Bissell Symphony Vacuum and Steam Mop 1132A Review

In this Bissell Symphony 1132A all-in-one vacuum and steam mop review, we’ll look at the pros and cons of this model.

Pros of the Bissell Symphony

• At ten pounds, this vacuum / steam mop combo is as light as many modern vacuum cleaners.

• Steam can sterilize a mess far faster and effectively than anything else most home owners have at their disposal. This makes it invaluable for making the spot where the cat pooped, the dog barfed or a child was ill before your infant starts crawling across that part of the floor again.

• This vacuum / steam mop combo can be used on tile, laminate and wood floors. Since it is chemical free, it lets you sterilize linoleum or clean tile without the sticky residue Swifter leaves behind or the nasty smell left after cleaning with bleach water.

• The unit has a two year limited warranty.

• The Symphony has a large water tank, so you aren’t running back and forth to the sink to refill it. It is also easy to refill.

• The steamer / vacuum comes with two microfiber mop pads. Replacement disposable mop pads cost around ten dollars for a two pack. Washable, re-usable wash pads are frequently available for the same price. Do not use fabric softener on the microfiber pads when you wash them; this will damage them.

• Bissell’s steam mops have built in spaces for fragrance disks that add any of a number of scents to the air as you clean.

• The all in one vacuum and steam mop is around $200 or so, depending on the vendor. Bissell steam mops are viable, affordable options if you routinely pay carpet cleaners to clean your hard floors. For example, a carpet steamer rental is around $40 to clean four small rooms whereas a professional cleaning service would be around $200.

• This steam mop / vacuum cleaner’s design makes it easy to replace the mop pads.

• This steam mop / vacuum cleaner lets you choose between vacuuming, steam cleaning and both. You can vacuum up solid debris before steaming the area to clean it. Or vacuum while sanitizing several passes before sterilizing it thoroughly with steam. The vacuum does a better job than the mop/vacuum combo at picking up mud, dirt or pet hair. However, it is not as powerful as a formal vacuum cleaner.

• The Bissell Symphony’s cleaning path is eleven inches across. This is large enough to fit in many nooks and crannies, while you don’t have to make too many passes to clean your kitchen or mud room.

Cons of the Bissell Symphony

If you have hard water, you cannot use the steam cleaner using tap water. Do not use hard water with the steam mop, or the sediment will build up in the steamer and clog it. If the steamer clogs, you can burn up the unit.
What if you have hard water and are dead set on owning this cleaner?

You can try the calcium water filter, which is around twenty dollars a pop and not always effective. Or you can use de-mineralized steam mop water offered by Bissell, at around $8 or so for 32 ounces, enough to clean several times. Depending on the scent, the price can reach a dollar per ounce. If you need to use their de-mineralized water or use the de-mineralized water with chemical scents, it dramatically adds to the operating costs of the unit.

Even with de-mineralized water, it won’t get really ground in grime. Bissell recommends its lift-off steam mop for those jobs, but that makes this appliance mostly moot if you need it more than once.

Observations

This Bissell Symphony all-in-one vacuum and steam mop 1132A review wouldn’t be complete without a few observations.

Bissell is one of the most reliable vacuum cleaner models overall, according to Consumer Reports. Approximately 7% of all Bissell upright vacuum cleaners needed repair in a given year. Kirby was an outlier with its vacuums having half that repair rate. For most other vacuum cleaner brands, between eight and twelve percent of the vacuums needed repair in a given year.

Only use the steam mop on the carpet if it has a carpet glider attachment.

The manufacturer says you can both vacuum and steam sanitize a wood floor using this cleaner. But make sure the hardwood floor is properly sealed before using the steam mop on it. Do not use this steam cleaner if the floors won’t quickly dry out or if there are cracks and grooves where moisture may accumulate.

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