The Bissell SteamShot Deluxe hard-surface cleaner is so hot right now — literally and figuratively. (Sorry, we cannot resist a steam-cleaning pun!) The handheld cleaning tool uses water to create steam that can deep-clean virtually any hard, nonporous surface, from grout lines to large household appliances.
The Bissell SteamShot Deluxe is also all over TikTok these days, with creators using it to make visually arresting cleaning content featuring dramatic plumes of steam. But a cleaning tool that looks cool on TikTok can easily turn into clutter, so we were curious to see how it performed — and how it stacks up against other cleaning tools that we’ve used and recommended.
The Bissell SteamShot Deluxe is a handheld steam cleaner and sanitizer that can be used for a wide range of seasonal and deep-cleaning jobs. There are some drawbacks and safety concerns, but all in all, the SteamShot is an incredibly powerful cleaning tool,?especially for using on grout. It comes in white and light-green colors depending on where you shop.
What I liked about it
The thing I liked most about this tool was how much fun it was blasting the heck out of everything in my home. Your mileage may vary, but I love using power tools. They make me feel so hardcore, and the Bissell SteamShot Deluxe is a truly incredible little tool. In addition to being a lot of fun to use, the SteamShot was a standout when it came to several tough deep-cleaning jobs.
It’s the tool for scrubbing grout
It takes a lot for a cleaning agent or tool to blow my mind, but the Bissell SteamShot Deluxe blew my mind when I used it to deep-clean a stubborn patch of dingy grout in my bathroom. It blasted the grime away, and?I could see pools of dirty water forming along the grout line as the tool advanced forward. It was spectacular.
In addition to how incredibly effective the SteamShot was at cleaning the grout, I also like that it did so using only the power of water and electricity. Many of the most effective grout-cleaning agents, like X-14 or ZEP Grout Cleaner and Brightener, contain chlorine bleach or other harsh ingredients, and using them can be unpleasant (or even dangerous). Gentler grout cleaning agents, like OxiClean, require more time and effort to achieve the same result the SteamShot delivered with just a few minutes of work.
So, get the ticker tape ready and plan the parade because it’s time to celebrate the arrival of a new top-tier grout cleaner: I’m prepared to officially declare that the Bissell SteamShot Deluxe is the Thing for cleaning grout.
It’s versatile
The Bissell SteamShot Deluxe is a hard-surface cleaning tool that can perform a ton of deep-cleaning jobs, as well as tasks associated with spring cleaning, including appliance care, sanitizing bathroom fixtures and scrubbing grout.
Some of the tasks I used the SteamShot for included:
- Scrubbing grout
- Deep-cleaning the lip of the bathroom sink
- Steam cleaning faucets
- Deep-cleaning the area around the base of the toilet
- Scouring baked-on food in the oven
- Cleaning the glass cooktop and the space between the appliance and the counters
- Sanitizing the kitchen counters
The sanitizing properties of the SteamShot make it a tool that can steam clean children’s toys and sporting equipment, as well as pet toys, beds, food/water bowls and crates.
The SteamShot can also be used to steam clothes and, if the upholstery can safely be wet-cleaned, furniture like couches, sofas, armchairs and mattresses.
Great attachment options and design
The SteamShot comes with an assortment of attachments designed for various uses; the included tools vary by model, and additional tools can be purchased separately. The model I tested came with three round detail brushes (two short, color-coded brushes to allow users to designate them for specific messes or rooms to prevent cross-contamination, and a third longer brush); a grout brush; a flat scraping tool; an angled tool; and a wide nozzle that can be fitted with a squeegee for glass surfaces or with a bonnet for steaming fabric. A flexible hose designed to extend the range of the handheld SteamShot completed the suite of accessories.
The only attachment that could use a redesign is the flexible hose. I was glad to see an option that extended the range of the handheld SteamShot, and the fact that it was flexible rather than rigid seemed promising. But in practice, I found it awkward to use.
