Bissell CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro makes cleaning up messes kinda fun
Bissell CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro makes cleaning up messes kinda fun
I hate mopping the floor. Vacuuming and cleaning in general is cathartic for me, but there’s just something about mopping that I really dislike. Enter the CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro, which promises to vacuum and mop your hard floors at the same time — pet hair and all. But for nearly $500, is it really worth it?
Given my general animosity for all things mopping, I decided to test out the CrossWave. It’s cordless, after all, and I have two pets that leave a nice dusting of hair wherever they go. The X7 showed up in a relatively small box, and setup was actually a breeze.
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Overview
Inside the box there’s everything you need to get started, including two small cleaning solutions (more on that later). But before you get to cleaning, you’re going to want to charge the thing for at least four hours so you can get the most out of your vacuum. As for that vacuum, it’s sleek, with a copper-colored handle and lights that turn blue and white. The CrossWave X7 feels and looks…cool. If a vacuum can be cool, this is definitely one of them, and I say that as a Dyson owner.
Credit: MASHABLE
The CrossWave X7 comes with its own base station, and really the only setup you need is to connect the handle to the body of the vacuum. This took me a hilariously long time, but in the end, it was simple.
The vacuum stands directly on the base station where it charges, and a battery level indicator on the front of the vac indicates the charge. The base station also functions as a self-cleaning area, allowing the vacuum to shoot clean water through the components after you’ve cleaned the house; that’s a step you don’t want to skip.
After charging the unit and watching a few videos, I was ready to start cleaning. All you have to do is load up the solution tank with some cleaner and warm water, and start wet vacuuming. When powering on the X7, you’re greeted with a few beeps and the roller immediately starts spinning. Lights located around the spinner also turn on, nicely illuminating the floor you’re cleaning. The trigger button feeds water from the solution tank to the cleaning area. The debris and dirty water are then sucked back into a separate tank, which needs to be emptied when full.
Credit: Mashable
Testing
I tested out the CrossWave X7 on my hardwood floors, on tile in the bathroom, and on some small area rugs. Important to note here: It’s not recommended you use the X7 to clean large carpeted floors, and in my testing, I found that out of the three surfaces, it cleaned rugs the worst.
I was pretty skeptical, but the Crosswave X7 actually delivers on its promise. It combines vacuuming and mopping into one simple step, and it does a pretty good job of both. After not vacuuming for an entire week, I ran the CrossWave through my kitchen, living room, TV room, and a large bathroom. It did exactly what it says — vacuums up dirt, debris, and pet hair, and also left the floors clean. In addition to cleaning my floors solely with the CrossWave for about a month, I also put it up to a few stress tests.
I personally would never consider cleaning up a mess like hummus or peanut butter with the X7, but for testing purposes, I tried it out. While it took a few passes to clean up a massive glob of hummus, it actually did so quite well. Of course, this left the inside of the roller covered with hummus, but after two self-cleaning wash cycles, the hummus was pretty much gone from my floor and the vacuum. What was left was easily wiped away. The peanut butter was sucked up even more easily, though some of it did get stuck inside the machine. A quick wipe and some self-cleaning and it was good as new. Still, just wiping up the peanut butter or hummus would have been simpler.
There were a few annoyances in using the CrossWave over the course of the month. First, and the problem I suspect most will have: the capacity. Both the clean water tank and dirty tank are relatively small. I had to empty the dirty tank and refill the clean tank a few times to clean my entire house. Also, I blew through the cleaning solution you need to add to the machine in order to use it. Using other solutions actually voids the warranty, so this is something you’re probably going to want to stick to. Bissell makes a few different types of solutions for its CrossWave line, but for this test I only used the multi-surface cleaner.
Credit: MASHABLE
Annoyances
Another super annoying issue I had was with the stand lock. When you bring the handle to the upright position, the vacuum will lock into place so it doesn’t tip over, but I found it accidentally locking into the upright position when I didn’t want it to. Additionally, I found that the X7 didn’t get to a low enough angle. When reaching under a bookcase, for example, the vacuum pivoted on its back wheels and the front lifted up.
The vacuum does best if you work in straight lines, which was something I had to get used to. Yes, it does pivot and turn, but when you’re running water through the machine, that can sometimes leave trails of mucky water on the floor. It’s easy enough to clean up. Just run over the dirty spot without pulling the water trigger; that will suck up any remaining water.
Is it worth it?
The X7 is good at what it does. The battery lasts upwards of 30 minutes, it weighs just 10 pounds, and it’s pretty easy to clean. But unlike your vacuum, you do need to make sure it’s cleaned and dry every time, or you’ll end up with a machine that smells like mildew.
Would I buy it? I’m not sure. Vacuums are pretty expensive, and clocking in at $464.99, the CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro isn’t cheap. And because it can’t clean carpet or stairs well due to its size and nature, the CrossWave X7 probably won’t be the only vacuum in your cleaning arsenal. It has a purpose and it serves that purpose well, but it doesn’t do everything.
But if you have kids and pets — and need a quick and handy tool to clean up various messes around the house — the CrossWave X7 will serve you well.