The Crosswave has saved my sanity with two dogs, one a new puppy! I sure did wonder about the grout lines though...They are lower than the tile and it's just natural for dirt to end up there. A great video! Thanks!
I just watched this guy for the first time. Brilliant. Seriously, brilliant. No bs, straight forward, honest, on the f’n money review. I hate bs, I’d work with this guy anytime. Thank you for an honest, great review. I have the Crooswave, I’ve been in my hands and knees with heavy duty grout cleaner, this guy is right on.
I'm with you Ke Pari! I thought the exact same thing. I too had to write a quick review for him and say a big thank you. RUclips is so full of crappy content, made by crappy people trying to make money by selling a false idea of an even crappier product. This guy was a breath of fresh air. A genuine guy. So instead of getting to the end of the video feeling frustrated, conned and totally time wasted, you actually feel good and have learnt something! 😊 I wish more content creators would take a leaf outta this guy's book.
Totally agree!! I'm going to have mine extracted then buy a sealer. I'm the buyer of a house where the woman had it built was a tight a$$ or the builder ripped her off on every design aspect.
Thank you for this superb lesson on how to clean floors! Very professional review of Bissel Crosswave without useless experiments with broken eggs and honey! Dispite the Bissel amateur cleaning, with cold water and a flat roller, I agree with your conclusion: The worst extractor will always be better than the best mop, and this is a mop killer! I will follow your advices to complement bissel cleaning!
You have so much expertise. I can see how you could set up a cleaning academy online and people could find trained cleaners through you around the world.
A kid in my class at school's Dad had a cleaning company. He said that whether the economy's good or bad, things still get dirty, so it's a very stable business.
I must have epoxy grout because my 7 year old floor does not have dirty grout even in high traffic places. This video told me all I need to know and was very pleasant to watch. Great job.
Buy a Harbor Freight $29 steamer and steam/lightly brush the grout. Use a sponge mop as you go and the grout is cleaned perfectly with little effort. I did three full bathrooms (two master sized) in less Han half a day. No chemicals or abrasives used.
This is exactly what I do, but I also use a shop vac (I have 2, one regular size and a smaller one), and immediately pull the dirty water into the shop vac and the floor is 99% dry and I LOVE IT!!! My tile floors are in every room except the bedrooms (wish I had that tile that looks like wood flooring there, but alas, the bedrooms are carpeted). I also have pets.... I thought it was hopeless to keep the tile floors really clean, and I couldn't afford a quality hard floor cleaner machine, so this method replicates it and believe it or not, it is fast!
OK, wow. Somebody with a brain. Very clear and intelligent explanations - even an admission of personal bias - which causes me to trust your judgement and experience even more. Bravo for putting some useful quality information in a sea of marketing fluff, influencers, and affiliated marketers! Yep - I hit the Subscribe button!!
This guy is the heavyweight champion of his field. He should start reviewing cars and movies and everything on this planet. I would watch and I have carpets in my house
This was super helpful. I came up with my own little system very similar. I use a multipurpose cleaner like the 409, the I scrub with the hard scrub brush part of my steam mop (leaving the pad off) and then I finish with the cross wave to clean it all up. It does a very good job. My grout gets black and this method will restore it very well. Thanks for all the tips. This was super helpful. And made me realize my search for an easier solution is probably futile. Lol.
I have one of these machines. The manufacturer does sell a plain brush (without microfiber). My observations: 1. It can’t effectively clean grout, even with the special brush. 2. There is about 1/8-1/4 inch gap between the wall and the roller which the machine can’t clean. 3 The machine is best suited for everyday quick/light cleanup jobs.
I agree, I cannot either. I have come to the conclusion that it is due to the fact that when my fioor was put in,, it was never sealed. It does make all the difference in the World to have that grout sealed. It was not I who put it in, so how was I to know. Have a Great Day.
Honestly, I can't see how he will be cleaning much longer. The quality of the videos are next level. I rarely like or subscribe to anything but this guy deserves both.
By the way, thanks SO MUCH for the very informative videos. You explain things completely and clearly, and follow the natural order of steps without getting off track . Succinct, entertaining, and instructive! Good job, mate!
Best video presentation I've seen. Please do some more on all other DIT projects! Only way it might have been better was to see a comparison to your professional cleaning to help the viewer decide if it might be worth hiring a professional.
This is your second video that I’ve watched, and I trust you 100%. I’ll be watching any other RUclips videos you made. In fact, if you live near me, I’ll just hire you to do the work for me!
You are a human encyclopedia in the cleaning industry! Thank you for this post - very very enlightening with useful and applicable info that laypersons and professionals can utilize. Have a great day 😀
Thank you for the tips! Bissell just camr out woth a crosswave+steamer and im tempted to try that. The regular crosswave is an amazing alternative to mopping, but does nothing for the grout other than rinse out the dirt once you have manually scrubbed it. It seems to be ok with acid (i use bleach regularly and have had no issues) but cannot tolerate a lot of foam as it will build up in the dirty tank and get to the motor.
What a great video! Sound, presentation & editing are excellent. Not wasting my time for even a second. Yours will be my go-to channel for floor cleaning help. Many thanks 🍻
WANT TO THANK YOU!!!! Watched one of Your videos that I saw BONA & tried it on my guest house & home floor. OMG!!! MY FLOORS A BEAUTIFUL!!!! Again... THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!
I have a steamer with wand attachments. I get on my hands and knees using a gardeners foam knee pad and steam the grout, loosen with a grout brush and wipe away with cleaning rag. After the first time, I was able to completely return grout to original color. I do this weekly and it goes quickly now that the scrubbing is minimal. I rent an apartment and have 2 relatively small bathrooms and a kitchen. I keep dirt off the floor with vacuuming daily (primarily because I have a cat and insects are common in apartments in central Texas). My steamer was $200 and worth it as I'm able to also clean the oven, bathtubs, sinks, mop boards and keep mold (again humid central Texas) off my window ledges. I don't use chemicals.
