CPSC, BISSELL Announce Recall to Repair Upright Carpet Cleaners

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of product: BISSELL upright carpet deep cleaners (model numbers listed below)

Units: About 750,000

Manufacturer: BISSELL Homecare Inc., of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Hazard: The carpet cleaner's metal upper handle can pose an electric shock hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: BISSELL has received six reports of consumers receiving shocks from the unit.

Description: The recalled upright carpet deep cleaners have an open handgrip, a partially metal handle and come in a variety of colors. The word "BISSELL" is printed on the front of the unit. The recalled carpet cleaners have date codes beginning with 01, 02, 03 or 04 and include the following models:

PowerLifter® Plus (model number 1620)
PowerSteamer® ClearView® (model numbers 1692, 1692-1, 1692-R)
Power Steamer® (model numbers 1685, 1693, 1693-R, 1693-W, 1694, 1694-1, 1694-R)
Power Lifter® (model number 1694-3)
Rubbermaid X-tra-Lift™ (model 9E00)

The date codes and model numbers are printed on a label on the bottom of the unit. Cleaners with the model number and date codes listed above that are marked "Inspected" on or near the label are not included in the recall.

Sold at: Major discount, appliance and department stores nationwide from January 2001 through December 2004 for between $100 and $145.

Manufactured in: United States and Mexico.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the carpet cleaners immediately and contact BISSELL for the location of the nearest service center to receive a free inspection and if necessary, repair.

Consumer Contact: Call BISSELL toll-free at (800) 237-7691 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the BISSELL Web site at www.BISSELL.com