KEEPING HOMES CLEAN SINCE 1876

BISSELL have been keeping homes spotlessly clean for almost 150 years. In 1876, Melville and Anna Bissell owned a crockery shop in which dust and breakages would be a daily occurrence. So Melville developed a carpet sweeping machine to keep the family store neat and tidy at all times. It was so effective, word spread, demand rose and soon BISSELL were selling far more carpet sweepers than cups and saucers, over 1000 a day. 

When Melville BISSELL died in 1889, his wife Anna stepped in to lead the business, becoming the first female CEO in the US. She passionately defended the company’s patents and successfully marketed sweepers throughout North America and Europe. In the late 1890s BISSELL even gained Royal approval by supplying sweepers to Queen Victoria. The Queen decreed that all the Royal palaces should be “BISSELLed” every week.

A SHAMPOO...FOR CARPETS

In 1956, we introduced the manual carpet shampooer, liberating people from the practice of scrubbing carpets on hands and knees. And by the end of the 60s, we were looking at solutions for all kinds of floors. Making multi floor cleaning far more effective and a lot less trouble. First, introducing the combined Vac/Floor scrubber, Dry Powder Rug Shampoo and Applicator. As well as the Gemini Sweeper - the first two-brush sweeper.

THE BIG GREEN CLEAN MACHINE

In 1979, we introduced the first BISSELL deep cleaning machine for carpets. With its own independent water tank, cleaning carpets became more convenient and far more effective. Later we created the BISSELL Big Green Clean Machine®, offering professional carpet cleaning results without hiring professionals.  In the 90's, we introduced the PowerGroom®. The first BISSELL-branded upright vacuum which more than lived up to its name.

THE BEST A PET CAN GET- HOME CARE & PET WELFARE

Pets are often part of the family but research told us the cleaning that comes with them is a key reason people decide against owning a pet or worse, give them up for adoption. 

So in 2005, we launched the SpotBot®, our first portable deep cleaner designed specifically for cleaning up after pets.

Under the leadership of Cathy BISSELL (owner of three black labs), we continued to support the pet community through contributions to U.S. pet charities. In 2011, she founded the BISSELL Pet Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps lost, abused, neglected and abandoned pets by raising funds through the sale of BISSELL pet products.

Since its inception, the BISSELL Pet Foundation has raised more than $500,000 for over 375 organizations in 43 States. We are deeply committed to helping pets find homes. Our goal is to raise $250,000 annually through pet product sales to support the life-saving work of the foundation. We're also showing BISSELL customers that, with the right cleaning tools they can focus on the joy and companionship provided by their pets, nothing else.

Now home to a deeper clean

To this very day, BISSELL is still family-owned and passionate about helping you effectively and easily clean your home so you can put down the vacuum, enjoy life and come home to a deeper clean. All in all, whether your messes are baby food or red wine, mud or chocolate, cat hair or pet accident, we’re here to help you embrace those messes, erase them in a jiffy, and get on with the most meaningful aspect of your home - living in it.