I tested Dyson’s WashG1 and for me there is one clear problem

Dyson has announced its latest floor cleaner, the WashG1. As the name suggests, it is a wet floor cleaner. It’s the first dedicated cleaner of its kind that Dyson has produced – although there is a wet cleaning head on the V15s sub (read our review for more information).

For the first time in its floor care range, Dyson has moved away from cyclone technology. Or, as Dyson’s press office puts it (cruelly anticipating similar puns from journalists), the WashG1 is “a wet floor cleaner that doesn’t suck”.

The 4.5kg WashG1 has a simple, minimalist design. The color scheme is slightly more muted than other Dyson cleaners, with a black floor nozzle, handle and accessories, and a simple, angled, metallic blue wand. Clean and waste water tanks of 1 liter are mounted at the front.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

The controls and display are equally understated, with an LCD screen showing water level and time remaining, and just three buttons. One is for power, one switches between low, medium and high water usage – and there’s a boost button if you really need to give the floor a good soak.

I was one of the lucky few who got to try it out at Dyson’s Malmesbury campus before it was officially announced. We’ll give it a full review once we get a chance to test it properly, but after a short trial period I can say there’s a lot to like about it.

It feels light and agile, the display is clear and intuitive and easy to use. When it comes to emptying and refilling, the clean and dirty water tanks pop out together, making it much less hassle.

But there’s one design element I don’t like at all…

Dyson is very keen to demonstrate the effectiveness of its cleaning products. All of its vacuum cleaners have clear dust bins, and the most recent models (including the V15 Detect and the Gen5detect) feature a piezo sensor and LCD screen that work together to show you the volume and type of dust and dirt particles you have sucked in. The message is as clear as the trash cans: these vacuums may be pricey, but they are effective.

The WashG1 is no different. Unlike many other wet floor cleaners, which have a smoked, matte or colored recovery tank to cover up the unpleasantness inside, the WashG1 has a perfectly transparent, high-visibility tank – because Dyson wants you to see all the dirt you get off your hard floor. have deleted. floors.

And you will see it, because the understated, elegant design of the WashG1 puts it right up front and makes it impossible to ignore. Personally, I found it a bit heartbreaking when it fills up.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Understandably, Dyson wants you to see how much better the WashG1 is than your regular mop. But if you’ve spilled half a can of soup on the floor, it’s pretty obvious when it’s gone, so should you really be looking at a tank full of watery orange mess?

How the WashG1 works

Charlie Park, VP of Dyson Home Engineering says: “Dyson engineers solve the problems others ignore and we thrive on the challenge of creating better technology. The Dyson WashG1 is the result of this; our first special wet machine that washes hard floors well and hygienically.”

Dyson’s approach was characteristic. The floor care industry has three standardized tests for wet floor cleaners: dried blobs of tartar sauce, mustard and coffee. Dyson felt this was not sufficient for the scale of problems a cleaner would need to address, so it developed its own tests for more types of likely leaks. These include wet liquids, makeup, hand sanitizer and more, with the idea that not only what’s in the pantry, but what’s in the bathroom needs to be cleared out as well.

The result is a complete wet floor cleaning system for all hard floor types, which can handle both wet and dry dirt. Moreover, it separates wet from dry, so you don’t have to deal with the annoying feeling of having to pull a handful of hair from the dirty water tank before emptying it. (I have been there.)

It does not use suction in the traditional sense, in that it does not suck water from the floor like most competing wet floor cleaners. Instead, it distributes water through 26 points along the cleaning head and uses two counter-rotating microfiber-coated rollers to suck up dirty water and dirt. An advantage of the dual rollers is that the WashG1 cleans as it moves forward and backward, unlike single-roller rivals.

However, it do use suction in the form of a small pump that sucks air from the water tank. Because the pump never comes into contact with water, thanks to a tap that closes the air valve, no filter is needed to protect the motor from liquid. This allowed Dyson to banish the replaceable filter found in most competing wet vacuums, which picks up odors and bacteria.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Thanks to the clean water tank and battery life, you can reach up to 290 meters² cleaning time, or approximately 45 minutes of cleaning time. The limiting factor with the WashG1 is not battery life, but water consumption. So if you use the highest water level you will only get 7-8 minutes of cleaning time before the water runs out and the dirty tank is almost full.

As with any wet floor cleaner, you’ll get the best results by running a regular vacuum cleaner around first, as the system is less likely to become clogged. However, Dyson reassured me that shorter hair, such as pet hair, won’t be a problem thanks to the secondary brush. Microfibers on the cleaning rollers grip pet hair until it comes into contact with the bristles, which are designed to release hair and debris into the collection bin, which can be emptied separately.

The WashG1 is in a charging dock and after use you can start the self-cleaning mode, so you don’t have to worry about that either. However, the rollers cannot dry with hot air and long hair may need to be removed from the bristles by hand.

Dyson WashG1 price and availability

The WashG1 costs £599 in the UK and $699 in the US.

It will be available later this year, but an exact launch date has not yet been confirmed. You can sign up with Dyson US or Dyson UK to find out more about this and other upcoming launches.

In the meantime, if you’re tired of mopping by hand, check out our review of the best wet and dry vacuum cleaners to find the best model for you.