How To Clean Bissell CrossWave - Best Ways To Clean Your Bissell CrossWave

Own a CrossWave? Here's the deal: spending just 10 minutes on maintenance after each use can double its lifespan. The better you take care of it, the better it'll perform and the longer it'll last.

This guide on how to clean Bissell CrossWave will show you all the steps—no fluff, just what works.

One of the most well-liked wet and dry vacuum cleaners available is the Bissell CrossWave

Why You Should Regularly Clean Your Bissell CrossWave

Just like every other household product, your Bissell CrossWave needs regular maintenance in order to last and perform well.

Here's a quick test. Picture this: You've got two identical CrossWaves. One gets cleaned after every use. The other? Left sitting with dirty water for weeks. You'd spot the difference immediately. The neglected one will have weak, unreliable cleaning performance. Rather than cleaning up your floor, it'll leave dirty streaks on the surface—this is a real problem that's commonly found in poorly maintained Bissell CrossWaves.

Basically, if you have a dirty CrossWave, your house will be cleaner if you skip vacuuming altogether.

Beyond this point, without regular cleaning, your Bissell CrossWave will wear down faster. The air filter and the brush will be clogged with dirt until they give out. You'll have to spend money and time replacing these parts more often. The vacuum itself could become worn down, too. You may end up replacing the whole vacuum before the end of its service life.

The good news? Spend some time taking care of your vacuum now. You'll save money in the long run.

Take some time to maintain your vacuum

Which Part of Your Bissell CrossWave Has to be Cleaned?

According to Bissell, there are four main components that you need to focus on. They are:

• Dirty water tank
• Brush roll
• Brush chamber
• Easy clean storage tray

In reality, there's another part that you have to check up on every once in a while, that is the air filter and the float. You have six parts that you need to clean.

We'll show you how to clean Bissell CrossWave parts in today's maintenance guide.

Bissell CrossWave Cleaning Instructions

Quick note: this guide applies to all Bissell CrossWave vacuums, including the Pet Pro variant. They all share the same design for the most part.

Wondering what the differences are between the normal Bissell CrossWave and the CrossWave Pet Pro? See our Bissell CrossWave Pet Pro here for more details.

Before You Start

Before you clean your Bissell CrossWave, switch the vacuum off and pull the power plug. Never attempt to do any kind of maintenance while power is still on. This will minimize the chance of electrocution or fire.

As for tools, you don't need much aside from a microfiber cloth.

How to Clean Your Bissell CrossWave Dirty Water Tank

There are two water tanks on a Bissell CrossWave: a clean water tank and a dirty water tank.

The clean water tank supplies water to mop your floor. Once that clean water hits the floor, it picks up all the dirt and gunk. Your CrossWave then sucks up that dirty water and deposits it into the second tank—dedicated to storing dirty water. The result? A clean, shiny floor.

You must clean the dirty water tank after every cleaning session. Don't let the dirty water sit there for days on end. The dirty water could stink up your vacuum.

Step 1: Release the Tank

Find the release button at the top of the dirty water tank. It sits in a small indent—a shallow groove you can press with your finger. Press down on it, then grab the handle protruding from the front of the tank. Pull outward and the tank will come loose from the vacuum's body.

Step 2: Remove the Top

To access the inside of the tank, remove the top. The air filter is located at the top of the dirty water tank. We'll talk more about cleaning this component later in the article.

Look for the small grooves on either side of the tank—they're next to where the filter sits in the middle. Grab onto these grooves and use them as handles. Pull upward. The top should come off easily.

Step 3: Pour Out the Content and Clean

With the top off, you have access to the inside of the dirty water tank.

Take it to the sink. Pour out the dirty water. Check for stuck debris—if you find any, use an old fork to pry them out.

Rinse your tank under cold water. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear.

Step 4: Leave the Tank to Dry

After you rinse it, wipe the tank down with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Don't put the tank back just yet. Leave it somewhere with good airflow to dry for a few hours before you reinstall it.

Step 5: Clean the Water Tank's Seat

While the tank is drying, come back to the vacuum and check where the tank connects. If it's wet or dirty, wipe it clean with your cloth.

Air Filter

After you've finished cleaning the tank itself, it's time to move onto the air filter. Side note: the air filter is replaceable and Bissell recommends that you replace it every six months for best performance.

Step 1: Remove the Air Filter

If you got this far, you'll notice the air filter sitting at the top of the tank. The removal process is simple: hold onto it and tug upward. The filter will pop off its holder.

Step 2: Clean the Filter

There are two parts inside of the filter. There's the filter itself and then a screen to trap dirt and debris. The screen is installed on a hinge and can be flipped upward to reveal the internal filter. Clean both components.

The filter actually consists of two sections

Grab a large bowl, take it to your sink, and fill it with warm water. Add a few drops of mild detergent. Mix until the water becomes soapy.

