There are few things in life that skeeve me out more than a dingy sofa and a grimy rug. Just the thought of lounging around crumbs, hairballs and hardened stains is enough to give me stress hives. Yet, hard as I’ve tried, it’s become nearly impossible to maintain my cream-colored sofa (which is a lot coming from a home editor who researches the best stain solutions and steam cleaners for a living). Until one day, I saw it on TikTok: Bissell’s Little Green Machine. It could restore filthy sofas, suction crumb-filled carpets and revive coffee-stained car seats—all at the press of a button. Instantly, I was blown away by what this portable, sage-tinted wet vac could do (and I’m not the only one). The #LittleGreenMachine hashtag has accumulated more than 73.4 million views on TikTok alone, and people can’t seem to get enough of watching this machine work.
Is Bissell’s Little Green Machine Really Worth It? We Review TikTok’s Favorite Portable Steam Cleaner
PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here.
Naturally, we had to see if this thing lives up to the hype. Below, find a full review of the Little Green Machine, plus a video from PureWow’s new series, Take My Money, that shows exactly what this baby can do.
- Value: 19/20
- Functionality: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Aesthetics: 16/20
- Stain-Fighting Ability: 18/20
TOTAL: 90/100
First thing’s first: Why is everyone so obsessed with this thing? Well, for one, it weighs just under ten pounds—making it lightweight and easy to tote around—and its compact design allows you to store it virtually anywhere. And for another, it comes with all the tools you need, including a self-cleaning hose, a brush head and a stain remover spray. It's also equipped with two holding tanks: one for cleaner and one for collecting dirt.
And don’t worry, despite its little size, the tank can hold up to 48 ounces of cleaner at a time (so you won't have to drain it after each use). What’s more, it takes the guesswork out of stain removal with easy-to-follow instructions and a simple setup. All you need to do is fill up the water tank and add two caps of the accompanying solution before turning it on.
Still, aside from its innovative, compact design and fool-proof instructions, what makes the Little Green worth its $122 price tag is that it delivers on its promise: scrubbing and suctioning stains with expert-level skill. “My craigslist couch has never looked better,” says former social strategist Ali Brown in the video (below).
Brown puts the Little Green Machine through a four-part cleaning test. On the first level, she spills sangria and jam on a carpet to vet its stain-fighting abilities: “You start out by soaking the stain in the solution and letting it sit for at least 10 minutes. Then, vacuum up the mess,” she instructs.
After 10 minutes, the verdict is in: “OK, this is pretty impressive and really satisfying,” says Brown. As you can see, the machine doesn’t completely remove stain colors from the carpet, but it does a pretty good job of restoring it to a passable condition. (Still, if you’re looking to clean a fluffy white rug with dog pee on it, you’d probably be better off using a more heavy-duty steam cleaner.)
Finally, on levels three and four of the test, Brown does an “old-couch revamp” before attempting to restore her dad’s “absolutely disgusting truck.” After ten minutes of cleaning each, she reveals just how much dirt, grime and debris the machine can accumulate. And trust us, if you haven’t watched the video, you’ll want to skip to 2:45 to see these results. The water goes from clear to “chocolate milk brown,” leaving the sofa and her dad’s car looking 5-years younger. Basically, the machine works like cleaning botox for both upholstered items.
Brown concludes: “The Little Green is worth [$122], mainly because it's super easy to use right when you take it out of the box, you only need a little solution, (otherwise, it's mostly just water) so you're not spending a lot of money after you buy the product…and it takes stains out really well…my biggest con, though, would be that it's pretty big for my small New York City Apartment.” (It'd also be nice if it were cordless.)
Overall, however, she gives it a 90 out of 100: “If you live in a house, you're gonna love it.”
