If you want to clean hard floors with steam instead of using a traditional mop and cleaning solution, the BISSELL PowerFresh 1940A is made for that job. It is an upright steam mop with a 12-inch cleaning path, three steam settings, a built-in scrubber, and a removable 16-ounce water tank. It also has a 23-foot power cord, so you can cover a good amount of floor without moving the plug every few minutes.

The basic idea is simple. You add water to the tank, wait for the mop to heat up, choose the steam level, and move it across the floor with the microfiber pad underneath. For dried-on dirt, you can use the flip-down scrubber instead of trying to remove the mess with the mop pad alone. BISSELL says the steam can kill 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and viruses when used as directed.

At the time of writing, the PowerFresh 1940A has a 4.5/5 rating from 48,279 Amazon reviews, an Amazon’s Choice badge, and 4K+ bought in the past month. Customer feedback is especially strong for cleaning performance and ease of use. There is one major issue to keep in mind, though: feedback about durability and reliability is much more negative.

Quick Verdict

The BISSELL PowerFresh 1940A is a good fit if your main job is cleaning sealed hard floors such as tile and sealed hardwood. It is easy to understand and easy to use: fill the tank, select the steam level, and mop. The built-in scrubber is useful when you find dried food, sticky spills, or dirt that does not come off with a normal pass.

The 23-foot cord is another useful feature. You can move around a large room without changing outlets as often. The mop also heats up quickly, with a listed heat time of just 30 seconds, so you do not have to wait several minutes before starting.

The biggest reason to think twice is durability. Many Amazon buyers are happy with the way this mop cleans, but there are also many reports of units leaking, losing steam, or stopping after several months or a relatively small number of uses. So, if you want a steam mop mainly for good cleaning performance and easy everyday use, the 1940A makes sense. If your top priority is long-term reliability, its customer feedback deserves serious consideration.

Product Overview

The PowerFresh 1940A is a 6.2-pound upright steam mop. That means you do not have to push around a heavy floor machine, and you can move it from room to room without much effort. Its 12-inch cleaning path is wide enough to cover a useful section of floor with each pass.

The mop uses 1,500 watts of power and can reach a listed maximum temperature of 212°F. It has three steam settings, so you can choose how much steam you want instead of using one fixed level for every cleaning job. The lower settings can be useful for lighter cleaning, while the higher setting is available when you are dealing with more stubborn dirt.

The water tank holds 16 fluid ounces and comes out of the mop for filling. This is much easier than trying to carry the whole mop to the sink. Once the tank is filled and put back, the mop can be used normally. The tank size is suitable for regular floor cleaning, although a large home or long cleaning session may require a refill.

The table below gives the main specifications in one place.

Key Features

Three Steam Settings

The PowerFresh 1940A lets you choose between three steam levels. This is useful because you do not always need the same amount of steam.

For example, if you are giving a sealed floor a quick clean after a normal day, you may want a lighter steam setting. If there is dried food or a sticky spill on the floor, you can move to a higher setting and spend more time on that area. You control the steam instead of having the mop produce the same amount every time.

Built-In Scrubber for Stuck-On Dirt

One of the most useful parts of this mop is the flip-down Easy Scrubber. It is built into the mop head, so you do not need to keep a separate scrub brush nearby when you find a stubborn spot.

Imagine a dried food spill on the kitchen floor. A normal pass with the microfiber pad may not remove it completely. You can use the scrubber on that spot to help break up the dried dirt, then continue mopping. BISSELL also says the scrubber can be used for grout buildup.

This does not mean the mop will remove every difficult stain instantly. You may still need to work on a very dirty area for a while. The benefit is that the scrubber is already part of the mop and is there when you need it.

23-Foot Power Cord

The PowerFresh 1940A is corded, but the cord is 23 feet long. That gives you a lot of room to move before you need another outlet.

For example, if the outlet is near one side of your living room, the long cord lets you move much farther across the floor without unplugging the mop. This can save time when cleaning several connected areas.

