Dyson is still the king of vacuums, but recently it has been busy growing its range of wet-floor cleaners. For a long time, we had just the WashG1, but now there’s also the Clean+Wash Hygiene, and Dyson has just announced a third addition to the lineup: the Dyson PencilWash. That’s not to mention the recently expanded fleet of 2-in-1 Submarine vacuums.
If you’re wondering which of Dyson’s wet cleaners to invest in, I’m here to help. I’ve tested both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene, and crunched the specs for the new model, too, to figure out the key differences between them. Below, you can learn which Dyson mop I’d recommend for a range of priorities.
However, note that right now the WashG1 is attracting some major discounts in both the US and the UK, taking it down to around half price. That alone makes it a very compelling proposition – I think it’s a little overpriced at list price, but with that kind of discount you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.
If your priority is maneuverability…
The PencilWash looks like the clear winner in this category. It’s specifically built to be ultra-maneuverable, with the motor and battery reduced in size to fit in the handle, and compact water tanks tucked into the floorhead.
It’s a sister model to the Dyson PencilVac, which is very similar but swaps the mopping floorhead for a vacuuming one. I’ve used the PencilVac, and it pivots and maneuvers like a dream, which bodes well for the PencilWash.
Where the Clean+Wash Hygiene might have the edge is in the fact it can lie completely flat to the ground – there’s even a mini wheel on the rear of the handle that lets you guide it smoothly along the floor. In this mode it’s 4.44 inches / 11.3cm tall, and perfect for cleaning under low furniture. The PencilWash can also get pretty close to the ground, dropping to 170 degrees and a height of 5.9in / 15cm, but it won’t go as low as the Clean+Wash.
Don’t write off the WashG1, though, because as wet cleaners go, I found this one super nimble and easy to maneuver. Due to the positioning of the water tanks, the handle here is more bulky, while the floorhead is more streamlined. In use, I found it pivoted more smoothly than the Clean+Wash Hygiene.
If your priority is minimal maintenance…
Both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene have a self-clean cycle that can be activated when the machine is docked. It runs clean water through the system to flush out any lingering dirt and freshen up the roller.
Where the Clean+Wash has the edge is that it also has a self-dry mode, where the dock will blast the roller with hot air to ensure it’s dry. In contrast, it’s probably best to remove the WashG1’s rollers and pop them out to dry somewhere, or they’ll start to smell musty pretty quickly.
The PencilWash doesn’t have any kind of self-clean cycle, so you’ll need to rinse and dry the roller after every mopping session.
What about longer-term maintenance? Well, Dyson asserts that one of the biggest problems with wet-dry vacuums is that they suck solid and liquid waste through small tubes to reach a waste water tank mounted on the handle. As a result, the tubes are prone to becoming clogged, which leads to bad smells.
All three of Dyson’s hard-floor cleaners seek to offer a solution to this issue, but in different ways. With the WashG1, solid waste is filtered and stored in a tray in the floorhead, so it’s only the dirty liquid that travels through the pipes.
In the Clean+Wash Hygiene, too, any solids are filtered out, but all the waste is contained within the floorhead, so nothing has to travel anywhere. In the PencilWash, everything again remains in the floorhead, but solids and liquids aren’t separated.
You’ll need to decide for yourself how concerned you are about potentially gunky pipes. The one thing that stood out to me during testing was that the WashG1’s waste tank proved really easy to clean. It’s wide enough to get your hand inside, and there are no crevices in which grime can collect. In contrast, the tanks on the Clean+Wash are impossible to get into, and the PencilWash looks the same.
If your priority is price…
At list price, the WashG1 costs $769.99 / £599.99 / AU$999, the Clean+Wash Hygiene comes in at £429.99 (not yet available in the US or Australia), and the PencilWash will have a list price of $349 / £299.99 (no AU pricing yet).
However, where things get interesting is that the WashG1 is very heavily discounted in both the US and UK. In fact, it’s easy to pick up for around half price in both territories – you’ll find the best current deals below. While the following is just speculation, I’d associate those kinds of discounts with a product that’s about to be discontinued.
In the case of the PencilWash, you’re paying a premium for the compact form factor. If you live in a smaller home and need something super-nimble, it might be reason enough to make it worth the spend. However, if you want maximum bang for your buck, at current prices I think the WashG1 is your best option, in the US and UK at least.
If your priority is more versatility…
In the pantheon of hard-floor cleaners, none of Dyson’s models are especially feature-rich. Both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene have three hydration modes and a Boost mode for extra water, whereas the PencilWash is simpler, with just two hydration options and no Boost. If you’re seeking advanced modes such as steam-cleaning or automatic adjustment, as well as suction, my guide to the best wet-and-dry vacuums has plenty more complex options to explore.
Of course, if you want the most versatility in a single Dyson machine, an argument could be made for choosing the Submarine model over all of them. These take one of Dyson’s flagship vacuums and bundle in a mopping floorhead (this bit looks a lot like the bottom of the PencilWash to me). You can then swap them over to turn the appliance into a mop or vacuum as required.
Another thing to consider is the size of the water tank. The PencilWash’s tanks are super-small, which rules that model out for homes with lots of floors in need of mopping. For bigger areas, a WashG1 or Clean+Wash Hygiene are better. Dyson suggests that due to better water control, the latter will actually deliver more cleaning per tank, despite said tanks being smaller than those of the WashG1.
Specs compared
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Dyson PencilWash |
Dyson WashG1 |
Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cleaner size (H x L x W): |
45.6 x 10.5 x 7.8in / 115.8 x 26.7 x 19.8cm |
44.9 x 8.9 x 11.8 in / 114 x 22.5 x 30cm |
43.1 x 9.6 x 11 in / 109.6 x 24.4 x 28cm |
|
Weight (empty): |
4.9lbs / 2.2kg |
10.8lbs / 4.9kg |
8.4lbs / 3.8kg |
|
Clean water tank volume: |
0.3L |
1L |
0.75L |
|
Dirty water tank volume: |
0.36L |
0.8L |
0.52L |
|
Max runtime: |
30 mins |
35 mins |
45 mins |
|
Dock features: |
Charge only (separate drip tray) |
Charge, self-clean |
Charge, self-clean, hot air dry |
|
Max cleaning coverage: |
100m2 |
290m2 |
350m2 |
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NLR9G87aDmaTw89L3f3k8X-1920-80.jpg
Source link