Soak the filter and rinse carefully. Gently scrub every detail so that every particle of dirt comes off the filter and screen. You can flip the screen upward to make scrubbing easier.

Step 3: Rinse Again and Dry

Once the filter package is clean, rinse it again in clean water so that all of the soapy residue comes off. Put the filter next to the dirty water tank in an airy place for a couple of hours to dry.

Float

The float is located at the bottom of the dirty water tank. Its job is to prevent the tank from overflowing. When the tank becomes full, the float will activate and shut down the motor to stop it from sucking in more water. Then, it'll tell the vacuum to emit a high-pitched alarm noise to tell you that it's time to empty the tank.

Since the float is in direct contact with the dirty water, it has to be cleaned, too.

Step 1: Locate the Float

The float is at the bottom of the dirty water tank. When you remove the top and the tank, you'll end up with a bare bottom piece. This piece contains the float.

Step 2: Clean the Float

Take the whole bottom piece to your sink and turn on the tap. Clean every detail with water until it's clean.

Step 3: Put Out to Dry

Set the bottom piece next to the dirty water tank and the air filter to dry. Once everything's dry after a few hours, reassemble and reinstall them back onto the vacuum.

Brush Roll and Brush Chamber

The brush roll is another crucial component of your CrossWave. It scrubs the floor and dislodges stubborn dirt and debris, allowing the vacuum to suck them up more easily. It has to be cleaned so that it won't be jammed or damaged by loose debris or tangled up by pet hair.

Similar to the air filter, Bissell recommends getting a new brush roll every six months to maintain best performance.

To ensure peak performance, Bissell advises purchasing a new brush roll once every six months

Fortunately, Bissell has made the cleaning process simple.

Step 1: Remove the Brush Roll Window

The brush roll window is the protective transparent plastic piece at the front of the vacuum's cleaning head. At the top is a small indent where you can put your fingers. Grab onto it and pull upward to remove it.

Step 2: Take Off the Brush Roll

Check either end of the brush roll, near where it connects to the vacuum, to find a small tab—it looks like a plastic handle sticking out. Grab the tab and tug upward. You can remove the brush roll after it disconnects from the vacuum.

Step 3: Wash the Brush Roll and the Brush Roll Window

Take both the brush roll and the brush roll window to your sink and rinse them in clean water. Keep rinsing until the water running through them turns clear.

Pet owners, pay attention to this next part. If your brush roll has knots of pet hair running through the bristle, use a knife, a pair of scissors, or a razor blade to cut through the knots. You can easily untangle everything afterward. This is the single most important step for keeping your Pet Pro running smooth.

Step 4: Clean the Brush Roll Chamber

Now, set the two pieces aside and focus on the brush roll chamber—the compartment that the brush roll sits in. It should be dusty in there, so grab your cloth and wipe everything down.

Step 5: Put the Brush Roll and the Brush Roll Window Out to Dry

Set the two pieces somewhere with good airflow for a few hours until they dry.

Step 6: Reassemble

Once dry, reverse the removal process to reinstall everything.

Easy Clean Storage Tray

If you have a self-cleaning storage tray, here's how to use it to clean your brush roll.

Step 1: Fill Up the Tray

Pour water to the MAX line on the tray, then place the vacuum on top.

Step 2: Turn on the Vacuum

Switch the vacuum to Hard Floor mode, then recline the vacuum backward. Let the vacuum run for around 10 to 15 seconds until all of the water inside of the tray is picked up. You can repeat the process as many times as you want.

Step 3: Remove the Brush Roll Window and Brush Roll

The first and second steps in the preceding section are identical to this. Take hold of the brush roll window and pull it out. Next, remove the brush roll from the vacuum by pulling on it with the pull tab.

Step 4: Put the Brush Roll Upright to Dry

Plug the brush roll onto the Brush Roll Drying Tray. The brush roll will stand upright when it's plugged in, allowing it to dry out more quickly.

Step 5: Reinstall Once Dry

When the brush roll is dry, reinstall it back to the vacuum along with the brush roll window.

Keep Your CrossWave Running Like New

And that's it! Ten minutes of cleaning today equals years of reliable performance tomorrow. Bissell has made it easy for users to maintain their vacuum. Now that you know how to clean Bissell CrossWave, it won't take you long to get used to it. Two or three tries are all it'll take until the maintenance steps become second nature.

Your CrossWave—and your floors—will thank you.

Set a 10-minute timer now. Clean your CrossWave before your next use. You'll notice the difference immediately—stronger suction, cleaner floors, zero streaks. Your vacuum will perform like it did on day one.

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!

And while we're on the topic, if you're interested in learning how to use the Bissell CrossWave, we have a separate tutorial showing you how.

In addition, we also got some collections of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) from our readers about things like "Can you use the Bissell CrossWave on carpet?". It's worth checking out if you're wondering the same thing.