You Have To See the Before-and-After Amazon Review Photos for the Bissell ProHeat Carpet Cleaner

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There's a lot of action in my household. The least of which is a dirty shoe problem that I've tried to eliminate by mandating everyone must take their shoes off the minute they come in the door. And, yet, I'm still the only one who does. Maybe I need start doling out our potty-training stash of Skittles for every tiny pair of shoes I find lined up by the door. Between the shoe treads, peanut butter and jelly smears, milk spills, marker lines, muddy paw prints, and more, my once crisp ivory sofa, cream-colored rugs, and beige buffalo check pillows (all of which were pre-children purchases, clearly) have seen better days. But just when I thought all was lost, the Bissell ProHeat Carpet Cleaner entered my life and I instantly declared it a game changer for any family who does a lot of living in their home while still aiming for the appearance that they don't—that's me. BUY IT: $249.99; amazon.com

Bissell's most powerful carpet cleaning system to date, the Pro Heat 2X Revolution Pet Pro, is designed to handle not only the average, everyday messes and spills, but also those tricky, stubborn, and oftentimes smelly pet situations that seem to follow our four-legged friends around like fur balls. It packs in 12 rows of rotating, cleaning power with the Dual DirLifter PowerBrushes. The result? Professional level cleaning that wipes out stains, odors, dirt, and allergens. It's a one-stop shop for your cleanest, sneeze-free home ever, and I can't recommend it enough. One use in and you'll already be close to saving on what it would have cost to get a professional company to do the work for you.

It took me about an hour to clean one sofa and two 5x8 rugs the first time I gave it a go, but don't be alarmed. Just as I wouldn't call in the pros every week for a deep clean, this is not the type of machine that you will likely need to pull out of the closet more than once a month—if not every few months.

I started by cleaning the fur off my couch with the 2-in-1 pet tool that has both wet and dry modes. I usually grab my Dyson handheld vacuum to zip over my couches, but the convenience of the 2-in-1, plus its surprising power made quick work of the defurring process.

The system uses a tank of hot water plus a few ounces of Bissell cleaning formula to work its magic. Paired with the rotating brushes, it can start eliminating messes on the first run. I found that working in sections of a few feet, in a horizontal pattern, kept the cord tangle free and helped streamline the process. Per the user manual, I did one dry run per every wet run—going over each section twice. If you skip the dry runs your rug or upholstery will be absolutely sopping by the time you're finished.

Additional features include the CleanShot Pretreater that can target concentrated spots, an express mode that will dry within 30 minutes, and easy access to the brush roll which allows you to keep the tool in tip-top shape without the hassle.

The results were absolutely on par with what I've come to expect from the pros, unfortunately, it just requires a bit more elbow grease than plugging in a few details to an online scheduling form. But after factoring in the cost savings, I doubt I'll ever go back.

Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro Full-Size Carpet Cleaner

BUY IT: $249; amazon.com

If you’re a sucker for before and after photos, pour yourself a drink and get comfy because you’re about to hit the mother lode. Paw prints? Gone. Chocolate syrup? Wiped out. Wear and tear? Nonexistent.