Cleaning carpets requires more than just removing surface debris with a vacuum cleaner. To extend the life of your carpet, as well as make it as visually pleasing as it was the day you brought it home, you’re going to need a carpet cleaner.
Today, we’re looking at Bissell’s ProHeat 2X 1986 Carpet Cleaner, a unique appliance that does easy work out of otherwise challenging maintenance tasks. Read our review to see whether this upright carpet cleaner is right for you.

Double-Action DirtLifter PowerBrush
The 1986’s only weapon or deep-cleaning carpets is its Dual DirtLifter PowerBrush. With two motorized brush rolls, each studded with four rows of stiff bristles, this carpet cleaner has a greater chance of removing the stubbornest stains in just a few quick passes.
Users rave about how this unit requires no downward pushing to strike old stains at the roots of carpets and area rugs.
EZ Clean Removable Nozzle
When it comes to cleaning a carpet cleaner, the biggest hassle everyone has is removing debris and pet hair from the brush rolls. Thanks to the EZ Clean Removable Nozzle, you won’t have such a problem with the 1986.

The nozzle is transparent, allowing you to take notice of whatever contaminants are stuck on the brush rolls. By detaching the nozzle completely, you can snip away tangled pet hair or gently scrub off any lingering bits of dirt.
CleanShot PreTreater
Something that we don’t see very often in carpet cleaners is a dedicated pretreatment spray. The 1986’s CleanShot PreTreater is controlled by depressing a trigger, which dispenses a tiny quantity of your chosen cleaning solution. This system reduces how much pretreatment solution is used by focusing it on a tiny area per pull of the trigger.
Express Cleaning Mode
One of the best features in this beast of a carpet cleaner is the Express cleaning mode. This mode activates the ProHeat function, which gently dries your carpets with warm air as you push and pull the device.

On average, it takes carpets just 30 minutes to be as dry as a bone after each cleaning session. Only use this mode when dealing with fresh stains.
1-Gallon Dual-Tank System
Built with a 1-gallon dual-tank system, the 1986 holds onto enough water and cleaning solution mix to clean entire floors on just a single tankful of water. Dividing clean water from contaminated water ensures that you never accidentally spray dirty water back onto your carpets, providing a better clean with minimal effort.

Bonus Cleaning Tools
What makes the ProHeat 1986 such an effective tool is how it has the ability to clean above-ground surfaces.
With your purchase, you’ll get two awesome cleaning tools—a 3-inch tough stain remover for getting at set-in stains from carpeted steps and upholstery, as well as a 2-in-1 Pet Tool that works beautifully at removing hair from furniture and auto interior.
Bissell Carpet Cleaner Comparison
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Bissell | TurboClean PowerBrush Pet | ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet | JetScrub Pet | ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro |
Benefit | Tackles Tough Pet Messes | Outcleans the Leading Rental | Bissel’s Best Upright Spot & Stain Cleaner | Bissel’s Best Deep Cleaning System for Pet Messes |
Weight | 12 lbs | 18 lbs | 13.7 lbs | 20 lbs |
Clean Tank Capacity | .5 gallon | 1 gallon | .5 gallon | 1 gallon |
Power Cord Length | 20 ft | 22 ft | 20 ft | 25 ft |
Heatwave Technology | n/a | Yes | n/a | Yes |
Surface Type | Carpet & Area Rugs | Carpet, Upholstery & Area Rugs | Carpet & Area Rugs | Carpet, Upholstery & Area Rugs |
Dries in About 30 Minutes with Express Clean Mode | n/a | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CleanShot Pretreater | n/a | n/a | Yes | Yes |
Removable Brush Roll Cover | n/a | n/a | Yes | Yes |
Tools Included | n/a | 3" Tough Stain Tool & Pet Stain Tool | n/a | 3" Tough Stain Tool and 2-in-1 Pet Upholstery Tool |
Middle-Weight, Heavy-Duty
Something that might put some people off is the sheer size of the Bissell 1986. It weighs about 17.5 pounds (dry weight), so it’s far from being the most lightweight carpet cleaner out there. However, with its massive motor and tank size, there’s little reason to doubt this carpet cleaner’s amazing performance and efficiency.

- Every Purchase Saves Pets. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission...
- Engineered to be our best and most powerful carpet cleaning system for the toughest pet...

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Last Update: 2023-09-23 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API