The downside is that the cord stays attached while you clean. You need to move it around furniture and keep it from getting under the mop. So the long cord gives you more reach, but it does not give you the freedom of a cordless mop.

XL Removable Water Tank

The water tank holds 16 fluid ounces and can be removed from the mop. This makes filling much easier because you can take the tank directly to the sink.

You also do not have to fill the tank while it is attached to the entire upright mop. For normal cleaning, that simple design can make the preparation less annoying.

The tank is not unlimited, though. If you are cleaning a large house or spending a long time on the floors, you may need to stop and refill it. That is normal for a steam mop with a tank this size.

Steam Cleaning Without Floor-Cleaning Chemicals

The PowerFresh uses steam to clean the floor, rather than depending on a traditional liquid floor cleaner. BISSELL says the mop kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and viruses when used as directed.

This is one of the main reasons someone may choose a steam mop. You add water, heat it, and use the steam on the floor. You do not need to spread a bottle of floor-cleaning solution across the floor during normal steam cleaning.

However, the sanitization claim should be understood exactly as BISSELL states it: when used as directed. It should not be taken to mean that the mop sterilizes every surface under every condition.

12-Inch Cleaning Path

The mop head has a 12-inch cleaning path. In simple terms, that is the width of the area the mop can cover as you move it across the floor.

A wider cleaning path means you can cover more floor with each pass. The 12-inch size is useful for normal rooms because it gives reasonable coverage without making the mop head so large that moving around furniture becomes difficult.

Washable Microfiber Pads

The PowerFresh uses reusable microfiber mop pads. Instead of throwing the pad away after one cleaning session, you can remove it and wash it for another use.

The supplied information also shows a soft microfiber pad and a scrubby microfiber pad. The soft pad is suitable for normal floor cleaning, while the scrubby style gives you another option when you are dealing with a mess that needs more contact with the floor.

Spring Breeze Fragrance Discs

The mop can also be used with Spring Breeze scent discs. These are meant to add fragrance while you clean.

The discs are not what actually cleans the floor. The steam does the cleaning, while the scent disc is an extra for people who like a fresh smell after mopping. If you do not care about fragrance, this feature is not important to the cleaning performance.

What’s Included

The Amazon listing’s Included Components field lists a Steam Head Attachment. The product information also mentions reusable microfiber mop pads and Spring Breeze fragrance discs, and the supplied product images show the microfiber pads, scent discs, and a carpet glider.

Because Amazon’s listing can present package information in different sections, buyers who are specifically purchasing this model for a particular accessory should check the current package contents on the listing before ordering.

Real-World Performance

The customer feedback gives the clearest picture of what this mop is like to use. The strongest comments are about cleaning floors. Many buyers say it works well on tile and wood floors and removes dirt that is left behind by ordinary mopping. Some also report good results on sticky spills and floors that receive a lot of daily traffic.

The built-in scrubber makes more sense when you think about these harder jobs. Steam can loosen dirt, but a dried spill may still need some physical scrubbing. With the PowerFresh, that brush is already attached to the mop head. You can flip it down, work on the dirty area, and then continue cleaning the rest of the floor.

The mop also gets positive comments for heating quickly. BISSELL lists a 30-second heat time, and many customers say the mop becomes ready quickly. This matters for everyday cleaning because you do not have to plan several minutes of waiting before you can start.

There is one important thing the PowerFresh does not do: it does not suck dirty water from the floor. It is a steam mop, not a wet/dry vacuum. Some customers specifically disliked this because loosened dirt and water are still on the floor and must be handled by the mop pad. If you want a machine that sprays, scrubs, and then sucks the dirty water back up, this is not that type of cleaner.

Design & Build Quality

The PowerFresh 1940A weighs 6.2 pounds, which keeps it fairly easy to move around the home. You use it while standing, so you do not have to bend down and scrub the floor by hand. The upright design also makes the cleaning process familiar if you have used a normal upright mop or floor cleaner before.