And that is the issue these take forever on any floor because it doesn't hold much water. I'm thinking of renting a commercial dirt devil or Bissell at least it won't take so long. The suction is the key to pull the water out or wipe it up. I realized my grout was filthy when my washing flooded my floor. The all stain lifter and borax and Lysol laundry sanitizer went everywhere. After using towels to dry the floors the laundry room floor is light grey and the rest is the house it's dark gray. So I been trying to figure out how to use those cleaning products on a larger scale. The laundry room is still light gray.
Well this explains why the grout came out so beautifully when we had it professionally cleaned. I always vacuum the tile. My OCD can't stand the idea of flinging dirt and dust around with a broom. Brooms are ok for outside. But inside I've always felt like a vacuum cleaner does a much better job. Now I know exactly why. Score one for my OCD! Haha
I’ve been trying to find the most effective of these machines available to the average consumer because my family is MESSY, especially my 7 year old son. We rent so I don’t know what the floors and grout are made of but I can’t stress enough about how extremely deep the grout is in the very large open kitchen/dining area. Coupled with an OCD mentality, I’m never satisfied with the methods I’ve used so far and I do want to stay within a more natural approach to cleaners. Could you possibly do a comparison of various DIY “chemicals” we could leave on the floors to do the “dirty work” before passing over with a Crosswave or like item?
Thank you for this video and the other grout cleaning one. I've been going a bit nuts with how to get my grout clean myself. Steam mops, Bissell steamshot, cleaning solutions, diy cleaners, a crosswave, multiple brushes, attachments etc...lol I feel like I'm the "before" person in an infomercial. Anyway, this video has helped A LOT! Thanks!
I've never liked the concept of mops. Only bought one a couple of years ago when a cleaning lady I hired insisted. Seems like it just moves dirty water around. Yuck! I got a Hoover Floormate about 20 years ago. Like the Bissel, It has very small tanks and takes forever to clean my floors. Then I bought a steam mop (with lots of the fabric mops). I found it picked up dirt left over after the Hoover. So, I retired the Hoover. Today, I steam mopped the kitchen. Then, brought the Hoover out of retirement and it picked up even more dirt. While the grout might (?) look a bit better in places, it is still a problem. The carpet upstairs will be professionally cleaned next week and while he is here, I'll ask how expensive it would be to professionally clean the tile on the first floor. In the past, I've tried my tiny steamer, an electric grout brush and brush cleaner. Incredibly time consuming and I didn't really see a real difference.
I can tell your a true professional just by the way you explain the information. I really appreciate your videos. I would love to see you look at something like the Hoover style cleaners.
I have gone through 2 of these and I am on my 3rd. I recommend buying the least expensive unit, as the extra bells and whistles are not needed. This unit is great for a light wash. I feel like the best use of this is in conjunction with pre cleaners and a long stick floor brush to agitate before first mopping up without pressing the solution trigger, then passing over it a few times with the water solution to extract the dirt you’ve lifted. This unit is not a stand alone for deep cleans but a helpful alternative to a microfiber flat mop head. Careful not to use a cleaner with a surfactant- as the mop head will hold the suds and it will be impossible to fully rinse. Again, I prefer to use just clean water- as you recommend.
Thank you 🙏 For those of us who are autistic & struggle with loud noise, this machine is a no go from my autistic perspective & need for quiet machine noise. Think similar to the quiet noise from an electric car motor / engine noise that is waaaaaaay quieter compared to a diesel or petrol combustion motor / engine 🙌👂
Wow, thanks for review and the follow up to my comment on your last grout video! I have the cordless version and use a pretreatment. Your review is spot on with my experience. Thanks again
I bought mine (very recently) because it saves me hauling out the vacuum as well BUT for really tough stains and stuck on gunk, nothing beats my Shark steam mop. Also the Bissel does a great job on my door mats which get quite disgusting and I like that I can freshen them up while I vacuum them. I also have a new Bissel (pet) vacuum which is excellent on cat hair on my carpet. I wish I knew they also made a steam Crosswave though it's quite pricey.
I bought a house where renters hadn’t cleaned the grout in the bathroom for guessing 15 years. Tried a steam cleaner. Nothing. Tried a dozen cleansers. The one that worked the best was liquid barkeeper’s friend. I left it on for 10 minutes or so and then scrubbed. Grout came up white, like new. Nothing else I used came anywhere close. Not bleach. Not oxy clean. Not vinegar.
I’m not surprised. Bleach, oxiclean and vinegar aren’t cleaners. Bleach and oxiclean are stain removers and vinegar is just spoiled wine. The Bar Keepers Friend though is a great cleaner and I always keep some around.
They're not all made the same, though. I've had some that were as effective as strapping a potato to the end of a long handle. The one I have now is great, though.
Ya know, I've cranked my tankless water heater to 150 degrees and simply steamed it, and vacced it up. I know, I know that that's really hot, ya gotta be careful. I was. The other question was, could the steamer handle this temp over and over again? That's yet to be known, however, some sort of brisk brushing is still needed. Our house is completely tiled with thin grout lines. A certain amount of consistent maintenance is needed, or a commercial process will be needed to manage a tougher grimier floor. I like your unit for basic maintenance. A wet vac, lesser sized extractor of some kind with strong suction would be helpful. Regular wet/dry vacs dont have the pull. Trying to mop up grout dirt along with a little bit of grout partical isn't very effective either. At any rate without a good vacuum system, it's a lot more effort.
The newest machine can do rug too so I use it to clean up messes. This one normally get used on cement floors but I normally finish with a microfiber pad to leave a nice even sheen. This is good for fast clean up without the solids after a pet accident. On deep carpet I clean it later with the Big Green machine that has just a bit of enzyme cleaner or mr clean to work as a eater and a surfactant so it is as clean as possible. If I need to I rinse with plain water to clean any left over dirt. I don’t use hot water since some carpets don’t like that.i am suing a cordless crosswave and getting an even water coverage seems to be most difficult.
I LOVE my Crosswave. It helps keep the floors clean between deep cleans, picks up pet hair, dirt, and cleans the grooves in the tile with no extra effort. That small dirty water reservoir is great for people with back problems. Nobody with physical ailments wants to lug around anything heavy. Frequent emptying is vastly preferable to handling a heavy vessel.
