Bissell Little Green Review

The Bissell Little Green 1400B is worth $129.99 if your problem is spots, not whole rooms: a wine spill on the sofa, a dog accident on the rug, a coffee stain on the car seat. It is not worth buying if you are trying to deep clean wall-to-wall carpet, because the same suction that makes it light enough to carry up stairs also leaves carpet and upholstery damp for hours afterward.

That trade-off shows up across almost every owner and editorial account of this machine. Reviewed.com gave the 1400B its Editors’ Choice award and called it “a workhorse” for targeted spot cleaning, while noting in the same review that cleaned upholstery stays “fairly damp” and rugs can soak through to the floor underneath, sometimes requiring a mop-up pass. That single tension, strong extraction on small areas paired with weak water recovery on anything bigger, is the whole story of this product. These picks and scores come from published specs, certification databases, and named third-party measurements, not a test we ran ourselves; see how we score at /how-we-score/.

Design and setup

This setup description comes from Bissell’s product manual, its Target and Amazon listings, and Reviewed.com’s published review, not a test we ran ourselves. The 1400B is a corded, handheld-style unit with a 15 foot power cord, a 48 ounce clean water tank, and a 48 ounce dirty water tank, confirmed on its Target product page. It weighs 9.7 pounds empty, matching the weight listed on both its Target and Amazon listings. Setup is fill the clean tank, plug in, and go. It ships with a trial 8 ounce bottle of Little Green Formula with OXY plus a 4 inch tool, a crevice tool, and a HydroRinse self-cleaning hose tool, according to the tool list on its Amazon listing. There is no assembly beyond snapping the tank onto the base.

How it scores

Scores below come from the machine’s documented specs, its warranty terms, and a wide read of editorial and verified-buyer reviews, not a test we ran ourselves. Our full scoring method is at /how-we-score/.

Stain and dirt removal, 30 percent of the score

This is where the Little Green earns its reputation. Reviewed.com’s write-up describes it lifting “deep-set debris” from upholstery and notes that watching the dirty water come up during use makes the results easy to verify. Buyer reviews on Amazon repeatedly mention pet stains, food and drink spills, and car interior detailing as the situations where it performs best, which lines up with Bissell’s own framing of the product as a spot and upholstery cleaner rather than a full-room carpet shampooer.

Water recovery and dry time, 20 percent of the score

This is the machine’s weak point. Reviewed.com reports upholstery stays noticeably wet after cleaning and that the suction “won’t get everything” out of the fabric, while owner reports describe carpet taking roughly 2 to 3 hours to dry and upholstery 1 to 2 hours. On rugs over hard flooring, several reviewers note the floor underneath can end up wet enough to need its own cleanup. If you need fast turnaround on a high-traffic spot, plan around this.

Ease of use and weight, 15 percent of the score

At 9.7 pounds empty, the 1400B is easy to carry between rooms, up stairs, or out to a car. Reviewed.com calls it intuitive to operate, and the spray trigger covers a wide area per pass so you are not pumping a lever repeatedly. This is a one-person, one-hand job for most spot jobs.

Tanks and cleanup, 15 percent of the score

Both the clean and dirty tanks hold 48 ounces, which is enough for several spots before a refill. The catch, per Reviewed.com’s review, is that both tanks are “cumbersome” to remove and “spilled very easily” during emptying, and the dirty tank is the less pleasant of the two to deal with. Owner reviews also mention that pet hair can clog the brush head, adding a maintenance step after pet-related cleanups.

The Practical Math

The machine itself is the only cost the 3 year total assumes, because Bissell does not publish a required replacement schedule for parts or filters on this model, and the 1400B can run on plain water if you choose not to buy formula. If you do want the branded solution, Bissell’s Little Green Spot & Stain Formula (model 2038G, 32 ounces) is $12.99 at Target, but how many bottles a household needs in three years depends entirely on how often the machine gets used, so we have left that out of the total rather than guess. The 1400B is a corded electric machine, but it is used in short bursts for spot cleaning rather than for a set number of hours per day, so we have not added an electricity estimate either. Bissell backs the 1400B with a 1 year limited warranty, confirmed on its product support page.

Alternatives

If you clean bigger messes often enough that dry time matters more than price, Bissell’s own SpotClean Pro line sits above the Little Green with a larger, heavier body built around stronger extraction for bigger area rugs and stairs, at a higher price point. If your actual problem is refreshing wall-to-wall carpet across a room rather than spot cleaning, Hoover’s PowerDash Pet Compact is a lighter-weight upright carpet cleaner built for that job, and it is a different category of machine than the Little Green rather than a direct swap.

Who should skip it

Skip the Little Green if you are trying to deep clean an entire room of carpet, since its small tanks and handheld design mean constant refilling and emptying over a large area. Skip it too if you cannot tolerate a rug or cushion staying damp for a couple of hours after cleaning, since faster-drying results generally come from machines with stronger extraction, which this one does not have.

FAQ

Is the Bissell Little Green good for pet stains?

Owner reviews and Reviewed.com’s write-up both point to pet messes as one of its strongest use cases, especially on upholstery and car interiors, though pet hair can clog the brush head and needs to be cleared out after use.

How long does the Little Green take to dry?

Based on owner reports, expect roughly 2 to 3 hours for carpet and 1 to 2 hours for upholstery, since the machine does not extract as much water as stronger portable extractors.

Does the Little Green come with cleaning solution?

It ships with a trial 8 ounce bottle of Little Green Formula with OXY. After that, a 32 ounce refill (model 2038G) runs $12.99 at Target, and the machine can also run on plain water.

What is the difference between the Little Green and the SpotClean Pro?

The SpotClean Pro is Bissell’s larger, heavier portable cleaner built for stronger extraction on bigger area rugs and stairs, while the Little Green is the lighter, more compact option built around small spots and upholstery.

Is the Little Green worth it for whole-room carpet cleaning?

Not really. Its 48 ounce tanks and handheld design are built for targeted spots, not full rooms. For whole-room work, see our picks at /best-carpet-cleaners/.