The 12-inch mop head gives you a useful amount of floor coverage without becoming extremely wide. This is helpful when cleaning around tables, chairs, kitchen cabinets, and other furniture. The mop is still a floor machine, so very tight spaces may require a smaller cleaning tool.

The 23-foot cord is another practical part of the design. It lets you travel farther from the outlet, which is especially helpful in bigger rooms. But because the cord is always connected, you have to keep an eye on where it is while moving the mop. This is one of the trade-offs of choosing a corded steam mop.

The more serious question is how well the machine holds up over time. Amazon customers do not give a consistent answer here. Some people report using the mop regularly without problems, while others say it leaked, stopped producing steam, or broke after a few months.

That feedback does not mean every unit will fail early. It does mean durability is the biggest concern with this product, especially when compared with the much stronger feedback about cleaning and ease of use. If you are considering the PowerFresh 1940A, this is the part of the product I would pay the most attention to before buying.

Cleaning & Maintenance

The washable microfiber pads make the basic cleanup process simple. After mopping, you can remove the used pad and wash it rather than buying a new pad every time you clean the floor. Having more than one pad can also be useful if you clean several rooms in one session.

The removable water tank is helpful here too. You can take the tank out, empty or refill it at the sink, and put it back into the mop. You do not need to move the complete machine just to handle the water.

The mop does not collect dirty water in a separate container because it is not a wet/dry floor washer. The microfiber pad is the part that comes into contact with the floor and picks up the loosened dirt. That means keeping the pads clean is an important part of getting good results from the mop.

Some Amazon customers mention using distilled water, but the supplied product information does not clearly state that distilled water is a manufacturer requirement. For that reason, it should not be presented as a mandatory rule here. Follow the current BISSELL instructions for the correct water and maintenance procedure.

The machine produces hot steam, so normal care also matters for safety. Use it only on the types of sealed hard floors listed by the manufacturer, and handle the mop head and other hot parts carefully after use.

Pros & Cons

Pros

→ Cleans tile and other sealed hard floors well according to many Amazon buyers.

→ Heats up quickly, with a listed heat time of 30 seconds.

→ Three steam settings let you choose how much steam to use.

→ Built-in Easy Scrubber helps with dried-on dirt and grout buildup.

→ 23-foot power cord gives you plenty of room to move around.

→ Removable 16-ounce water tank is easy to fill at the sink.

→ Reusable microfiber pads can be washed and used again.

→ 6.2-pound weight makes the mop fairly easy to move around the house.

Cons

→ Durability is the biggest concern in customer reviews.

→ Some buyers report that the mop stops producing steam after a few months or after limited use.

→ Some customers report leaks and broken parts.

→ The mop does not pick up dirty water like a wet/dry floor washer.

→ The 16-ounce tank may need a refill during a long cleaning session.

→ The power cord can get in the way while you are cleaning.

→ It is made for sealed hard floors, so it is not a mop for every type of flooring.

Customer Feedback

Amazon buyers are very positive about the actual cleaning results. Many customers say the PowerFresh cleans tile and wood floors well and removes dirt that they were not able to get off with regular mopping. Some also report good results on sticky spills and areas of the floor that receive a lot of daily traffic.

Ease of use is another strong point. Buyers often describe the mop as lightweight, simple to set up, and easy to move around the floor. The quick heat-up is also helpful because you do not have to wait long before starting a cleaning session.

The feedback becomes much more mixed when customers talk about durability. Some owners say the mop continued working well for a long time, but others report leaks, broken parts, loss of steam, or the machine stopping completely after only a few months. This is the main weakness to consider before buying.

There are also some complaints about the fact that the mop does not collect dirty water. It uses steam and a microfiber pad to clean the floor, so it is different from a wet/dry floor cleaner that washes the floor and then sucks up the water.

Customer feedback data below is based on Amazon review information available at the time of writing, so the numbers may change over time.