@@gandomlee That's interesting. Since it doesn't get right up to the baseboards, I vacuum with my Dyson first, then steam mop for my deep cleans. My Bissell steam mop gets right up to the baseboards, and even gets corners clean.
soap(foamedl soapy /sudsy water) and hydrogen peroxide using a foam and not cloth to apply to the group to avoid scratching and abrading the grout that can cause more diet and mold to grow inside(you can add salt in the hydrogen peroxide to bleach the dark grout and kill fungus)
11:55 finally after watching 2 videos and over 20 minutes of footage, something that is actually useful in the cleaning of grout without hiring someone else.
Thanks so much for this video! I’m always a bit bewildered & exasperated by written instructions (I’m a doer!) Had to back it up a few times 😂😂 Now I’m ready to tackle my 100 year old floors!
Whatever on the grout lol just love that it vaccums and mops in one step!! It has excellent suction component so picks up everything! A splash of Dawn dish soap does the job in light of no heating elemenr!!
Thank you, I just purchased this machine and watched your video because of your expertise. Thank you for making a great review and giving some tips from a professional point of view.
I use to have the same brand years ago in a bigger machine, it heated the water, proheat I think its called. Yes the dirty tank fills up quick, I use to carry a large bucket around so I didnt have to walk all the way to the sink to empty it in a large house
Steamer, shop vac, a carpet cleaner that has a rotating brush (or a brush on a pole) and a pressurized sprayer landscape sprayer. Most of those we already have.
I think the one thing to point out is that on a 120 volt unit, something has to be left out. If you have heat, you can't have suction. The heating element requires the full 1800 watts or it will take too long to reheat. If you have suction that uses up around 800 watts. I rented a steam cleaner which had a compressor and heater but no suction. It made things terrible because I had to constantly stop and mop up the dirty water.
I use a deck brush. What I'm going to do now is use my steam mop first then scrub with my deck brush and neutral cleanser. I then use the micro fiber to clean and I rinse after each pass over. A lot of work but I don't do this every time I wash my floors. I don't know why I never though to use the steam mop first?
I have that exact Bissell machine for my floors and in my experience, it is not very good for any sort of deep or serious cleaning, especially for stains or messes that have had time to sit in. Whenever I try to use it on a very messy part of my floors it takes way too much hand pressure and elbow grease to make it work even KIND OF good, in order to justify even using it. One of the biggest draw backs of the machine is that the water tank is not big enough to use it on large areas without having to constantly stop to dump and refill it. I have three kids, four cats and three dogs so I do use it for brand new or recent stains and spills and it does a really good job when tackling those. The machine I use for serious cleaning is a hoover machine that is designed for carpet but works really good on my tile floors.
I had the same issue with stains with my bissell crosswave then I did a similar thing than what I saw in this video: pour some water (a few drops are enough) on all the stains(here he used a chemical cleaner but I don't), let it sit for a few seconds(just the time to mop other areas) and when I pass over them the stains come off right away...even when they are there for several days.so if you use a mild chemical it will be even easier. But in my reservoir I put the bissell product
Even after a year of this machine vinegar and a splash of dawn dish liquid works great! As got grout I have a pee pee dog and I go over once or twice with squeezing the handle to let the vinegar cleaner get in there then I come back in about 2 minutes and the machine sucks up alot of dirt and the pee is gone. I still use the machine and after a year find it easy to clean and way better than a mop and broom.
wow great video, very eye opening. this is exactly why I don't like tile floor or counters. just bought a house that has tile in two shower enclosures, they will both be replaced eventually. luckily everything looks pretty new so I can live with it until we replace it. not looking forward to that mess.
I looked at Home Depot today for the Bona floor cleaner and it didn't say 'neutral ph' on the label like I saw elsewhere. are all the Bona floor cleaners neutral ph, even if it doesn't say so on the label? thank you!!!!
A shop vac with the right attachment make for an excellent "poor man's" extractor, A few more steps because you need to rinse with a separate tool but if you give me the choice between this crosswave or a shopvac + brush + mop for a deep clean I'm choosing the later.
Hi, I just watched another tile cleaning video and he said do NOT use Acidic cleaners because it strips away at the grout. Degrading it. What are your thoughts on that?
That is true. Acidic cleaners will dissolve the calcium in the grout and for that reason I recommend not using acidic cleaners during routine maintenance cleaning. However, in a restorative cleaning when you’re trying to bring the grout back to a like new condition, very often acidic cleaners are the only thing that will remove stains and get the grout clean. With a proper maintenance routine you should be able to go 18- 24 months between major restorative cleanings and if you need to use an acidic cleaner during those cleanings it will be safe for the grout. It’s when the floor is cleaned weekly or daily with vinegar or other acidic cleaners that you see degradation of the grout. And of course you never ever use acids on natural stone like travertine, limestone, and marble.
So your comparison is to professional grade cleaners and equipment the cross wave is a great product for someone who has kids and a busy life never had a problem with it or my steamer or my spin mop
Got a question. I'm cleaning my grout and it's a tremendous job. It's got to be close to 2000 s.f. I'm concerned about sealing the grout and not moving rugs and furniture. They are far too big and heavy. Is it okay to just seal what is exposed to dirt? I hope so, since there's no way I can shift the furniture.
That's a very common problem professionals run into a lot. It won't hurt anything to skip the areas under the rugs but like any kind of flooring that is unevenly exposed to traffic and cleaning it will start to show after awhile.
The crosswave isn't advertised as a heating machine. It is pretty expensive. The thing I don't like about it is the inability to get corners and edges and the cleanup which means you must detach all the parts suck. I clean mine in the tub. Also for grouts I found an aftermarket only brissel no cloth roller that attaches to the vacuum. We don't use it as much cuz it just tedious work lol. But it's better than a mop
Never clean them with vinegar or any other acid, but I'm sure you know that. I haven't spent much time in tropical climates so I couldn't speak to that but if I had marble flooring would buy and extractor to clean it. Cleaning marble and other stone flooring is more like cleaning grout than tile. It's porous just like grout and comes with many of the same problems. Sealing the floor will help with keeping it clean as well.
