cleaner
Life happens on carpets and upholstery – drinks get spilled, mud gets tracked in, and let’s be honest, our beloved pets and little ones have accidents. A portable spot cleaner is designed precisely for these unexpected messes, offering a targeted solution to prevent small problems from becoming big, expensive headaches. They’re essential tools for maintaining the appearance and hygiene of your home’s soft surfaces.
The ideal candidate for a portable deep cleaner is someone who frequently encounters isolated stains or pet messes on carpets, rugs, upholstery, or even in vehicles. Pet owners, families with young children, or those with high-traffic areas where spills are common will find these machines incredibly useful. If you live in a home with only hard floors, or if your cleaning needs are primarily for large, wall-to-wall carpeted areas that require a full-sized carpet cleaner, a portable unit might not be the most efficient choice for your main cleaning tasks, though it could still be handy for furniture.
Before purchasing a spot and stain cleaner, consider the types of messes you typically face (pet accidents, food spills, dirt), the surfaces you need to clean (carpet, upholstery, stairs, car interiors), the size of the messes (large areas vs. small spots), whether you prefer a hands-on or hands-free approach, and how easy the machine is to clean and maintain itself. Also, think about the cleaning solutions required and their cost.
Introducing the Bissell SpotBot Pet: A Closer Look
The Bissell SpotBot Pet handsfree Spot and Stain Portable Deep Cleaner, Blue, 2117A is a compact, portable machine specifically engineered to tackle those sudden, often frustrating spots and stains that pop up in homes with pets or active families. Its main promise is to make targeted spot cleaning easier and more effective, particularly with its unique hands-free technology. When you buy the Bissell SpotBot Pet, you typically get the main unit, a hose with a 3-inch Tough Stain Tool, a 3-in-1 Stair Tool (though the product description only explicitly lists the 3″ tool and HydroRinse), trial sizes of 2X Pet Stain & Odor formula and OXY Boost Pet formula, and a HydroRinse Self-Cleaning Tool for the hose.
This particular pet deep cleaner is absolutely designed for the pet parent who’s tired of getting on their hands and knees to scrub unexpected messes. It’s also great for anyone dealing with frequent, small to medium-sized spills. It’s not the machine for cleaning entire rooms of carpet – for that, you’d need a full-sized carpet cleaner. Its strength lies in tackling isolated incidents quickly and efficiently. Compared to basic portable spot cleaners, the SpotBot Pet 2117A stands out with its automated, hands-free spot cleaning capability.
Here’s a quick rundown of its advantages and a couple of potential drawbacks:
Pros:
* Hands-Free Convenience: Its primary selling point; you place it on the stain, select a cycle, and walk away.
* Effective Deep Cleaning: Deep Reach Technology and spiral brushes work down into the carpet fibers.
* Targeted Power: Specifically designed and formulated to handle tough pet stains and odors.
* Versatile Manual Use: Includes a hose and tool for cleaning stairs, upholstery, and car interiors.
* Easy Maintenance: The HydroRinse tool makes cleaning the hose simple.
Cons:
* Can Be Loud: Like many vacuum-based cleaners, the suction motor produces noticeable noise.
* Potential for Manual Finish: Some users might find they still want to use the hose tool for extra suction or spot-treating on particularly tough or large areas after the automatic cycle.
* Requires Specific Solutions: Bissell recommends using only their formulas, and improper solutions could potentially damage the machine (as noted by one user).
* Possible Quality Concern: While most reviews are positive, at least one user reported significant leaking, suggesting potential unit defects in some cases.
Diving Deep: Features That Make a Difference
Having used the Bissell SpotBot Pet extensively over time, I can genuinely attest to how much of a difference its specific features make in handling the inevitable messes that come with pets and life. It’s not just another portable cleaner; it’s the automation that sets it apart.
The Game-Changing Hands-Free Mode
This is, without a doubt, the star of the show for the Bissell SpotBot Pet. The ability to place the machine directly over a spot and select an automatic cleaning cycle (either “quick clean” for fresh messes or “deep clean” for set-in stains) is revolutionary for anyone who regularly deals with unexpected accidents. You literally set it down, press a button, and walk away. During the cycle, the machine sprays a precisely measured mixture of water and cleaning solution, its unique spiral brushes spin vigorously over 400 times to work the solution deep into the carpet fibers and agitate the stain, and then powerful suction pulls the dirty liquid back up into the separate tank.
The benefit here is immense: convenience and consistency. You’re not stuck scrubbing on your hands and knees for minutes on end, risking back pain or inconsistent results. The machine applies the right amount of pressure and scrubbing action for the duration of the cycle, ensuring the stain is thoroughly worked. For pet messes, this hands-free approach is particularly appealing, minimizing direct contact with unpleasant spots while still ensuring a deep clean. It gives you back time and saves you effort, allowing you to attend to other things while the machine does the dirty work.
Deep Reach Technology and Spiral Brushing
The effectiveness of the hands-free mode relies heavily on the “Deep Reach Technology” combined with the spiral brushing. It’s not enough to just clean the surface fibers; stains, especially pet accidents, can soak deep into the carpet backing and padding, causing lingering odors and reappearances. This technology is designed to push the cleaning solution and suction power *down* into the carpet structure.
