• The Little Green machine makes spot cleaning carpet stains easier.boots on carpet image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
  
  The Little Green portable deep cleaner from Bissell is used for spot cleaning carpet and upholstery. The "green" part of the machine's name can be attributed to the fact that the unit is made from at least 50 percent post-consumer waste, according to Bissell. The product is lightweight, portable and user friendly.
  
  

Spot Preparation

• The area of your carpet or upholstery that needs to be cleaned should be prepared before cleaning with the Little Green. Fresh stains should be blotted with a clean, dry cloth or paper towels in order to absorb as much of the stain as possible. Dirt and debris should be removed with a vacuum, or dust pan and broom. Large amounts of debris can clog your machine.
  
  

Stains

• Before attempting to use the Little Green machine on a stain, Bissell recommends that you pretreat the stain. Turn the unit on and press the trigger on the cleaning tool to release a small amount of cleaning solution onto the stain. Allow the solution to sit on the stain for between three to five minutes before proceeding with actual cleaning.
  
  

Upholstery Tags

• Before spot-cleaning upholstery, check the furniture's tags for care instructions. According to Bissell, a tag that has an "S" with a line through it cannot be cleaned with the Little Green portable deep cleaner and should be dry cleaned only. Tags with "W" or "WS" are safe for cleaning with the Little Green spot cleaner. If there is no tag, Bissell recommends consulting your furniture manufacturer. If that is not possible, you could do a spot test with the Little Green machine in an inconspicuous area of the upholstery to see if it causes damage or color bleeding.
  
  

Cleaning

• Bissell recommends you spray the spot you are cleaning a second time, holding the cleaning tool about 1 inch above the stain. Use the brush on the cleaning tool to scrub the stain. Then hold the cleaning tool to the carpet or upholstery and pull it back toward you slowly to suction up the water, dirt and cleaning solution. If the stain is lifted, just suction the area you cleaned until you are no longer able to get moisture from the spot.
  
  

Drying

• Before allowing people to walk on or use the upholstered item after cleaning, it must be thoroughly dried. The moisture can be suctioned from the carpet or upholstery. Different carpets and materials can range in drying time, but on average it takes between two to four hours to dry after deep cleaning. Bissell suggests you facilitate drying by increasing air flow with a fan or open window.
  
  

Tough Spots

• Bissell recommends pretreating tough spots with its Tough Stain Precleaner. When cleaning they suggest using three to four wet passes over the spot, with each wet pass being followed by at least two dry passes. They also suggest that following cleaning you dry the area with a fan.