Brilliant video.also wet dry vacuums are pretty cheap to suck up the dirty water after scrubbing .i am a floor sander from Oz, I have 30cm Beige ceramic tiles, fair few need replacing due to chips cracks, seems like or looks like these particular ceramic beige/cream ceramic tiles are shown in most videos regardless what country they are in, in your experience do they differ very much in color? Cheers.
Not until you put them side by side and then all of a sudden they look nothing alike. I've seen people have great success patching chips and cracks in these tiles with nail polish. When it's done right you can't even tell.
Great review! You saved me money lol..question. Looking to get my tile and grout professionally cleaned. One company says they essentially clean twice once with an alkaline solution then once with an acidic solution. Is it worth paying double to have this done or go with a company that just does alkaline solution one time. Wasn’t sure if I was over paying with the fist company. My tile is only 3 years old but man it needs a good clean with 3 kids and a dog :)
Thanks! Cleaning the floor once with an alkaline solution and once with an acidic solution is the proper way to clean a ceramic tile and grout floor. The alkaline solution gets all of the organic soils, and the acidic solution gets the inorganic soils. You might get lucky with just one pass but in my experience if you really want to guarantee that the floor is clean you have to go over it twice.
Cleaners I have seen dry the floor only one direction. So you have to walk backwards. What commercially available machine do you recommend. That is available not just in the US.
I hope you can help me. I live in an apartment and my kitchen floor is driving me nuts. The building won't replace the floors and they are old, dirty with no shine. They laid peel and stick, but didn't bother to push them together. So there are gaps and if I don't scrap out the gaps every few months, I get baby cockroaches. Yes I know GROSS. I'm 65 and it's getting to hard to spend hours on my hands and knees to clean every gap. My dog won't eat her kibble unless I check it first. Did I mention this is the 3rd layer of flooring. Tiles are loose and I glued them. Can I use my Little Green Steam machine and a shop vacuum to clean these gross gaps. HELP!
I have one of these and I don't really like it that much. The floor never comes as clean as I want unless I go over it with the steam mop after using the Crosswave. And it gets gunked up and spreads stinky dirty water all around if you don't change out the brush for a fresh one and wash out the tank all the time. It only comes with one brush, but I bought an extra one so I could change it quickly without having to wash it right away if I don't feel like it. I only like it for cleaning my bathroom because it's a small space, but it's kind of a waste in the kitchen, unless there's something like wet muddy footprints or the dog peed or something. It's convenient for messes like that, where there is loose liquid on the floor. But at this point, I basically just use it for pre vacuuming before I get out the steam mop. If I had it to do over again, I'd just get a steam mop that has a vacuum in it. The steam mop cleans a lot better because of the heat.
I totally agree with the feedback and also add on it that bissell machine make lot of sound so get yourself good noise canceling machine / headphones for your ears. I only use this machine to dry my garage area which is located in the north face of the house .
This is the most well spoken and thoroughly explained video i have seen on grout cleaning! What a champ. I can tell you are a master of your trade.
The Crosswave has saved my sanity with two dogs, one a new puppy! I sure did wonder about the grout lines though...They are lower than the tile and it's just natural for dirt to end up there. A great video! Thanks!
I just watched this guy for the first time. Brilliant. Seriously, brilliant. No bs, straight forward, honest, on the f’n money review. I hate bs, I’d work with this guy anytime. Thank you for an honest, great review. I have the Crooswave, I’ve been in my hands and knees with heavy duty grout cleaner, this guy is right on.
I'm with you Ke Pari! I thought the exact same thing. I too had to write a quick review for him and say a big thank you.
RUclips is so full of crappy content, made by crappy people trying to make money by selling a false idea of an even crappier product. This guy was a breath of fresh air. A genuine guy.
So instead of getting to the end of the video feeling frustrated, conned and totally time wasted, you actually feel good and have learnt something! 😊 I wish more content creators would take a leaf outta this guy's book.
Totally agree!! I'm going to have mine extracted then buy a sealer. I'm the buyer of a house where the woman had it built was a tight a$$ or the builder ripped her off on every design aspect.
What a great video. I can't believe how professionally put together this was. Keep up all the hardwork, it'll definitely pay off.
Thank you
The best review I have ever seen! I love the pie chart explanation as well - you are such a pro.
Thank you for this superb lesson on how to clean floors! Very professional review of Bissel Crosswave without useless experiments with broken eggs and honey! Dispite the Bissel amateur cleaning, with cold water and a flat roller, I agree with your conclusion: The worst extractor will always be better than the best mop, and this is a mop killer! I will follow your advices to complement bissel cleaning!
Boy, I love your intelligent, well-spoken approach. I am a cleaning professional of 11 years and I learned a ton about tile & grout. Thanks!
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it!
You have so much expertise. I can see how you could set up a cleaning academy online and people could find trained cleaners through you around the world.
A kid in my class at school's Dad had a cleaning company. He said that whether the economy's good or bad, things still get dirty, so it's a very stable business.
It can be with a solid base of good customers.
I must have epoxy grout because my 7 year old floor does not have dirty grout even in high traffic places. This video told me all I need to know and was very pleasant to watch. Great job.
Buy a Harbor Freight $29 steamer and steam/lightly brush the grout. Use a sponge mop as you go and the grout is cleaned perfectly with little effort. I did three full bathrooms (two master sized) in less Han half a day. No chemicals or abrasives used.
Your comment was more useful than this video. thank you
This is exactly what I do, but I also use a shop vac (I have 2, one regular size and a smaller one), and immediately pull the dirty water into the shop vac and the floor is 99% dry and I LOVE IT!!!
My tile floors are in every room except the bedrooms (wish I had that tile that looks like wood flooring there, but alas, the bedrooms are carpeted).
I also have pets....
I thought it was hopeless to keep the tile floors really clean, and I couldn't afford a quality hard floor cleaner machine, so this method replicates it and believe it or not, it is fast!
EXACTLY! What I do. Use a microfiber pad mop really picks up the dirt as it lifts from steamer.
Do you have a model number for the steamer?
@@Vetgirl254 PS3888, ir looks like a small tea pot with a nozzle you can add attachments to including an 18" hose with a brush.
OK, wow. Somebody with a brain. Very clear and intelligent explanations - even an admission of personal bias - which causes me to trust your judgement and experience even more. Bravo for putting some useful quality information in a sea of marketing fluff, influencers, and affiliated marketers! Yep - I hit the Subscribe button!!
