Dyson released its first dedicated wet floor cleaner, the Dyson WashG1, to the world in the later half of last year, and we were eager to get a good look at it. It has a considerably unique design that teeters the line of dare we say, futuristic. As someone who has tested a large number of the best wet-dry vacuums (and favors them over the best vacuums and mops), I can tell you that even the best wet-dry vacuums aren't mind-blowing, but they can be effective. Dyson clearly set out to disrupt the category… how well, is up for debate.
At first glance, it seems like the Dyson WashG1 is a wet-dry vacuum because it can pick up debris and mop floors at the same time. However, describing it as a vacuum would be a misnomer, as its counter-rotating motorized rollers effectively scrub floors and pick up hair and debris without suction. This design is noteworthy for a number of reasons — like the best reverse cleaning capabilities compared to any other wet-dry vacuum I've ever tested. Not to mention, the battery doesn't drain because there is no fluctuating suction speed as is the case with wet-dry vacuums, just four water output options to choose from.
The Dyson WashG1 has a few design drawbacks, especially in terms of its self-cleaning process, which does involve a good bit of user intervention. Keep in mind that this is the first generation from Dyson. It cleans great, but that's not the only thing we're considering when evaluating it among the best Dysons and other wet-dry cleaners. Keep reading to see how I got on with the the Dyson WashG1 after several weeks whisking it around my home.
Dyson's first dedicated floor cleaner offers excellent cleaning performance, including standout results cleaning in reverse and near edges, but has some drawbacks in terms of its involved clean up process.
What we like
What we don't like
Design
The Dyson WashG1's design is quite different from other wet-dry vacuums in that it's more accurately a wet floor cleaner. Rather than utilizing vacuum suction technology, the Dyson WashG1 has counter-rotating motorized rollers that are pumped with water to clean stains and liquid substances. At the same time, extraction plates squeeze off excess moisture and deposit dirty water into a second tank, and brush bars remove hair and debris from the rollers, storing them in a separate tray. The Hizero F500 All-in-One Hard Floor Cleaner has a similar no-suction design.
According to Dyson, vacuum motors can expel air back into a room and thus cause odors, so they ambitioned to design a vacuum around that. They claim this is not the case with the Dyson WashG1, which was designed to offer the most hygienic solution. (In my testing experience, I've never noticed odors caused by wet-dry vacuums.)
There are other notable design differences between the Dyson WashG1 and most wet-dry vacuums. Not only is the floor head taller, and the charging base has a futuristic shape, but the wet and dirty water tanks are placed on the front of the machine. You also can't remove one tank without removing the other.
The full clean water tank can cover up to 3,000 square feet, depending on selected water output level. The Dyson WashG1 is effective with just water, but if you choose, you can add a gentle, low-foaming household antibacterial detergent. Dyson recommends following the detergent manufacturer's guidance on dilution.
The handle has buttons for power and the Max mode. The LCD screen also has a button that lets you move between three different water output levels. I liked how the handle felt in my hand and that it was easy to see the small LCD screen when using the wet floor cleaner.
The Dyson WashG1 lacks LED lights, which means it could be more difficult to clean in lower-lit areas.
Our review of the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner
I've tested the Dyson WashG1 in my 1,600-square-foot house full of historic hardwood and laminate floors. I tasked it with a number of tests, including running it until the battery died, picking up various kinds of debris and dirt, from dried ketchup to hair, and general cleaning around my home. Setup was simple, too, as it arrived mostly assembled; I just needed to insert the handle into the main body and set it on the charger.
Overall Ease of Use
The Dyson WashG1 is outfitted with a self-propel system and an LCD screen with illustrated instructions to show how to use the wet floor cleaner. Though the floor cleaner head looks bulky, it actually swivels very well and even fits under my cabinets (to my surprise). At only 10.8 pounds, I wouldn't call this a lightweight, but it's not heavy either. It sits right in the middle and perhaps feels lighter because of the self-propel system.
The handle can lie flat, which theoretically means I can reach further under low furniture like beds and couches. Unfortunately, the thickness of the cleaner head and/or the fact that the clean and dirty water tanks are housed on the front of the machine prevented me from reaching under lower hanging furniture. (I did not have the same issue with a wet-dry vacuum that had a 180-degree handle and clean and dirty water tanks on the back of the handle).
In terms of sound output, the Dyson WashG1 has a 77 dB rating, which is fairly average among wet-dry vacuums and wet floor cleaners.
Cleaning Performance
Overall, the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner excels in terms of cleaning performance. In fact, it picked up all kinds of debris, substances, and materials (flour, barbecue sauce, syrup, hair, coffee, dried ketchup, etc.) in a single pass with just the lowest water output setting. The Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner can also clean within half an inch along the sides and the front of the cleaner head.
In terms of the three water output levels, I didn't really notice any difference in the amount of water on the floor when using Level 1 or Level 2. However, quite a bit of water covered my floors when I used Level 3 and the Max mode. In my opinion, the amount of water is excessive, so I doubt you'll need to use it. I should note that the Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 output does not affect the brushroll speed — only the amount of water used. This is the same for Max Mode which indicates a fourth level of water output.
I was able to clean my entire house with nine minutes of battery life to spare. Typically, I used the Level 1 output to clean my house, and I found that I still had about half a tank of clean water by the time I was done. Dyson claims the water tank should cover up to 3,100 square feet.
Battery Life
As soon as you start the WashG1, a countdown timer appears on the screen. On the website, you'll see the battery life noted as 35 minutes. Oddly — during my testing — the battery countdown started at 36 minutes. I was happy to discover that neither the water level output nor Max mode affects (or drains) the battery life.
