Dyson is still the king of vacuum cleaners, but recently it has been busy expanding its line of wet floor cleaners. For a long time we only had the WashG1, but now there’s also the Clean+Wash Hygiene, and Dyson has just announced a third addition to the range: the Dyson PencilWash. Not to mention the recently expanded fleet of 2-in-1 underwater vacuums.
If you’re wondering which of the Dyson wet cleaners to invest in, I’m here to help. I tested the WashG1 and the Clean+Wash Hygiene, and also analyzed the specifications of the new model to understand the main differences between them. Below you can find out which Dyson mop I would recommend for a range of priorities.
However, note that right now the WashG1 is heavily discounted in the US and UK, bringing it to around half the 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 get what you pay for.
If your priority is maneuverability…
The PencilWash seems to be the big winner in this category. It is specially designed to be ultra-manageable, with a motor and battery reduced in size to fit in the handle, and compact water tanks tucked into the floor head.
This is a sister model to the Dyson PencilVac, which is very similar but replaces the cleaning head with a vacuum head. I used the PencilVac, and it swivels and maneuvers like a dream, which bodes well for the PencilWash.
Where the Clean+Wash Hygiene might have the advantage is in the fact that it can lie completely flat on the floor – there’s even a mini wheel on the back of the handle that lets you guide it smoothly across the floor. In this mode it measures 4.44 inches / 11.3 cm and is perfect for cleaning under low furniture. The PencilWash can also get quite close to the ground, dropping down to 170 degrees and a height of 5.9 inches/15 cm, but it won’t go as low as the Clean+Wash.
Don’t rule out the WashG1, because as far 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 bulkier, while the floor head is more streamlined. In use, I found it rotated more easily than the Clean+Wash Hygiene.
If your priority is minimal maintenance…
Both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene feature a self-cleaning cycle that can be activated when the machine is docked. It circulates clean water through the system to remove any lingering dirt and refresh the roller.
The nice thing about the Clean+Wash is that it also has an auto-dry mode, where the dock will blow the roller with hot air to ensure it’s dry. On the other hand, it’s probably best to remove the rollers from the WashG1 and dry them somewhere, otherwise they’ll start to smell musty pretty quickly.
The PencilWash doesn’t have any type of self-cleaning cycle, so you’ll need to rinse and dry the roller after each cleaning session.
What about long-term maintenance? Well, Dyson claims that one of the biggest problems with wet/dry vacuums is that they suck solid and liquid waste through small tubes to reach a handle-mounted waste water tank. As a result, the tubes tend to become clogged, leading to bad odors.
All three of Dyson’s hard floor cleaners seek to offer a solution to this problem, but in different ways. With the WashG1, solid waste is filtered and stored in a bin located in the floor head, so only dirty liquid flows through the pipes.
Also in the Clean+Wash Hygiene, all solids are filtered out, but all waste is contained in the floor head, so nothing has to travel anywhere. In the PencilWash, everything remains in the soil head again, but solids and liquids are not separated.
You’ll have to decide for yourself how concerned you are about potentially filthy pipes. The one thing that struck me during testing was that the WashG1’s waste tank proved very easy to clean. It’s wide enough to fit your hand in and there are no crevices for grime to collect. On the other hand, the Clean+Wash tanks are impossible to access and the PencilWash is identical.
If your priority is price…
At list price, the WashG1 costs $769.99 / £599.99 / AU$999, the Clean+Wash Hygiene costs £429.99 (not yet available in the US or Australia), and the PencilWash will have a list price of $349 / £299.99 (no AU price yet).
However, where things get interesting is that the WashG1 has very deep discounts in the US and UK. In fact, it’s easy to pick up for around half the price in both territories – below are the best deals right now. While the following is just speculation, I would associate these types of discounts with a product that is about to be discontinued.
In the case of the PencilWash, you pay extra for its compact size. If you live in a smaller home and need something super nimble, that might be reason enough to make it worth it. However, if you want value for your money, at current prices I think the WashG1 is your best option, at least in the US and UK.
If your priority is more versatility…
In the pantheon of hard floor cleaners, none of the Dyson models are particularly feature-rich. Both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene have three hydration modes and a Boost mode for more water, while the PencilWash is simpler, with just two hydration options and no Boost. If you’re looking for advanced modes like steam cleaning or auto setting, as well as vacuuming, my guide to the best wet and dry vacuums has plenty of more complex options to explore.
Of course, if you want to get the most versatility in a single Dyson device, it might make sense to choose the Submarine model over all of them. These take one of Dyson’s flagship vacuums and package them into a cleaner head (this bit looks a lot like the bottom of the PencilWash to me). You can then swap them to transform the device into a mop or vacuum cleaner depending on your needs.
Another thing to consider is the size of the water tank. The PencilWash tanks are very small, which precludes this model for homes with many floors requiring cleaning. For larger areas, a WashG1 or Clean+Wash Hygiene is preferable. Dyson suggests that due to better water control, the latter will actually deliver more cleaning per tank, although said tanks will be smaller than those of the WashG1.
Specifications compared
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Dyson PencilWash |
Dyson WashG1 |
Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cleaner Size (H x W x L): |
45.6 x 10.5 x 7.8 inches / 115.8 x 26.7 x 19.8 cm |
44.9 x 8.9 x 11.8 inches / 114 x 22.5 x 30 cm |
43.1 x 9.6 x 11 inch / 109.6 x 24.4 x 28 cm |
|
Weight (empty): |
4.9 pounds / 2.2 kg |
10.8 pounds / 4.9 kg |
8.4 pounds / 3.8 kg |
|
Clean water tank volume: |
0.3L |
1L |
0.75L |
|
Dirty water tank volume: |
0.36L |
0.8L |
0.52L |
|
Maximum runtime: |
30 minutes |
35 minutes |
45 minutes |
|
Dock characteristics: |
Charge only (separate collection tray) |
Charging, self-cleaning |
Charging, self-cleaning, hot air drying |
|
Maximum cleaning coverage: |
100m2 |
290m2 |
350m2 |
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