Anyone who’s lived with carpets for any length of time knows the struggle. Whether it’s the inevitable spills, the tracked-in dirt from outside, or especially the unpredictable messes from beloved pets, carpets can quickly go from looking fresh and inviting to stained, dingy, and harboring unpleasant odors. I remember constantly battling spots and hoping they wouldn’t set, knowing that once they did, they’d be a permanent, embarrassing fixture. Ignoring these problems only leads to deeper stains and smells that become impossible to get rid of, potentially even damaging the carpet fibers and underlay over time. Having a reliable way to tackle these issues is essential for maintaining a clean and healthy home environment.
What to Look for in a Carpet Cleaning Machine
Before investing in any carpet cleaner, it’s wise to consider what you truly need it for. A carpet cleaning machine is typically sought after by individuals or families dealing with common carpet woes like spills, heavy foot traffic, general dirt buildup, or, most commonly, pet accidents and the associated stains and odors. The ideal user for this product category might be a pet owner, a family with young children, or someone renting a property who wants to keep carpets fresh. If you have mostly hard floors with just a few small area rugs, or if you have very delicate antique rugs that require professional care, a full-sized carpet cleaner might be overkill. In those cases, a spot cleaner or a different type of cleaning solution might be more appropriate. When considering a purchase, think about the size of the areas you need to clean, the type of stains you expect to encounter (especially pet messes), the machine’s weight and maneuverability, the capacity of the clean and dirty water tanks (as this affects how often you stop), the cleaning path width (for efficiency), included tools for stairs and upholstery, and how easy the machine is to clean out after use. The type of brush system is also important, particularly for embedded dirt and pet hair.
Introducing the BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL
The BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL Upright Carpet Cleaner, 3746 is an upright carpet cleaner specifically designed to tackle the challenges of cleaning carpets in homes with pets. Its main promise is to save you time while providing a deep clean, particularly for tough stains and embedded dirt, making your carpets look refreshed and helping eliminate pet odors. When you purchase this model, it comes with the main carpet cleaner unit, a 3” Tough Stain Tool, a Spraying Crevice Tool, a 7ft hose for above-floor cleaning, and starter bottles of BISSELL Pet Stain & Odor + Antibacterial formula and BISSELL PRO MAX Clean & Protect formula. This specific pet carpet cleaner is clearly aimed at pet owners and those needing to deep clean or spot clean carpets and upholstery. It’s perhaps not the most heavy-duty industrial-grade cleaner on the market, but it’s positioned as a powerful, convenient option for home use. It’s lighter and more maneuverable than some older or larger models, making it suitable for cleaning multiple rooms or levels in a home.
Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons:
Pros:
* Lightweight and easy to maneuver.
* Powerful suction helps carpets dry faster.
* Effective at removing embedded dirt and tough stains, especially with the included formulas.
* Includes versatile tools for above-floor cleaning (upholstery, stairs).
* Easy to clean the main brush and front nozzle cover.
* Relatively quiet operation compared to older machines.
Cons:
* Clean and dirty water tanks require frequent refilling/emptying.
* Can struggle to effectively manage pet hair, sometimes clumping it instead of sucking it up cleanly.
* Requires multiple slow passes over an area to ensure thorough water extraction.
* Durability concerns reported by some users regarding internal components like the belt area.
Key Capabilities and User Experience
Covering More Ground with a Wider Path
One of the immediate things you notice about the BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL is its 10-inch cleaning path. Compared to some narrower models, this wider path means you cover more surface area with each pass. In practice, this definitely contributes to finishing a room faster. I found myself taking fewer strips across the floor to get the job done, which is a nice time saver, especially when you have multiple rooms to clean. It makes the process feel more efficient right from the start.
Managing Water Tanks
The product description highlights the 1-gallon clean tank as meaning “fewer refills.” In my experience, and based on what other users report, this isn’t entirely the case in practice. While a gallon sounds like a decent size, depending on how heavily you’re applying solution (by holding down the spray trigger) and the size of the area, you’ll find yourself heading back to the sink fairly often to refill the clean water/solution tank. Even more frequently, you’ll need to empty the dirty water tank. The dirty tank seems to reach its effective fill level and stop suctioning up water well before it’s completely full, often when it’s only about half full or even less, according to some users. This means frequent trips to empty it. While this might sound like a significant drawback, the machine’s overall lightweight nature makes these trips less of a chore than they would be with a heavier, bulkier cleaner. You get used to the routine of refilling the clean tank and emptying the dirty one, and since the machine is easy to detach the tanks, it’s not a difficult process, just a repetitive one.
Deep Cleaning Power for Embedded Grime
The core cleaning action of this machine comes from its 4-Row DeepReach PowerBrush. This brush roll is designed to agitate and lift embedded dirt and stains from deep within the carpet fibers. Paired with the suction and cleaning formula, this brush system is remarkably effective. You can visibly see the dirty water being pulled up into the tank, often shocking you with how much grime was lurking in carpets that looked reasonably clean on the surface. For tough, set-in stains, especially pet accidents, this deep agitation is crucial. It helps break down the mess and allows the suction to pull it out. I’ve had success lifting old spots I thought were permanent, significantly improving the look and smell of high-traffic areas and places where my pets spend a lot of time.