This guy is the heavyweight champion of his field.
He should start reviewing cars and movies and everything on this planet.
I would watch and I have carpets in my house
This is the most well spoken and thoroughly explained video I have seen on RUclips period!
This was super helpful. I came up with my own little system very similar. I use a multipurpose cleaner like the 409, the I scrub with the hard scrub brush part of my steam mop (leaving the pad off) and then I finish with the cross wave to clean it all up. It does a very good job. My grout gets black and this method will restore it very well. Thanks for all the tips. This was super helpful. And made me realize my search for an easier solution is probably futile. Lol.
Most flooring and grout manufacturers say you should use a pH neutral cleaner on your tile and grout. 409 is alkaline with a pH of 9 to 11.5.
I have one of these machines. The manufacturer does sell a plain brush (without microfiber).
My observations:
1. It can’t effectively clean grout, even with the special brush.
2. There is about 1/8-1/4 inch gap between the wall and the roller which the machine can’t clean.
3 The machine is best suited for everyday quick/light cleanup jobs.
That about sums it it
I agree, I cannot either. I have come to the conclusion that it is due to the fact that when my fioor was put in,, it was never sealed. It does make all the difference in the World to have that grout sealed. It was not I who put it in, so how was I to know. Have a Great Day.
Instablaster
Bissell do sell a roller brush with no microfiber- at least here in UK/Europe.
Honestly, I can't see how he will be cleaning much longer. The quality of the videos are next level. I rarely like or subscribe to anything but this guy deserves both.
Best explanation of cleaning the floor I’ve ever heard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, thanks SO MUCH for the very informative videos. You explain things completely and clearly, and follow the natural order of steps without getting off track . Succinct, entertaining, and instructive! Good job, mate!
Thank you!
Best video on floor cleaning I have ever seen .. you are highly objective and a total pro .. thanks for sharing!
Best video presentation I've seen. Please do some more on all other DIT projects! Only way it might have been better was to see a comparison to your professional cleaning to help the viewer decide if it might be worth hiring a professional.
This is your second video that I’ve watched, and I trust you 100%. I’ll be watching any other RUclips videos you made. In fact, if you live near me, I’ll just hire you to do the work for me!
You are a human encyclopedia in the cleaning industry!
Thank you for this post - very very enlightening with useful and applicable info that laypersons and professionals can utilize.
Have a great day
😀
Thank you for the tips! Bissell just camr out woth a crosswave+steamer and im tempted to try that. The regular crosswave is an amazing alternative to mopping, but does nothing for the grout other than rinse out the dirt once you have manually scrubbed it. It seems to be ok with acid (i use bleach regularly and have had no issues) but cannot tolerate a lot of foam as it will build up in the dirty tank and get to the motor.
Bleach is alkaline.
I thought i was a pro! Nope. I’m going to listen and learn to everything you have posted. Thank you!
This is JUST the video I wanted to see from you! Thanks!!!!! 👍🏻😊
Glad I could deliver!
Thank you, great video. What are your thoughts on the Bissell Crosswave Hydrosteam?
I have the Cross Cleaner. I love it for my laminate flooring. It lays very little water and mopping any of the water up is easy.
What a great video! Sound, presentation & editing are excellent. Not wasting my time for even a second. Yours will be my go-to channel for floor cleaning help. Many thanks 🍻
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best floor machine video ever! Thank you for your review and suggestions. Very appreciated 💯
WANT TO THANK YOU!!!! Watched one of Your videos that I saw BONA & tried it on my guest house & home floor. OMG!!! MY FLOORS A BEAUTIFUL!!!! Again... THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!
You are so welcome!
I have a steamer with wand attachments. I get on my hands and knees using a gardeners foam knee pad and steam the grout, loosen with a grout brush and wipe away with cleaning rag. After the first time, I was able to completely return grout to original color. I do this weekly and it goes quickly now that the scrubbing is minimal. I rent an apartment and have 2 relatively small bathrooms and a kitchen. I keep dirt off the floor with vacuuming daily (primarily because I have a cat and insects are common in apartments in central Texas). My steamer was $200 and worth it as I'm able to also clean the oven, bathtubs, sinks, mop boards and keep mold (again humid central Texas) off my window ledges. I don't use chemicals.
Whats the name
Geez I have a steemer too and have never tried it. I guess I'll pull that baby out and get busy.
I have a Dupray Neat and I love it!
And that is the issue these take forever on any floor because it doesn't hold much water. I'm thinking of renting a commercial dirt devil or Bissell at least it won't take so long. The suction is the key to pull the water out or wipe it up. I realized my grout was filthy when my washing flooded my floor. The all stain lifter and borax and Lysol laundry sanitizer went everywhere. After using towels to dry the floors the laundry room floor is light grey and the rest is the house it's dark gray. So I been trying to figure out how to use those cleaning products on a larger scale. The laundry room is still light gray.
Well this explains why the grout came out so beautifully when we had it professionally cleaned. I always vacuum the tile. My OCD can't stand the idea of flinging dirt and dust around with a broom. Brooms are ok for outside. But inside I've always felt like a vacuum cleaner does a much better job. Now I know exactly why. Score one for my OCD! Haha
OCD: 1
Thank you for your honesty and thorough coverage! Will be watching your other videos.
Thanks!
I’ve been trying to find the most effective of these machines available to the average consumer because my family is MESSY, especially my 7 year old son. We rent so I don’t know what the floors and grout are made of but I can’t stress enough about how extremely deep the grout is in the very large open kitchen/dining area. Coupled with an OCD mentality, I’m never satisfied with the methods I’ve used so far and I do want to stay within a more natural approach to cleaners.
Could you possibly do a comparison of various DIY “chemicals” we could leave on the floors to do the “dirty work” before passing over with a Crosswave or like item?
Check Clean My Space video on cleaning grout
Thanks!
Thank you!
There's a new Bissell steam mop vacuum now. So theoretically much better than just hot tap water. I hope to see a review for that
The Symphony! It's my next purchase if my Crosswave ever dies!
