The ultimate guide to wet hard floor cleaning

Whether your floors are stone, tiled, wood or laminate, a wet hard floor cleaner can pick up liquids, debris, and tough stains. The machines wash your hard floors with clean water – lifting away dirt, sanitising, and leaving the surface with a fresh, streak-free finish.

Some floor cleaners use suction power to vacuum up dry dirt and wet messes, while others like the wet roller head of the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine™ and the Dyson WashG1™dedicated wet cleaner use roller technology to wash your hard floors.

Whereas traditional vacuum cleaners remove dry messes such as dust, dirt, and other microscopic particles, wet and dry vacuums take things a step further by incorporating features that allow them to tackle liquids as well. This makes them an ideal choice for a variety of tasks, from cleaning spilled drinks to tackling pet hair.

Originally built as heavy-duty machines for construction jobs and outdoor use, wet and dry vacuum cleaners have now slimmed down to appeal to homeowners too. Some machines can still be used outdoors, but many are smaller, more portable versions for use in the home.

Wet and dry vacuums can seamlessly transition between dry and wet cleaning or perform both in one single step – providing an all-in-one machine for a wide range of cleaning applications. This versatility makes them a valuable addition to many households, but especially those with pets and children.

Some indoor wet and dry vacuums are all-in-one machines that operate on the principle of suction only, which effectively pulls in air along with any dirt, dust, or liquid in its path. But others are predominately dry vacuum cleaners with roller-based wet cleaner head attachments, as is the case with the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine™. It’s worth noting that domestic wet and dry vacuum cleaners can’t be used on plaster dust, floodwater, or fireplaces

While wet cleaning with suction power is effective, an alternative wet cleaning approach involves roller technology, which utilizes a combination of water and rotating rollers to efficiently scrub and clean hard floors. The rollers, often made of microfibre or other absorbent materials, agitate and lift dirt from the floor surface, while the water helps dilute and dissolve stubborn stains.

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine™ is a powerful vacuum that now washes hard floors. Instead of wet cleaning with suction, it comes with a motorized wet roller head attachment that removes liquids, dry debris, and tough stains. There are two water tanks within the head – one to hold clean water and the other for dirty water. The roller itself is made of dense microfiber and can be removed for cleaning after use.

The Dyson Submarine™ wet roller head uses eight precise hydration points for even water distribution and an extraction plate continuously removes dirty water and small debris into the dirty water tank. There’s no dragging a bucket around or wringing out a mop by hand. The Dyson Submarine™ wet roller head is engineered to clean tile, stone, sealed wood, ceramic, vinyl, linoleum, and laminate floors.

For dry vacuuming and powerful suction with the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine™, there’s the Digital Motorbar™ cleaner head, which sucks up dust and hair from all floor types, and the Fluffy Optic™ cleaner head has a precisely angled light to reveal invisible dust on hard floors. Both machines wash, reveal, and detangle – all in one.

A wet floor cleaner is a dedicated wet cleaning machine designed for the efficient and thorough cleaning of hard surfaces such as tile, laminate, vinyl, and hardwood floors. Unlike traditional mops or sweepers that rely on manual effort, wet cleaners typically incorporate motorized features to streamline the cleaning process. The machines are equipped with a water reservoir and sometimes a cleaning solution compartment, allowing you to dispense a controlled amount of liquid onto the floor surface.

The cleaning mechanism of wet cleaners usually involves rollers, ensuring that dirt, grime, and liquids are effectively lifted from the floor and separated into a container. One of the key advantages of wet floor cleaners is their ability to tackle tough stains and sticky residues that may be challenging to remove with traditional cleaning methods. The machines are maneuverable, easy to use, and can significantly reduce the time and effort required for floor maintenance – providing a convenient solution for keeping hard floors clean and well-maintained.

Whereas the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine™ is a wet and dry vacuum cleaner, the Dyson WashG1™ is our first dedicated wet cleaner that removes wet and dry dirt in one go. It’s ideal for tiles, vinyl, laminate and sealed wooden floors in your hall, kitchen, bathroom, and dining area.

Two motorised rollers simultaneously remove spills, debris, hair, and stubborn stains. The Dyson WashG1™wet cleaner uses controlled full width roller hydration, ensuring a consistent application of fresh water during cleaning. Extraction plates squeeze out dirty water and high speed, nylon-bristled brushes remove debris, dirt, and hair as you clean. The machine’s unique system automatically separates dry debris from dirty liquid – for hygienic, no-touch disposal.

Easy to manoeuvre, the Dyson WashG1™is designed to reach low under furniture and into awkward spaces. Three cleaning modes let you set the hydration level to suit the cleaning task, so you can tackle anything from light spills and sticky liquids to muddy footprints and other dried-on stains – even heavier spillages such as spilled cereal, ketchup, syrup, and oil mist. In just 140 seconds, the Self-clean cycle flushes the whole system, ready for next time. And all while it charges on the dock.

Read more in our article Nine reasons to wash your hard floors with the Dyson WashG1™ wet cleaner.

A few simple steps will help maintain your machine’s performance for years to come.

Empty the clean water tank after each use to help prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. The dirty water tank should be emptied into the sink after every clean or when full.

Empty dry debris from the removable tray after every clean, or at the same time as the water in the clean water tank runs out.

After a while, it’s a good idea to clean the tanks and rollers in a sink with antibacterial detergent and a cloth. But many wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1™ come with a self-clean cycle – meaning you don’t need to manually clean after every use. We recommend cleaning the Dyson WashG1™ washable parts manually after every three uses.

Replace the microfiber rollers every six months, depending on how often you use your machine, to help maintain optimum performance. For guidance, check the rollers’ lifetime counter.

Wet and dry vacuum cleaners and wet cleaners are indispensable machines for maintaining a clean and hygienic home. They wash your hard floors with clean water from start to finish and are effective at removing liquids, dry debris, and tough stains.

Our floor care range offers everything you need to keep your home clean. Whatever life throws at you.