Best For

→ People who mainly clean sealed tile floors.

→ Homes with sealed hardwood floors that are approved for steam cleaning.

→ Regular floor cleaning where you want to use steam instead of a traditional floor-cleaning solution.

→ Kitchens and other areas where dried food or sticky spills can end up on the floor.

→ Buyers who want a built-in scrubber for tougher spots.

→ People who want a long power cord so they do not have to change outlets often.

→ Buyers who want a steam mop that is simple to set up and use.

Not For

→ People who need a cleaner that sucks up dirty water.

→ Buyers looking for a cordless steam mop.

→ Large homes where you want to clean for a long time without stopping to refill the tank.

→ People who need a steam cleaner for unsealed or unsupported flooring.

→ Buyers whose main priority is long-term reliability, because durability and reliability receive a large amount of negative feedback.

FAQs

Is the BISSELL PowerFresh 1940A good for tile floors?

Yes. Tile is one of the surfaces this mop is made to clean, and many Amazon buyers report good results on tile floors. It can also help with dirt in areas that receive heavy foot traffic.

Can I use the PowerFresh 1940A on hardwood floors?

It is designed for sealed hardwood floors. You should not use a steam mop on flooring that is not suitable for steam cleaning.

How quickly does the PowerFresh 1940A heat up?

BISSELL lists a 30-second heat-up time. Many customers also say that it heats up quickly.

Does the mop have different steam settings?

Yes. It has three steam settings, so you can use a lower or higher amount of steam depending on the cleaning job.

What is the Easy Scrubber used for?

The Easy Scrubber is a brush built into the mop head. You can flip it down when you need extra help with dried-on dirt and grout buildup.

How much water does the tank hold?

The removable water tank holds 16 fluid ounces.

How long is the power cord?

The power cord is 23 feet long. This gives you good reach when cleaning a room and reduces the need to change outlets.

Does this steam mop vacuum up water?

No. The PowerFresh 1940A is a steam mop, not a wet/dry vacuum. It uses steam to loosen dirt and a microfiber pad to clean the floor. It does not suck the dirty water back into a separate tank.

Can the microfiber pads be washed?

Yes. The mop uses reusable washable microfiber pads, so they can be washed and used again.

Does the PowerFresh 1940A use cleaning chemicals?

The mop is designed to clean with steam rather than requiring a traditional floor-cleaning solution. BISSELL also markets it for sanitizing with steam instead of chemicals.

Does it kill germs?

BISSELL says the steam kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and viruses when used as directed. The claim applies when the product is used according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Is the BISSELL PowerFresh 1940A durable?

This is the area where customer feedback is most concerning. Some buyers report good long-term use, but many others report leaks, broken parts, loss of steam, or the mop stopping after a relatively short period.

Final Verdict

The BISSELL PowerFresh 1940A is easy to understand: it is a steam mop for sealed hard floors, with a few features that make tougher cleaning jobs easier. You fill the tank, let it heat, choose a steam level, and move the mop across the floor. When you find a dried-on mess, the built-in scrubber gives you another way to work on it.

The strongest reason to buy this model is its cleaning performance. Customer feedback is very positive about cleaning floors, especially tile and other hard surfaces. The mop also gets good comments for being easy to use and heating up quickly.

The long 23-foot cord and removable water tank make regular cleaning easier, while the washable microfiber pads keep the basic maintenance simple. These are small details, but they matter when you use a floor cleaner regularly.

The problem is durability. The customer feedback shows a clear difference between how people feel about cleaning performance and how they feel about long-term reliability. Many buyers are happy with the cleaning, but there are also many reports of the machine leaking, losing steam, or stopping after months or limited use.

Bottom line: The PowerFresh 1940A is worth considering if you want an easy-to-use steam mop for sealed tile or hardwood floors and you care most about cleaning performance. But if you want the safest choice for long-term reliability, I would compare it with other steam mops before buying.