Thank you for this video and the other grout cleaning one. I've been going a bit nuts with how to get my grout clean myself. Steam mops, Bissell steamshot, cleaning solutions, diy cleaners, a crosswave, multiple brushes, attachments etc...lol I feel like I'm the "before" person in an infomercial.
Anyway, this video has helped A LOT! Thanks!
I can tell that you're going to be the "after person" very soon! Don't give up!
I've never liked the concept of mops. Only bought one a couple of years ago when a cleaning lady I hired insisted. Seems like it just moves dirty water around. Yuck! I got a Hoover Floormate about 20 years ago. Like the Bissel, It has very small tanks and takes forever to clean my floors. Then I bought a steam mop (with lots of the fabric mops). I found it picked up dirt left over after the Hoover. So, I retired the Hoover. Today, I steam mopped the kitchen. Then, brought the Hoover out of retirement and it picked up even more dirt. While the grout might (?) look a bit better in places, it is still a problem. The carpet upstairs will be professionally cleaned next week and while he is here, I'll ask how expensive it would be to professionally clean the tile on the first floor. In the past, I've tried my tiny steamer, an electric grout brush and brush cleaner. Incredibly time consuming and I didn't really see a real difference.
I can tell your a true professional just by the way you explain the information. I really appreciate your videos. I would love to see you look at something like the Hoover style cleaners.
Me, too. I have one, and I like it, but if another brand is better, I’d go for that.
I have gone through 2 of these and I am on my 3rd. I recommend buying the least expensive unit, as the extra bells and whistles are not needed.
This unit is great for a light wash. I feel like the best use of this is in conjunction with pre cleaners and a long stick floor brush to agitate before first mopping up without pressing the solution trigger, then passing over it a few times with the water solution to extract the dirt you’ve lifted. This unit is not a stand alone for deep cleans but a helpful alternative to a microfiber flat mop head.
Careful not to use a cleaner with a surfactant- as the mop head will hold the suds and it will be impossible to fully rinse.
Again, I prefer to use just clean water- as you recommend.
Excellent points all
Thank you 🙏 For those of us who are autistic & struggle with loud noise, this machine is a no go from my autistic perspective & need for quiet machine noise. Think similar to the quiet noise from an electric car motor / engine noise that is waaaaaaay quieter compared to a diesel or petrol combustion motor / engine 🙌👂
Wow, thanks for review and the follow up to my comment on your last grout video! I have the cordless version and use a pretreatment. Your review is spot on with my experience. Thanks again
Great feedback! Thanks! I thought about buying the cordless version but I cheaped out.
I bought mine (very recently) because it saves me hauling out the vacuum as well BUT for really tough stains and stuck on gunk, nothing beats my Shark steam mop. Also the Bissel does a great job on my door mats which get quite disgusting and I like that I can freshen them up while I vacuum them. I also have a new Bissel (pet) vacuum which is excellent on cat hair on my carpet. I wish I knew they also made a steam Crosswave though it's quite pricey.
Both these vids on cleaning tiles and grout are excellent, thanks. Subbed.
Thanks for the sub!
Me too!!
I bought a house where renters hadn’t cleaned the grout in the bathroom for guessing 15 years. Tried a steam cleaner. Nothing. Tried a dozen cleansers. The one that worked the best was liquid barkeeper’s friend. I left it on for 10 minutes or so and then scrubbed. Grout came up white, like new. Nothing else I used came anywhere close. Not bleach. Not oxy clean. Not vinegar.
I’m not surprised. Bleach, oxiclean and vinegar aren’t cleaners. Bleach and oxiclean are stain removers and vinegar is just spoiled wine. The Bar Keepers Friend though is a great cleaner and I always keep some around.
Thanks for the tip! We just bought a house that’s same as yours. Previous owner wasn’t clean at all. Did you scrub by hand or used a machine?
I love my long handled grout brush.
It is fast and easy to keep grout clean without needing to kneel ! 😃
They're not all made the same, though. I've had some that were as effective as strapping a potato to the end of a long handle. The one I have now is great, though.
@@HowToCleanLikeAPro which one do you like? I don't see one in the product list above.
Ya know, I've cranked my tankless water heater to 150 degrees and simply steamed it, and vacced it up. I know, I know that that's really hot, ya gotta be careful. I was. The other question was, could the steamer handle this temp over and over again? That's yet to be known, however, some sort of brisk brushing is still needed. Our house is completely tiled with thin grout lines. A certain amount of consistent maintenance is needed, or a commercial process will be needed to manage a tougher grimier floor. I like your unit for basic maintenance.
A wet vac, lesser sized extractor of some kind with strong suction would be helpful. Regular wet/dry vacs dont have the pull. Trying to mop up grout dirt along with a little bit of grout partical isn't very effective either. At any rate without a good vacuum system, it's a lot more effort.
The newest machine can do rug too so I use it to clean up messes. This one normally get used on cement floors but I normally finish with a microfiber pad to leave a nice even sheen. This is good for fast clean up without the solids after a pet accident. On deep carpet I clean it later with the Big Green machine that has just a bit of enzyme cleaner or mr clean to work as a eater and a surfactant so it is as clean as possible. If I need to I rinse with plain water to clean any left over dirt. I don’t use hot water since some carpets don’t like that.i am suing a cordless crosswave and getting an even water coverage seems to be most difficult.
The Crosswave doesn’t leave your cement floors looking even? Why is that? Does it streak?
I LOVE my Crosswave. It helps keep the floors clean between deep cleans, picks up pet hair, dirt, and cleans the grooves in the tile with no extra effort. That small dirty water reservoir is great for people with back problems. Nobody with physical ailments wants to lug around anything heavy. Frequent emptying is vastly preferable to handling a heavy vessel.
Yea I like it only for deep cleaning, not everyday use
@@gandomlee That's interesting. Since it doesn't get right up to the baseboards, I vacuum with my Dyson first, then steam mop for my deep cleans. My Bissell steam mop gets right up to the baseboards, and even gets corners clean.
