Product test

Vacuuming and mopping at the same time, does that work?

17.12.2019

Translation: machine translated

Wet-dry vacuum cleaners are a wet household dream. They promise 3-in-1 cleaning: vacuuming, mopping and drying. The test shows whether the appliances are as good as they sound.

I admit it. I rarely mop my floor and when I do, I tend to do it selectively. After vacuuming, I usually just don't feel like doing the whole round again. But unfortunately I can't do it without vacuuming, otherwise I feel like I have to wash out the mop every ten seconds. Mice seem to have a boomerang effect on me: As soon as they're gone, they're back again.

Luckily, there's an invention for such ~~lazy~~ efficiency-minded people like me: the wet-dry vacuum cleaner. It can vacuum and damp-mop at the same time. But all that efficiency is useless if it doesn't work properly and I have to clean up afterwards. Before I bring such a not-so-cheap helper into my home, I want to know what it can do. Three models compete against each other, each of which is rated according to handling and cleaning results.

Vacuum cleaners

Philips SpeedPro Max Aqua

Vacuum cleaners

CHF242.–

Thomas Aqua+ Pet and Family

Wet floor cleaner

CHF249.–

Bissell CrossWave Pet Pro

Vacuum cleaners

Philips SpeedPro Max Aqua

Vacuum cleaners

CHF242.–

Thomas Aqua+ Pet and Family

Wet floor cleaner

CHF249.–

Bissell CrossWave Pet Pro

Philips Speed Pro Max Aqua

First, I take a look at the Philips. I quickly put it together without even opening the operating instructions. With intuitive assembly, manufacturers already have a stone in my court. The vacuum cleaner is cordless, which is why I first have to fully charge it using a magnetic contact. After a few hours, the vacuum cleaner is ready for use. To mop, I pour water and some cleaning agent into the container directly at the front of the attachment. The cloth is moistened using the foot pedal. In front of it, the Philips vacuums away the dirt with a dog-like nozzle. Either in normal mode or with turbo drive. The battery lasts just under 70 minutes in the first case, with extra power a good half as long,

The Philips can be easily manoeuvred around the home with one hand.

While cleaning, the vacuum cleaner feels great in the hand and can be moved with agility. However, the result is poor. On the one hand, the floor doesn't dry immediately, so I'm constantly stepping into the cleaned area. On the other hand, damp dust remains, which the hoover can't manage. I end up having to pick it up by hand with a damp cloth, which is one step too many for me.

Simple system: nozzle and a damp cloth. Nothing is dried here.

Handling

👍 Intuitive assembly
👍 manoeuvrable
👍 wireless

Cleaning performance

👍 two suction modes
👍 Stains on the floor are removed
👎 Dirt remains behind
👎 Floor remains wet

Thomas Aqua+ Pet and Family

I do the second lap - on a section of floor that is still dirty - with the Aqua+. I spend ages assembling it before it's ready. Even just getting the lump out of the box is enough to exhaust me. And the assembly frustrates me. I can't get anywhere with the quick guide, the pictures are too imprecise. Unfortunately, the detailed instructions are not available in German. With a mixture of French and Dutch, it finally works, but my mood is ruined. Perhaps also because most customers don't seem to have any problems with it and praise the vacuum cleaner to the skies.

A bit of a monster compared to the other two models.

I have problems when cleaning because the vacuum gets stuck in corners or on furniture from time to time. The cleaning performance, on the other hand, convinces me, even if I find the attachment a little cumbersome to set up. I fill the container at the back of the vacuum cleaner with water and the cleaning agent supplied. This is channelled through a rubber tube to the front of the nozzle. I then spray the freshly vacuumed floor behind the nozzle using the hand trigger. As the nozzle is upright, cleaning is a bit strenuous, but it works. The stains are gone and the laminate is dry.

The nozzle works, but does not glide easily over the floor due to the upright position and the rubber squeegee.

Handling

👍 Retracting/extending cables
👍 Many attachments
👎 Suction cup like a block on the leg
👎 laborious assembly

Cleaning performance

👍clean
👍 dry
👎 Ergonomics (crooked position for sufficient pressure)

Bissell CrossWave Pet Pro

Finally, I confront my floor with the wet-dry vacuum cleaner from Bissell. Fortunately, it's quick and intuitive to assemble. But my euphoria is dampened by the cable. Whereas with the Aqua+ I was able to pull it out and retract it, now the entire length of the upright vacuum hangs down. If that's too much for me, I have to wrap the cable around two hooks. Welcome back to the century before last!

The one with the cable not so much. — I like the wet-dry attachment.

However, it is the only model tested that has completely coupled mopping and vacuuming. A brush in the nozzle is moistened at the touch of a button. I fill a small canister with water and the cleaning agent supplied, which is clicked onto the neck of the vacuum cleaner. As soon as I press the power button, I find myself on the tarmac of an international airport. The thing is incredibly loud. I hardly dare to clean an entire room in my noisy block of flats. On the other hand, the thing does a very good job. Hardly a speck of dust is left behind and even dried-up traces dissolve in water. This can be vacuumed up very easily.

The brush leaves the floor clean and dry.

Handling

👍 Intuitive assembly
👍 stands freely without falling over
👍 Pleasant guidance
👎 A little heavy in the hand
👎 Cable

Cleaning performance

👍 Interaction between vacuuming and mopping
👍 clean, even dust is removed
👍 dry
👎 loud

Conclusion

What remains after the test is a dilemma. Because the perfect vacuum cleaner would be a mixture of all three: the simplicity and agility of the Philips, the nozzles of the Bissell and the drying performance of the Aqua+. The SpeedPro Max Aqua from Philips is disqualified by its price if I really want to use it as a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. For just under 600 francs, I would like to have more than just a wet cloth behind the nozzle, even if I can't complain about the normal suction qualities. What annoys me about the Aqua+ is that it's not a upright vacuum cleaner. I would prefer the Bissell model. If the manufacturers could manage to automatically wind up the cable and reduce the noise level in the next version, then the vacuum cleaner would be great. <p

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Carolin Teufelberger

Editor

carolin.teufelberger@digitecgalaxus.ch

My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.

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Vacuuming and mopping at the same time, does that work?

Philips Speed Pro Max Aqua

Thomas Aqua+ Pet and Family

Bissell CrossWave Pet Pro

Conclusion

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