Dyson is still the king of vacuum cleaners, but recently it has been busy expanding its range of cleaners for wet floors. 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. That’s not to mention the recently expanded fleet of 2-in-1 underwater vacuum cleaners.
If you’re wondering which of Dyson’s wet cleaners to invest in, I’m here to help. I tested both the WashG1 and the Clean+Wash Hygiene, and also reviewed the specifications of the new model to find out the main differences between them. Below you can learn which Dyson mop I would recommend for a number of priorities.
However, note that the WashG1 is currently attracting some deep discounts in both the US and the UK, bringing it down to around half price. That alone makes it a very compelling proposition – I think it’s a little overpriced for list price, but with that kind of discount you get a lot for your money.
If your priority is maneuverability…
PencilWash looks like the clear winner in this category. It’s specially built to be ultra-maneuverable, with the motor and battery reduced in size to fit in the handle, and compact water reservoirs tucked into the floorhead.
It’s a sister model to the Dyson PencilVac, which is very similar, but replaces the mopping floor head with a vacuum cleaner. I’ve been using the PencilVac and it spins and maneuvers like a dream, which bodes well for the PencilWash.
Where the Clean+Wash Hygiene may have an edge is that it can lie completely flat to the ground – there’s even a mini wheel on the back of the handle that lets you steer it smoothly along the floor. In this state, it is 4.44 inches / 11.3 cm 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 15cm, but it doesn’t get as low as the Clean+Wash.
Don’t write off the WashG1 though, because as wet cleaners go, I found this super supple and easy to maneuver. Due to the placement of the water tanks, the handle here is bulkier, while the floor head is more streamlined. In use I found it spun more smoothly than the Clean+Wash Hygiene.
If your priority is minimal maintenance…
Both WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene have a self-cleaning cycle that can be activated when the machine is docked. It runs clean water through the system to flush out any remaining dirt and refresh the reel.
Where the Clean+Wash has the edge is that it also has a self-drying mode where the dock will blast the roll with hot air to ensure it’s dry. In contrast, it’s probably best to remove the WashG1’s rolls and pop them out to dry somewhere, otherwise they’ll start to smell musty pretty quickly.
The PencilWash doesn’t have any kind of self-cleaning cycle, so you’ll need to rinse and dry the roller after each mopping session.
What about long-term maintenance? Well, Dyson claims that one of the biggest problems with wet-dry vacuum cleaners is that they suck solid and liquid debris through tiny tubes to reach a waste water tank mounted on the handle. As a result, the pipes tend to get clogged, leading to bad smells.
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 tray in the floor head, so that only the dirty liquid flows through the pipes.
Also in Clean+Wash Hygiene, any solids are filtered out, but all waste is contained in the floor head, so nothing has to travel anywhere. In PencilWash, everything remains in the floor head, but solids and liquids are not separated.
You’ll have 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 container proved to be really easy to clean. It’s wide enough to get your hand inside, and there are no crevices where dirt can collect. In contrast, the thoughts of Clean+Wash are impossible to get into, and PencilWash looks the same.
If your priority is price…
At list price, the WashG1 will cost $769.99 / £599.99 / AU$999, the Clean+Wash Hygiene will come 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 price yet).
But where things get interesting is that WashG1 is very heavily discounted in both the US and the UK. In fact, it’s easy to pick up at around half price in both areas – you’ll find the best current deals below. While the following is just speculation, I would associate these kinds of discounts with a product that is being discontinued.
In the case of the PencilWash, you pay a premium for the compact form factor. If you live in a smaller home and need some super cut, that might be reason enough to make it worth the money. But if you want the most bang for your buck, I think at current prices 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 Dyson’s models are particularly 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 only two hydration modes and no Boost. If you are looking for advanced modes such as steam cleaning or automatic adjustment as well as suction, my guide to the best wet and dry vacuum cleaners has many more complex options to explore.
Of course, if you want the most versatility in a single Dyson machine, there’s an argument to be made for choosing the Submarine model over all of them. These take one of Dyson’s flagship vacuums and assemble into a mopping floor head (this bit looks a lot like the base of the PencilWash to me). You can then swap them to turn the appliance into a mop or vacuum as needed.
Another thing to consider is the size of the water tank. PencilWash’s tanks are super-small, which rules out the model for homes with lots of floors that need mopping. For larger areas, a WashG1 or Clean+Wash Hygiene is better. Dyson suggests that due to better water control, the latter will actually deliver more cleaning per tank, although said tanks are smaller than those in WashG1.
Specifications compared
| Header cell – column 0 |
Dyson Pencil Wash |
Dyson WashG1 |
Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cleaning size (H x L x W): |
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 inches / 109.6 x 24.4 x 28 cm |
|
Weight (empty): |
4.9 lbs / 2.2 kg |
10.8 lbs / 4.9 kg |
8.4 lbs / 3.8 kg |
|
Pure water tank volume: |
0.3 l |
1L |
0.75 l |
|
Container volume for dirty water: |
0.36 l |
0.8 l |
0.52 l |
|
Max driving time: |
30 minutes |
35 minutes |
45 min |
|
Dock features: |
Charging only (separate drip tray) |
Charging, self-cleaning |
Charging, self-cleaning, hot air dry |
|
Max cleaning coverage: |
100m2 |
290 m2 |
350m2 |
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