Tackling Above-Floor Areas and Spot Stains
Carpets aren’t the only things that get dirty. Upholstery, stairs, baseboards, and crevices collect dust, spills, and pet hair too. The included 7ft hose with the 3” Tough Stain Tool and Spraying Crevice Tool adds valuable versatility to the BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL. The Tough Stain Tool is excellent for spot cleaning smaller areas on carpets or giving upholstery a thorough clean. You spray the solution onto the fabric or spot, scrub with the tool’s bristles, and then use the suction to pull up the dirty water. The Spraying Crevice Tool is handy for getting into tight spots along baseboards or cleaning carpeted stairs, where the upright unit can’t reach. While the main unit doesn’t work on stairs, the hose and tools allow you to effectively clean them. This capability makes the machine a more comprehensive cleaning tool for your home, not just for flat carpets.
Specialized Formulas for Pet Messes
BISSELL includes two starter formulas with the TurboClean Pet XL: PRO MAX Clean & Protect with StainProtect Technology and Pet Stain and Odor + Antibacterial Formula. Using the right formula is key to getting the best results, especially with pet messes. The Pet Stain and Odor formula is specifically designed to break down and eliminate biological stains and odors, which is critical for tackling accidents and preventing pets from returning to the same spot. The Antibacterial aspect is a great bonus for hygiene. The PRO MAX Clean & Protect formula is good for general deep cleaning and includes a technology intended to help protect carpets against future stains. Using these dedicated carpet cleaner formulas makes a noticeable difference in the cleaning power and odor elimination compared to just using water or generic cleaners. Keep in mind that you will need to purchase refills of these formulas over time, which is an ongoing cost to consider.
Portability and Storage Convenience
Weighing in at just over 23 pounds (or around 17 lbs empty, according to some specs), the BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL is significantly lighter than many older or professional-grade carpet cleaners. This lightweight design makes a big difference when you’re moving it between rooms, carrying it upstairs, or maneuvering it around furniture. It doesn’t feel like a workout to push, even over thicker pile carpets. This ease of handling encourages more frequent use, which helps keep carpets consistently cleaner. Its relatively compact upright design also makes it easier to store in a closet compared to bulkier machines.
Keeping the Machine Clean
An often-overlooked aspect of carpet cleaner ownership is cleaning the machine itself after use. Dirty water tanks, brush rolls, and nozzles can quickly get clogged with hair and grime, affecting performance and potentially causing odors. The TurboClean Pet XL is reasonably easy to clean. The dirty water tank is simple to empty, although dealing with the collected hair in it requires some wiping. The front nozzle cover, which is where the dirty water is suctioned up, easily snaps off, allowing you to rinse away accumulated hair and debris. You can also access the brush roll area by flipping the machine over to wipe it down. However, one challenge, especially for pet owners, is how the machine handles pet hair. While it sucks up dirt and water well, longer pet hairs tend to get tangled around the brush roll and accumulate under the front cover or around the edges of the base. This means you often need to manually remove clumps of hair after cleaning, and sometimes hair gets left in wads on the carpet during the cleaning process, requiring a separate pickup. While the easy-off cover helps, managing pet hair specifically isn’t its strongest point. One user also reported a mechanical issue with the belt area, where hair or strain potentially caused the belt to damage the housing, leading to a breakdown. While this might not be a common issue, it highlights that like any appliance, durability can vary.
Impressive Suction Equals Faster Drying
One of the most praised features by users, and something I’ve certainly appreciated, is the powerful suction of the BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL. After applying the cleaning solution and letting the brushes work, the suction phase is critical for pulling as much moisture back out of the carpet as possible. Effective suction leads to faster drying times, which is essential for preventing mold, mildew, and that musty smell that can occur if carpets stay wet for too long. You can see the dirty water flowing through the clear nozzle as you make passes. To maximize water extraction, it’s best to make several slow, deliberate passes over the same area *without* holding down the spray trigger, just letting the machine suction. While this adds time to the process, the payoff is carpets that dry significantly faster than they might with less powerful machines, often within a few hours depending on humidity and air circulation.
What Users Are Saying
Having scoured through feedback from various users, it’s clear that many share similar positive experiences with the BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL. People consistently rave about how lightweight and easy to maneuver the machine is, making carpet cleaning feel less like a chore. Many were genuinely shocked by the amount of dirt the cleaner extracted from carpets they thought were already clean, often noting that the dirty water was nearly black. The suction power is frequently mentioned as a major plus, contributing to impressively fast drying times. Users also appreciate that it’s easy to assemble and relatively simple to clean the machine after use, particularly the brush area and nozzle. However, the common point of complaint is the tank size, with users agreeing that both the clean and dirty water tanks require very frequent attention – refilling the clean tank and emptying the dirty one often throughout the cleaning process, even for moderately sized rooms. Some pet owners noted that while effective at cleaning stains and odors, the machine can struggle with pet hair, sometimes leaving clumps behind. Despite these minor issues, the overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with users feeling that the carpet cleaner offers great performance and value for home use, especially for tackling pet-related messes.
Final Thoughts on the BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL
Dealing with stained and smelly carpets, particularly with pets around, is a persistent challenge that absolutely needs addressing to maintain a comfortable and hygienic home. Leaving messes untreated can lead to permanent damage and unpleasant odors that permeate your living space. The BISSELL TurboClean Pet XL Upright Carpet Cleaner offers a compelling solution for this problem. Its combination of deep cleaning power from the 4-row brush, effective suction for faster drying, and versatile tools for spot cleaning and upholstery make it a powerful tool for any homeowner or renter with carpets. While you will need to manage the smaller tank capacities with frequent refills and empties, and might need to address pet hair separately, the machine’s lightweight design and overall effectiveness make it a worthwhile investment for keeping your carpets looking and smelling fresh. To check out this carpet cleaner and see more details, Click here to learn more.