Maintenance and Cleaning
The Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner requires some patience in terms of the cleaning process. The wet floor cleaner separates debris from the dirty water tank, and stores it in a tray below the floor cleaner head. This makes it a lot easier to dispose of the debris. You'll probably need to use a napkin to clean off some of the debris because it does get wet and stick to the tray.
Then, you can run the self-cleaning cycle, which flushes the system and brushrolls. Usually, I had to add more water to the clean water tank (and dump the dirty water tank) before running the self-cleaning system per the instructions on the LCD screen. Some water leaked from the charging base during the self-cleaning process, which is a considerable con, in my opinion.
There is no self-drying system, and the brushrolls will not dry if left in the floor cleaner head. Dyson's website suggests that you wash the machine and air dry the parts every three uses, especially if you use the WashG1 every day. They also say that if you only use the wet floor cleaner once a week, then you should run the self-clean cycle after use and lay out the parts to dry.
As someone who has thoroughly tested wet-dry vacuums and wet floor cleaners, I suggest that you clean the brush rolls after every use to ensure that you're removing as much dirt, debris, and bacteria as possible. It's also important to remove and air dry the microfiber rolls each time to prevent bacteria from forming.
Here's where things get tricky. I could not figure out how to remove the brushrolls on my own and had to refer to an online video to figure it out. Once I did, I found that there was some dust and hair on the brushrolls that I had to remove by hand. I laid all the parts out to air dry. It took almost three full days for the microfiber brushrolls to dry completely. Most brushrolls take 24 hours to dry, or at least that's what I've found from testing of other wet-dry vacuums and wet floor cleaners.
If all that wasn't enough, I then had trouble figuring out how to reassemble the brushrolls and insert them back into the floor cleaner head. Although the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner has a unique design, it can be very cumbersome for new users to figure out. In fact, it would probably take me less time to use a mop or a Swiffer to clean up a mess than it does to clean the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner. While there are a lot of interesting aspects about this floor cleaner, I have to admit that the maintenance routine is definitely a big reason why the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner isn't my first choice when I need to thoroughly clean my floors.
The brushrolls will need to be replaced after 25 hours of use. The Dyson WashG1 will inform you when to replace them and provide a QR code on the display so you can easily order new ones.
Filtration
The Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner does not have a filter, because it does not have vacuum suction capability. Its wet-floor cleaner design means that you don't have to worry about dust blow back, which is the main job of a filter.
Cons to consider
Despite it's effective cleaning performance, I have some bigger issues with the design. For one, I would have liked to see some sort of LED light to guide the way incorporated into the floorhead. However, some larger painpoints I had was that while the Dyson WashG1 can lay flat, the thick floor cleaner head and protruding water tanks get in the way, which kept me from reaching very far under low clearance furniture. For reference, the Narwal S20 Pro has the same 180-degree lay-flat feature but a different design that didn't prevent the vacuum from reaching under my couches, bed, or dresserdressers.
The most notable drawback of the Dyson WashG1 for me is probably the self-cleaning process. The self-cleaning system does an average job of cleaning under the floor cleanerhead and quite a bit of water leaks from the charging base during the process. Since there is no self-drying system, users have to remove the brushrolls to clean the remaining hair and debris by hand and allow the brushrolls to dry. Removing the brushrolls is a bit of a hassle, and they take days to air dry. Not only that, but it can be very confusing to reattach the brushrolls to the floor cleaner head.
What are your alternatives?
The Narwal S20 Pro is the answer for those who would prefer a wet-dry vacuum with a thorough and hands-off cleaning process. Its self-cleaning system does a phenomenal job cleaning under the vacuum head, while the self-drying system actually dries the brushrolls completely in about 30 minutes (without having to remove them by hand!). While the Narwal S20 Pro doesn't do well with reverse cleaning, it does have a slightly better edge cleaning capability than the Dyson WashG1 and when it lies flat, the machine automatically increases the suction and mop to better clean under furniture.
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is another Dyson option, though it's not exactly a wet-dry vacuum. Rather, its an edition of the V15 Detect with a special mop attachment floorhead's a product that can be used singularly as a vacuum or a mop attachment, depending on the type of vacuum head attached to the handle. While the vacuum has strong suction and the V15s Submarine self-propels when mopping, our reviewer noted that the self-cleaning system has its icky moments too. The mopping floorhead has a clean water base but no way to lap up the dirty water; it just wets the floor. is quite icky. It's also $300 more expensive than the Dyson WashG1 — and it can't even vacuum and mop at the same time. Not that the Dyson WashG1 replaces your entire vacuuming needs too — though the V15 offers Dyson's best cordless vacuum and a mopping option, if you want one.
The Tineco Floor One S7 Pro is my top recommendation for a wet-dry vacuum. My favorite thing about the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro is its dirt detection system, which informs users when floors are clean or dirty. The Dyson WashG1 does not have this capability. With far more modes and better-than-average edge and reverse cleaning, the Tineco is a solid wet-dry vacuum whose fans may rival Dyson die-hards.
The bottom line
The Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner does a lot of things well, particularly cleaning any substance or material from a floor in a single pass with a low-level water output, no matter the direction of the wet floor cleaner. That said, the self-cleaning process requires more hands-on work from the user and even results in some water leakage. If you can overlook that and some design snafus, you'll find the Dyson WashG1 will keep your floors considerably clean. For now, the Dyson WashG1 will be most appreciated by die-hard Dyson fans and early adopters. We're curious to see how Dyson builds on its wet floor cleaner in the future.
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