STACK #239 September 2024

TECH FEATURE

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TOP TIP Wet and dry vacs are usually best for hard floor surfaces, but some can also work on carpet. That can include your regular dry vacuuming,

cleaning up liquid spills, and in some cases even help remove stains.

Wet and dry vacs combine vacuum cleaners and mops into one, making it easy to clean up a wider variety of messes. If you’ve overlooked them when thinking about new cleaning tech, here's what you need to know. Words Michael Irving Why wet and dry? MESS MASTERS

What to look for There are a few things that you might want to look out for when shopping for a wet and dry vac. First, what kinds of surfaces will it work on – carpet and rugs, or just wood and tiles? How do you empty them out? Some will separate solids and liquids into different canisters, so it’s easy to dump the dry stuff in the bin and pour the wet stuff down the drain. Who will clean the cleaners? Thankfully, many wet and dry vacs are self-cleaning, so they won’t mess up your nice tidy floors like a dirty mop can. It’s also important to consider the flooring types and sizes in your home. Will a vac’s battery life be enough to clean everything, or would a corded model be better? Some will also tell you the surface area of floor that you can clean on each run.

But a wet and dry vacuum handles all of it in one go. Just run it over the mess and it’ll pick up the milk and cereal, the glass shards and water, at the same time. And, of course, they’ll handle your regular vacuuming and mopping tasks with ease.

If you drop a bowl of cereal or a full glass of water, you’ve got a mess with both wet and dry parts in it. Normally, you’d have to bust out a combo of a broom, mop, dustpan, and paper towel to clean up that kind of chaos.

OUR WET AND DRY PICKS

Shark WD210ANZ HydroVac Cordless Wet and Dry Vac

Dyson WashG1 Wet Cleaner The Dyson WashG1 features two motorised rollers that spin in opposite directions, covered in highly absorbent microfibres to catch any dry or wet mess that they come across. The WashG1 is easy to manoeuvre, even close to edges and under furniture. Three hydration levels cover everything from light spills to dried-on stains, and water is applied evenly across the rollers through 26 separate hydration points. The battery provides up to 35 minutes runtime, while the water tank can clean up to 290 square metres of floor space. The dry debris and dirty water collect into different canisters for easy disposal. A self-cleaning system keeps the rollers sparkling throughout use. Afterwards, the WashG1 flushes the whole system in just 140 seconds while it charges on the dock, ready for the next mess.

The Shark HydroVac is a 3-in-1 cleaning system that not only vacuums and mops your floors, but cleans itself at the same time. Dry dirt and liquid messes are whisked away quickly thanks to powerful suction, while the brushroll mops the floors at the same time. A continuous self-cleaning system stops dirt from being dumped back on the floor; removing stains and grime for a streak-free clean. That brushroll is also antimicrobial, preventing bacteria from building up and causing odours. The dirty water tank is designed to separate solids and liquids for easy

and hygienic emptying. Not only does it work on all types of sealed hard floor surfaces, but it can pick up dirt and odours from rugs too.

30 SEPTEMBER 2024

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