Health Canada Recalls Bissell Steam Cleaners After Burn Injuries Reported

Health Canada issued a recall for attachments used with several Bissell steam cleaner models after the parts were found to detach unexpectedly, spraying hot water or steam onto users. The recall, announced April 10, covers more than 95,000 units sold in Canada and approximately 1.2 million sold in the United States between October 2024 and March 2026.

At least one burn injury has been confirmed in Canada, while roughly 160 burn incidents tied to the same defect were reported in the United States. The affected product lines include multiple Steam Shot, OmniReach and Omni Steam models and their associated attachments.

Health Canada's guidance is immediate: stop using the recalled attachments and contact Bissell directly for free replacement parts. The agency advises against attempting any home repairs to the affected components. Consumers are directed to check product labels, UPC codes or Bissell's recall page to confirm whether their specific model is affected.

Bissell cooperated with Health Canada and U.S. regulators to initiate the recall and committed to providing corrected replacement attachments at no charge.

The scope is substantial. More than 1.3 million units combined were sold across North America in under 18 months, and the 160-plus reported burn incidents represent an unusually high injury count for a consumer cleaning appliance. Hot steam and scalding water pose heightened risks for children and older adults, groups that tend to face more severe outcomes from contact burns and have less capacity to quickly move away from an unexpected spray.

The recall also illustrates the critical role of post-market surveillance and consumer injury reporting. Without the accumulation of burn incident reports filed in both countries, the attachment failure pattern may not have been detected quickly enough to prompt a coordinated North American corrective response.

Retailers and online platforms that carried the affected models are expected to remove listings for the recalled attachments and notify buyers. For Bissell, the recall carries direct costs in replacement parts and logistics alongside longer-term scrutiny of manufacturing quality control and supplier oversight practices in the consumer cleaning appliance sector.