How to Clean Stairs With Bissell Carpet Cleaner [What It Can & Can’t Do]

No wonder Bissell is a household name when it comes to cleaning floors.

And stairs are where Bissell excels, even though it doesn’t look that way! Especially their 3-in-1 stick vacs, as they are the lightest and most convenient to drag up and down.

And among those, cordless models are best by far, or obvious reasons. Nothing to get in your way!

But this is not to say that Bissell is an all-powerful vac. If there’s dirt and stains underneath all the grime and pet hair, you’ll need a steam cleaner to break them down and whoosh them out. Just use an adequate hose attachment to get into the corners of the stairs.

Step 1: Clean the Top of the Stairs

The first step is to tackle the hardened grime and dirt on your carpets. And here’s the trick: if you happen to own any of their 5 ICONpet models, get the Motorized TurboBrush tool that’s compatible with all of them. 

Twist the attachment until it is set to the turbo brush tool. The downward-facing corner of the tool indicates the setting that’s currently active.

This brush is the flat brush edge. Gently run the tool over the tops of your stairs, scrubbing at patches where grime is especially stuck. You can also use the spray button to release the carpet cleaning solution as you go. But that’s only if you’re not planning to steam clean later!

Step 2: Clean the Sides of the Steps

Once you’ve got the worst of the grime off your steps using the dry brush, it’s time to turn to the sides of the steps. For this step, twist the tool so that the indented brush faces downward. 

Now, just like you did with the flat tool, run the indented tool over the sides of the steps. This should help you pick up dirt and debris that’s trapped on this part of the stairs. 

Step 3: Clean the Crevices

The crevices are the toughest part of the stairs to clean. For this step, you’ll twist the attachment to the pointed side. 

From there, run the tool along the crevices of your staircase. Make sure to use the spray button to release carpet cleaner into the stairs to help lift out deep stains. 

Step 4: Vacuum

Now, it’s time to vacuum the steps. You need a strong cordless vacuum for this step, which is why a Bissell is such a great choice. 

For this step, you’ll remove the stair cleaning tool and manually lift your vacuum on each step. If your vac isn’t cordless, make sure that you have a long cord or an extension cord to ensure you can make it the entire way up and down the stairs. 

Step 5: Steam Clean

Steam is optional – only if you want a more thorough cleaning! Or if you have any greasy stains (or things like cat pee.) The reason this is so important is that it helps deep clean the fibers of the carpet and makes sure that you lift up dirt that’s trapped deep in your stairs. 

Just like with the vacuum cleaner, you’ll need to lift the steam cleaner onto each individual step. I recommend starting at the top of the stairs and working your way down so that you don’t get trapped upstairs when you finish.

After you’ve gone over each step, allow the stairs to fully dry. You won’t be able to go up and down the stairs after you steam clean, so it’s a good idea to work on your steps in the morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Use a Carpet Cleaner on the Stairs?

Every carpet cleaner is different. But typically, you’ll want to start at the top and work your way down. For a thorough cleaning, you should dry brush to pick up the hairs, then vacuum and shampoo – or steam clean for the finishing touch. 

How Do You Use a Bissell Vacuum for the Stairs?

The best Bissell model for stairs is any from their ICONpet edition as they are compatible with the 3-in-1 Motorized Turbobrush attachment. If you don’t have the attachment or an adequate model, you can use a dry brush and your vacuum cleaner’s standard attachments. 

Does Bissell Crosswave Work on Stairs?

Many people love the Bissell Crosswave because it works on a variety of different pieces of furniture and types of carpets. You can use this vacuum cleaner on the stairs if you need to get grime off your staircases. However, keep in mind that it works best on hard floors! So no, it’s not THE best Bissell option for stairs.