The cord length allowed for a lot of movement
In contrast to the relative uselessness of the flexible hose attachment, the SteamShot’s extra-long cord proved to be one of its most impressive design features. The 20-foot cord allows you enough range to move about while the tool is in use without having to stop, unplug the unit and plug it into a closer outlet.
While a corded tool will not give you the freedom that a cordless, rechargeable tool might, Bissell mitigated that drawback by designing the SteamShot with a long cord.
It’s so, so fun to use
It’s hard to overstate how much fun I had using the Bissell SteamShot. The first job I used it for was to tackle the interior of my oven — which, in preparation for this review I had banged up by making lasagna, bacon and a bunch of other splattery foods. When I hit the oven floor with the first blast of steam I said out loud to absolutely no one, “Oh heck yeah!” (Except that “heck” was not the word I used.) If my hands hadn’t been occupied with the SteamShot, I probably would have fist-pumped.
What I didn’t like about it
While the Bissell SteamShot Deluxe was a ton of fun to use and had a number of deep-cleaning applications, there were some issues worth flagging for people who are considering investing in one.
Safety concerns
As a cleaning expert, a topic I care deeply about is safety. I have written about safety issues including disaster cleanup, how to clean when someone has been sick with an infectious disease and preventing household accidents due to improper use of cleaning agents. The safety and good health of my audience is something I take seriously, and while I do recommend the Bissell SteamShot, I do so with reservations because this can be a very dangerous cleaning tool.
The steam presents a burn hazard, especially when changing attachments or performing short-range cleaning jobs where your hands may be in close to the steam. It is crucial to use this tool with caution and to follow all the safety instructions provided by the manufacturer exactly.
Given the safety concerns at play, I would not recommend this tool to people with rambunctious or curious school-aged children who might mistake it for a fun toy or for people with dexterity issues or other physical impairments that might make using this tool an accident waiting to happen.
Mixed results in the kitchen
I was wowed by the Bissell SteamShot’s performance in the bathroom, but the results in the kitchen were more of a mixed bag. It blasted away a tomato sauce spill from a recent lasagna overflow with ease, but it could not touch an older patch of baked-on cooking residue. It was a bust for cleaning my glass oven door, and it did nothing to dislodge gunk from the lip between the stovetop and counter, even when I used the flat scraping tool to get in there.
Other reviewers used the tool for cleaning a refrigerator, but the risk of thermal shock shattering cold glass surfaces put me off the idea altogether. Ditto with window cleaning: The thought of potentially shattering a window gave me anxiety, and I decided that if I had the anxiety, it was enough of a reason to punt on using the SteamShot for that particular job.
Limited surface cleaning uses
In addition to the safety issues around using the SteamShot on glass surfaces, there are some materials that the SteamShot cannot be used to clean. These include:
- Painted surfaces
- Plastic and vinyl
- Wax-polished floors and furniture
- Heat- or steam-sensitive fabrics like velvet, leather and synthetic fabrics
- Porous hard surfaces like laminate, granite and some types of tile
Counterintuitive indicator light design
It’s a small thing, but the light that indicates that the water is hot enough to create the necessary steam turns on while in heating mode —?and turns off when the unit is ready to use. It’s a strange choice that, to me, felt counterintuitive and confusing.
Bottom line
I love the Bissell SteamShot so much I might reconsider my stance on a second marriage so that I may wed this tiny, delightful, incredibly powerful cleaning tool.
However, I recommend it with two reservations: The first is that there are very real safety concerns to consider. The second is that, while it is indeed a powerful and effective cleaning tool, it is not an absolutely necessary one. If money or storage space are concerns for you, or you’re looking to cut back on unnecessary consumption, skip it.
For people looking for a lightweight but powerful cleaning tool for deep-cleaning jobs or to lend some muscle to spring cleaning tasks, the Bissell SteamShot Deluxe is a cleaning tool that’s well worth investing in.
