Cordless Mopping

Article updated on 7/28/2021 with recent customer support experience and added Error Codes section.

For homes that have pets or tile flooring, the chore of having to first vacuum/sweep and then mop can be quite a hassle. When I received this Bissell wet-dry vacuum cleaner (Model 2554A, CrossWave Cordless Max) to review as part of the Amazon Vine program, I was intrigued to see whether it would make cleaning the kitchen floor easier. Our tile flooring has been an open canvas for our toddler’s daily bombardment of liquids, food, and dirt. Juggling him and our newborn daughter has made it an even bigger challenge to keep the floor clean.

Bissell’s newest, wet-dry vacuum cleaner promises a cordless, light, easy-to-use appliance to help bring some sanity back into families’ lives.

Credit: Bissell

The CrossWave Cordless Max is the most feature-rich, premium of the CrossWave series, and is designed to vacuum and wash supported floors (and some area rugs) at the same time. Unlike dedicated dry vacuums and carpet cleaners, this appliance will not be as powerful as the aforementioned, but rather for general, daily use.

Disclosure: This product was received through Amazon Vine, an Amazon invite-only program offered to its most helpful reviewers for an honest, unbiased, unpaid opinion. Vendors cannot influence the review, neither a positive nor negative evaluation affects membership, and item’s value may be taxable income. YuenX is independent of Vine. Learn more

Tanks: Dirty Water, Cleaning Solution /Bissell

What’s Good? What’s Bad?

Pros

• Vacuum and wash at the same time
  • Water is mopped up for a quicker dry
  • Manual control of how much water to use
• Cordless for convenient cleaning
• Safe for use on sealed, hard floors (like tiles) and low area rugs
• “Edge-to-edge” cleaning to help pick up debris along the baseboard
• Separate tanks for cleaning solution and dirty water
  • Marking lines to help determine water-to-solution mixture level for “large” and “small” areas
  • Hair and debris strainer inside the dirty-water tank
• Roller has some bristles to help scrape hair and smaller debris off the floor
• Docking station for convenient charging and to hold/dry an extra roller
• Self-cleaning cycle to flush out debris for the next cleaning
• Quite lightweight
• Fairly quiet operation
• Swivel steering for easier maneuvering
• 2 year warranty
  • Warranty covers battery
• Wi-Fi for connection with the “Bissell Connect” app. See USAGE TIPS for more
• Easy assembly and disassembly
• Excellent customer support

Cons

• Battery life is ONLY 30 minutes (36V Li-ion), making it unsuitable for cleaning larger areas
  • Takes 4 hours to charge battery
  • Battery is not replaceable
• Narrow kitchen tile grout is not cleaned. For that, dedicated grout cleaner is recommended
  • Not designed to be as powerful as dedicated rug/carpet cleaners or dry vacuums
• Pricey
• Roller has some bristles to help scrape hair and smaller debris in. However, they are not powerful enough for use on carpets
• My Bissell stopped working after 1.5 years (July 2021) when it displayed two, red bars for the battery indicator (See “Tips” section)
  • Customer service was contacted, I was asked for model and serial numbers, and after some troubleshooting, a new unit was mailed out at no charge
  • I did not mention to customer service that the product was obtained through the Amazon Vine program, and for all intents and purposes, all she knew was that I was a regular customer

Self-Cleaning Cycle /Bissell

Tips

Cleaning Solution

• There are two tanks. The bottom one collects dirty water, and the top holds the cleaning solution. The latter has line markings to guide you with how much water to add, followed by the cleaning solution. There are separate markings for “large” and “small” areas.
• Cleaning will work best if you use warm/hot water

Parts /Bissell

Usage

• Press the Power button to turn on
• Squeeze the handle button to send the cleaning solution towards the roller
  • Hold it for 10 seconds until you see bubbles form at the roller before you start cleaning
• Slowly move the cleaner forward, then back, while squeezing the handle to add as much or as little water as needed
  • For a quicker dry, squeeze when moving forward and release when going backwards
• If you consistently keep seeing dirty water staying on the floor, check if anything is blocking the pathway to the dirty-water tank
• For hard-to-remove stains, mop over it several times at a slow speed, allowing the roller bristles to slowly loosen and lift the problem dirt

Storage

• After cleaning, dump out the liquid from both tanks, removing any remaining debris from there and the reusable filter
• Remove the roller and wash it out
• Let all components air dry before putting them away
• Charge the vacuum on the dock

“Bissell Connect” app

• The app can be downloaded from the Google Play and Apple App Stores
• It can be used to:
  • Receive alerts (remaining filter and brush life)
  • Track maintenance (usage history, including date and cleaning length, and cleaning solution usage)
  • Learn usage tips through articles and videos

Wi-Fi Connect /Bissell

Error Codes

My Bissell stopped working 1.5 years later when two, red bars were displayed on the battery indicator. Customer service wowed me when she sent a replacement at no charge. She was not told that the product was obtained via the Amazon Vine program, and for all intents and purposes, all she asked for were the serial and model numbers. Here were the error codes she provided:

CrossWave Error Codes /Bissell

• 1 red bar
  • Possible cause: Safety Shut Off
  • Remedies: Remove CrossWave from dock for 1 minute > Put machine back on dock for 30 minutes > Attempt to turn machine back on
• 2 red bars
  • Possible cause: Internal Errors
  • Remedies: Remove CrossWave from dock > Leave machine off for 1 minute > Attempt to turn machine back on > Remove and replace the machine on and off the dock three times
• 3 red bars
  • Possible cause: Safety Shut Off
  • Remedies: Go to > Brush Not Turning. Remove CrossWave from dock > Leave machine powered off for 30 minutes > Attempt to turn machine back on
• Dirty water icon
  • Possible cause: Dirty Water Tank Full
  • Remedies: With machine off and undocked, remove dirty water tank > Remove strainer from tank, discard debris > Rinse entire tank > Clean float sensors on bottom of dirty water tank lid with a damp cloth or napkin > Reassemble dirty water tank > Put dirty water tank into machine angling the tank back into the body of the machine with bottom edge first, push tank in until it clicks into place > turn machine on > if dirty water tank icon is still illuminated remove dirty water tank and re-seat it

Final Thoughts

Overall, this vacuum works well for general, wet-dry vacuum cleaning. Its motor is not as powerful as dedicated dry vacuums or mops, however, but makes up for it with cordless, daily-use convenience for quick cleanings. It does not clean narrow grouts well, but because the dirty water is scooped up right away, grout is left looking better than with a regular mop.

I was impressed and surprised by how much dirt is picked up within the dirty water tank, and the convenience of this appliance makes it easier to perform quick cleanings on a more regular basis.

Bissell CrossWave /Bissell

The biggest issue with this Bissell CrossWave is its abysmal, 30-minute battery life. I have on a number of occasions been unable to finish cleaning the tile flooring of our kitchen, family room, laundry room, powder room, and hallway, forcing the vacuum to be left to recharge for 4 hours. During that time, the cleaning solution goes from hot to cold, making the next usage cycle less optimal in cleaning effectiveness. As such, you have to prioritize which areas you want this appliance to clean and which remaining places to manually vacuum/sweep and mop.

For smaller areas, this appliance is a nice, convenient way to quickly clean, but think twice if you intend to use it for larger homes. Had Bissell provided the option to purchase a spare battery that can be charged with the docking station at the same time, this would have resulted in a higher rating.

My CrossWave stopped working 1.5 years later in July 2021, and customer service impressed me by sending out a replacement at no extra charge.

Where To Buy

• CrossWave Cordless Max (2554A) Wet-Dry Vacuum/Mop