The unique spiral brushing action is key to breaking down the stain effectively. Unlike simple back-and-forth scrubbing, the rotating motion combined with the deep reach ensures that the cleaning solution gets around and through the fibers, loosening trapped dirt and odor molecules. This feature provides a more thorough clean from the bottom up, which is crucial for truly eliminating stains and preventing them from wicking back up to the surface as the carpet dries. It’s this powerful combination that helps the Bissell SpotBot Pet tackle even old or tough spots that simple blotting might miss.
Versatile Tools for All Messes
While the hands-free spot cleaning is the main draw, the SpotBot Pet isn’t limited to just floor spots. It comes equipped with a flexible hose and specialized tools – the 3-inch Tough Stain Tool and the 3-in-1 Stair Tool. These attachments transform the unit into a standard manual portable spot cleaner.
The benefit of having these tools is versatility. You can easily switch from automatic mode to manually cleaning upholstery, stairs, car interiors, or awkwardly shaped stains that the hands-free circle might not cover entirely. The 3-inch tool is excellent for focused scrubbing and suction on cushions or smaller spots, while the stair tool (if included in your package, though the description mainly highlights the 3″ tool) makes cleaning stair treads much more manageable than with a full-sized machine. This dual functionality ensures that the Bissell SpotBot Pet can handle almost any spot or stain on soft surfaces around your home or even in your car.
Included Formulas and Support
The fact that the SpotBot Pet includes trial sizes of specialized cleaning formulas – 2X Pet Stain & Odor formula and OXY Boost Pet – is a practical plus. Bissell formulates these solutions to work optimally with their machines, specifically targeting the enzymes and proteins found in pet messes that cause stains and odors. The OXY boost adds extra power to break down tough, colorful stains.
Using the recommended formulas ensures you get the best performance from the machine and helps protect its internal components. While some users might experiment with other solutions, Bissell’s own formulas are a safe bet for effectiveness and machine longevity. Furthermore, Bissell’s commitment to supporting the BISSELL Pet Foundation with every purchase adds a feel-good factor to owning the SpotBot Pet, knowing your purchase helps save homeless pets.
Maintaining Your Machine: The HydroRinse Tool
A common chore with any carpet or upholstery cleaner is cleaning the machine itself, especially the hose where dirty water gets suctioned through. The Bissell SpotBot Pet 2117A addresses this with the included HydroRinse Self-Cleaning Tool. After you’re done cleaning a spot using the hose attachment, you connect the HydroRinse tool to the hose and place the tool end on a water source (like a faucet). Running the machine then flushes clean water through the hose, rinsing out residual dirt and solution.
This might seem like a small feature, but it’s incredibly beneficial. It helps prevent clogs and buildup in the hose, keeps it smelling fresh, and ensures the machine is ready for the next use without harboring old mess residue. Proper maintenance is key to the longevity and performance of any cleaning appliance, and the HydroRinse tool makes cleaning the hose remarkably easy, adding to the overall user-friendliness of the Bissell SpotBot Pet.
What Real Users Are Saying
I’ve certainly had a positive experience with my Bissell SpotBot Pet, but it’s always helpful to see what others are experiencing. I scoured through numerous reviews from people who have used this specific portable deep cleaner, and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Many users rave about its effectiveness on pet accidents, saying it effortlessly removes urine, feces, and vomit stains that manual scrubbing couldn’t handle. The hands-free function is frequently highlighted as a game-changer, praised for saving time and effort. People appreciate how simple it is to use, even mentioning that older children can operate it for quick cleanups. Several reviewers noted its success on older, set-in stains they thought were permanent, avoiding the need to replace carpet. However, a small number of users did report issues, with one experiencing significant leaking that seemed to worsen their carpet stain. It’s clear that for most, this little machine is a powerful ally against unexpected messes, though like any product, there can be rare instances of functional problems.
Final Thoughts: Is the SpotBot Pet Right for You?
Dealing with spots and stains on your carpets and upholstery is more than just an aesthetic issue; lingering messes can lead to odors, damage fibers, and create an unhygienic environment. Left untreated, a simple spill or accident can necessitate expensive professional cleaning or even replacing your flooring. The need for a quick, effective way to tackle these isolated problems as they happen is undeniable.
The Bissell SpotBot Pet handsfree Spot and Stain Portable Deep Cleaner, Blue, 2117A is a standout solution for this common challenge. Its hands-free automatic cleaning is a significant time and labor saver, allowing you to effectively treat stains without constant supervision. The Deep Reach Technology and powerful scrubbing action mean it doesn’t just clean the surface; it tackles messes from the bottom up, crucial for pet accidents and deep-set stains. Plus, the added versatility of the manual hose and tools ensures you can clean upholstery, stairs, and other tricky areas. If you have pets, kids, or just a propensity for spills, this portable deep cleaner is definitely worth considering to keep your home looking and smelling its best. To learn more and see if it’s the right fit for your needs, Click here to check it out.