@@pauladrennan4223 I have a Dyson as well we love it. The steamer we are looking into getting but haven't decided on one yet.
soap(foamedl soapy /sudsy water) and hydrogen peroxide using a foam and not cloth to apply to the group to avoid scratching and abrading the grout that can cause more diet and mold to grow inside(you can add salt in the hydrogen peroxide to bleach the dark grout and kill fungus)
Thanks for sharing, very informative, I wanted to buy a steam mop floor. But after this video, I don't think so. Thanks again. 😊
Glad I could help.
@@HowToCleanLikeAPro you got a new subscriber.
Welcome aboard!
Great video. Clear concise and very helpful using a scientific proof to assess effectiveness of machines, cleaning products etc. Thank you b
Can you please review the newest cross wave that includes a steaming/vac/mop in one machine!? :)
11:55 finally after watching 2 videos and over 20 minutes of footage, something that is actually useful in the cleaning of grout without hiring someone else.
I'm sorry the free content wasn't bespoke enough for your unique situation
Thanks so much for this video! I’m always a bit bewildered & exasperated by written instructions (I’m a doer!) Had to back it up a few times 😂😂 Now I’m ready to tackle my 100 year old floors!
Whatever on the grout lol just love that it vaccums and mops in one step!! It has excellent suction component so picks up everything! A splash of Dawn dish soap does the job in light of no heating elemenr!!
Thank you, I just purchased this machine and watched your video because of your expertise. Thank you for making a great review and giving some tips from a professional point of view.
You’re welcome, glad I could help
can you try the new one that uses steam?
I use to have the same brand years ago in a bigger machine, it heated the water, proheat I think its called. Yes the dirty tank fills up quick, I use to carry a large bucket around so I didnt have to walk all the way to the sink to empty it in a large house
Keeping a bucket nearby is a great idea
I use to clean houses, one was a hoarder house so you come up with some worthy ideas :)
Steamer, shop vac, a carpet cleaner that has a rotating brush (or a brush on a pole) and a pressurized sprayer landscape sprayer. Most of those we already have.
Super helpful video! Thanks for the simple explanation and neutral perspective.
Your welcome!
This was eye opening on the best way to clean. Thank you!!
Excellent video. The best on the subject!
I think the one thing to point out is that on a 120 volt unit, something has to be left out. If you have heat, you can't have suction. The heating element requires the full 1800 watts or it will take too long to reheat. If you have suction that uses up around 800 watts. I rented a steam cleaner which had a compressor and heater but no suction. It made things terrible because I had to constantly stop and mop up the dirty water.
I use a deck brush. What I'm going to do now is use my steam mop first then scrub with my deck brush and neutral cleanser. I then use the micro fiber to clean and I rinse after each pass over. A lot of work but I don't do this every time I wash my floors. I don't know why I never though to use the steam mop first?
I have that exact Bissell machine for my floors and in my experience, it is not very good for any sort of deep or serious cleaning, especially for stains or messes that have had time to sit in. Whenever I try to use it on a very messy part of my floors it takes way too much hand pressure and elbow grease to make it work even KIND OF good, in order to justify even using it. One of the biggest draw backs of the machine is that the water tank is not big enough to use it on large areas without having to constantly stop to dump and refill it. I have three kids, four cats and three dogs so I do use it for brand new or recent stains and spills and it does a really good job when tackling those. The machine I use for serious cleaning is a hoover machine that is designed for carpet but works really good on my tile floors.
True, but the worst extractor is still better than the best mop
I had the same issue with stains with my bissell crosswave then I did a similar thing than what I saw in this video: pour some water (a few drops are enough) on all the stains(here he used a chemical cleaner but I don't), let it sit for a few seconds(just the time to mop other areas) and when I pass over them the stains come off right away...even when they are there for several days.so if you use a mild chemical it will be even easier. But in my reservoir I put the bissell product
Even after a year of this machine vinegar and a splash of dawn dish liquid works great! As got grout I have a pee pee dog and I go over once or twice with squeezing the handle to let the vinegar cleaner get in there then I come back in about 2 minutes and the machine sucks up alot of dirt and the pee is gone. I still use the machine and after a year find it easy to clean and way better than a mop and broom.
wow great video, very eye opening. this is exactly why I don't like tile floor or counters. just bought a house that has tile in two shower enclosures, they will both be replaced eventually. luckily everything looks pretty new so I can live with it until we replace it. not looking forward to that mess.
What about uaing a steam cleaner followed by a wet vaccuum? Would that be effective? How soon would you vaccuum after steaming?
I clean grout with a Oreck orbiter and extractor; you don't need a 75,000 dollar machine to clean tile, peroxide works very well as a solution.
I believe he said "I use a $30,000 machine." Not $75,000.
@@belssage you missed the point, for about 400 bucks you can do the something at home.
I looked at Home Depot today for the Bona floor cleaner and it didn't say 'neutral ph' on the label like I saw elsewhere. are all the Bona floor cleaners neutral ph, even if it doesn't say so on the label? thank you!!!!
Thanks for the video - looks like I'm going to have to scrub the old fashion way. G'day from Australia.
You mentioned the crosswave not heating, but I’m unaware of any commercial floor auto scrubber that has a heating system?
I think I'm pretty much in love with this Bissell!
Why don't you marry it?
@@HowToCleanLikeAPro ugh!!! maybe I will.....
Do it then
@@HowToCleanLikeAPro LOL
Great review. Usually people only talk about how they clean it but I love the comparison.
Do you have your be careful about using a steamer on tiles? Do tiles ever crack? Thinking about trying the Bissell spin wave steamer.
A shop vac with the right attachment make for an excellent "poor man's" extractor, A few more steps because you need to rinse with a separate tool but if you give me the choice between this crosswave or a shopvac + brush + mop for a deep clean I'm choosing the later.
What about the upright Hoover carpet cleaner? It's got 5 rotating brushes, it extracts, and has a large recovery tank. I think I'll give that a try!
Idk. I haven’t tried that one 5 brushes does sound like an advantage over the Crosswaves single brush but only if the can get down to the grout.
Thanks for this information. I would not buy this now. I had planned to. Now I will not waste my money. 👍
I have a dupray steamer. It cleans my grout really well.
I have been checking out your grout videos. Just wish I knew of a good company to do it here in my neck of the woods of Fillmore, CA. Just subscribed.
