Bissell CrossWave 3-in-1 Review: Wet & Dry Cleaning Made Easy
The Bissell CrossWave is a highly versatile 3-in-1 wet and dry vacuum cleaner, ideal for homeowners looking to simplify their cleaning routine. This appliance combines the functions of a vacuum, mop, and floor washer, making it an excellent choice for cleaning a variety of surfaces like vinyl, tiles, laminate, and even carpets. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the features, performance, and overall value of the Bissell CrossWave.

Key Features and Technology:
Wet & Dry Cleaning: The Bissell CrossWave is designed to clean both wet and dry dirt, making it perfect for tackling spills, mud, dust, and even coarse dirt with liquid components. It has a two-tank system, ensuring that clean water is used for mopping while dirty water is separated.
Surface Versatility: Unlike many other wet & dry vacuums, the CrossWave works on both hard floors and carpets. While it excels at cleaning hard floors like tiles, laminate, and vinyl, it can also handle light to medium carpet stains.
Non-Cordless Option: The standard version of the CrossWave comes with a cord, offering a 7.5-meter reach. However, there’s a cordless version available, which is powered by a battery, making it more convenient for quick, untethered cleanups.
Self-Cleaning Feature: One standout feature is the self-cleaning function for the brush roll. This helps maintain the cleanliness of the appliance with minimal effort, although it does require a little manual intervention for deep cleaning.
Compact Design & Easy Maneuverability: The Bissell CrossWave has a relatively compact design, allowing it to fit under furniture and clean around edges. However, its 5.4 kg weight can become a bit heavy over time, and its 77-decibel noise level is slightly higher than some other models.
Convenient Accessories: The Bissell comes with a cleaning brush roll, a multi-surface cleaning solution, and a parking and cleaning tray for easy storage and maintenance.
Cleaning Performance:
Easy Dirt: The CrossWave excels at cleaning light dirt, including instant cappuccino powder, sprinkles, and juice spills. These are picked up effortlessly with a single pass in both directions.
Viscous Liquids: It also handles sticky substances like yogurt, ketchup, and apple sauce well, needing only a couple of sweeps to get the surface clean.
Wet Coarse Dirt: The CrossWave can handle wet dirt with solid particles, like cornflakes mixed with milk, although large amounts can sometimes get pushed in front of the device. It does an adequate job with moderate wet dirt.
Eggshells: While the Bissell performs well with liquids, it struggles a bit with hard substances like eggshells. The vacuum can pick up the egg goo but not the shells unless they’re crushed first.
Mud & Sand: The CrossWave also performs well with mud and sand, although heavy amounts of dirt may require multiple passes. It’s particularly good on smooth floors like tiles, effectively cleaning grout lines.
Carpet Cleaning:
The Bissell CrossWave can clean carpets, but it is not a specialized carpet cleaner. It performs adequately on light to medium dirt, handling mud, ketchup, juice, and coffee stains reasonably well. However, tougher stains may require multiple passes or even additional tools for full removal.
Ease of Use:
The Bissell is fairly easy to operate, with straightforward controls for water supply and surface selection. While it’s not as light as some other models, it offers excellent maneuverability. It also fits under most furniture with ease, though it struggles with cleaning around edges due to the design of the brush roll.
Maintenance:
Regular cleaning of the CrossWave is essential for maintaining its performance. You should empty the dirty water tank after each use, clean the brush roll periodically, and rinse out the dirty water channel with a soft brush to prevent odor and mold buildup.
Conclusion:
The Bissell CrossWave is a solid mid-range wet & dry vacuum cleaner that offers great value for those seeking a versatile cleaning tool for their home. Its ability to clean both hard floors and carpets, along with its decent performance on wet and coarse dirt, makes it a reliable choice for families with children or pets. While it could be better at cleaning around edges and may not be the best option for heavy carpet stains, its overall cleaning power and ease of use make it an attractive option.
If you’re looking for a 3-in-1 cleaning solution that can handle daily messes and occasional carpet cleaning, the Bissell CrossWave is worth considering.