Try Andrew's Carpet, Tile and Upholstery Care
@@HowToCleanLikeAPro Thank you
Hi, I just watched another tile cleaning video and he said do NOT use Acidic cleaners because it strips away at the grout. Degrading it. What are your thoughts on that?
That is true. Acidic cleaners will dissolve the calcium in the grout and for that reason I recommend not using acidic cleaners during routine maintenance cleaning. However, in a restorative cleaning when you’re trying to bring the grout back to a like new condition, very often acidic cleaners are the only thing that will remove stains and get the grout clean. With a proper maintenance routine you should be able to go 18- 24 months between major restorative cleanings and if you need to use an acidic cleaner during those cleanings it will be safe for the grout. It’s when the floor is cleaned weekly or daily with vinegar or other acidic cleaners that you see degradation of the grout. And of course you never ever use acids on natural stone like travertine, limestone, and marble.
Retro said it himself on his other video. Vinegar was going to be my next choice so I'm glad I seen that.
Excellent video! I now know what products I can buy to clean my grout.
Fyi, i use finger nail polish in tile chips. Works awesome. I use awesome from dollar tree and squirt in grout
My mom hid a 3’ long crack in her kitchen floor with nail polish. Made it totally invisible.
Great tip for me. Spray cleaning solution on floor first. Thanks
How do you clean grout that is getting moldy on shower walls? I've tried many ways but no combination has worked.
So your comparison is to professional grade cleaners and equipment the cross wave is a great product for someone who has kids and a busy life never had a problem with it or my steamer or my spin mop
No, I was demonstrating how grout needs to be scrubbed to get it clean and that the Crosswave doesn't scrub the grout.
Got a question. I'm cleaning my grout and it's a tremendous job. It's got to be close to 2000 s.f. I'm concerned about sealing the grout and not moving rugs and furniture. They are far too big and heavy. Is it okay to just seal what is exposed to dirt? I hope so, since there's no way I can shift the furniture.
That's a very common problem professionals run into a lot. It won't hurt anything to skip the areas under the rugs but like any kind of flooring that is unevenly exposed to traffic and cleaning it will start to show after awhile.
The crosswave isn't advertised as a heating machine. It is pretty expensive. The thing I don't like about it is the inability to get corners and edges and the cleanup which means you must detach all the parts suck. I clean mine in the tub. Also for grouts I found an aftermarket only brissel no cloth roller that attaches to the vacuum. We don't use it as much cuz it just tedious work lol. But it's better than a mop
Really thorough and informative video. Have you got one on how to clean chandelers, which is my next issue?
Any tips for keeping marbled floors clean and ‘healthy’? Especially for softer Italian marbles in tropical climates? Thank you.
Never clean them with vinegar or any other acid, but I'm sure you know that. I haven't spent much time in tropical climates so I couldn't speak to that but if I had marble flooring would buy and extractor to clean it. Cleaning marble and other stone flooring is more like cleaning grout than tile. It's porous just like grout and comes with many of the same problems. Sealing the floor will help with keeping it clean as well.
Brilliant video.also wet dry vacuums are pretty cheap to suck up the dirty water after scrubbing .i am a floor sander from Oz, I have 30cm Beige ceramic tiles, fair few need replacing due to chips cracks, seems like or looks like these particular ceramic beige/cream ceramic tiles are shown in most videos regardless what country they are in, in your experience do they differ very much in color?
Cheers.
Not until you put them side by side and then all of a sudden they look nothing alike. I've seen people have great success patching chips and cracks in these tiles with nail polish. When it's done right you can't even tell.
Great review! You saved me money lol..question. Looking to get my tile and grout professionally cleaned. One company says they essentially clean twice once with an alkaline solution then once with an acidic solution. Is it worth paying double to have this done or go with a company that just does alkaline solution one time. Wasn’t sure if I was over paying with the fist company. My tile is only 3 years old but man it needs a good clean with 3 kids and a dog :)
Thanks! Cleaning the floor once with an alkaline solution and once with an acidic solution is the proper way to clean a ceramic tile and grout floor. The alkaline solution gets all of the organic soils, and the acidic solution gets the inorganic soils. You might get lucky with just one pass but in my experience if you really want to guarantee that the floor is clean you have to go over it twice.
Cleaners I have seen dry the floor only one direction. So you have to walk backwards. What commercially available machine do you recommend. That is available not just in the US.
Which one could I buy as a home owner that good and dependable?
I hope you can help me. I live in an apartment and my kitchen floor is driving me nuts. The building won't replace the floors and they are old, dirty with no shine. They laid peel and stick, but didn't bother to push them together. So there are gaps and if I don't scrap out the gaps every few months, I get baby cockroaches. Yes I know GROSS. I'm 65 and it's getting to hard to spend hours on my hands and knees to clean every gap. My dog won't eat her kibble unless I check it first. Did I mention this is the 3rd layer of flooring. Tiles are loose and I glued them. Can I use my Little Green Steam machine and a shop vacuum to clean these gross gaps. HELP!
Why not dump boiling water on the floor after the cleaner soak, then suck it all up with the Bissell?
I have one of these and I don't really like it that much. The floor never comes as clean as I want unless I go over it with the steam mop after using the Crosswave. And it gets gunked up and spreads stinky dirty water all around if you don't change out the brush for a fresh one and wash out the tank all the time. It only comes with one brush, but I bought an extra one so I could change it quickly without having to wash it right away if I don't feel like it. I only like it for cleaning my bathroom because it's a small space, but it's kind of a waste in the kitchen, unless there's something like wet muddy footprints or the dog peed or something. It's convenient for messes like that, where there is loose liquid on the floor. But at this point, I basically just use it for pre vacuuming before I get out the steam mop. If I had it to do over again, I'd just get a steam mop that has a vacuum in it. The steam mop cleans a lot better because of the heat.
I totally agree with the feedback and also add on it that bissell machine make lot of sound so get yourself good noise canceling machine / headphones for your ears.
I only use this machine to dry my garage area which is located in the north face of the house .
Good point. It is very loud.
@@HowToCleanLikeAPro I am highly blessed to have your logical and scenitific reasoning with visual chart. You are true teacher of your profession.🙏👍