When you're cleaning every room in the home, the right tools can make all the difference. Be it investing in one of the best vacuum cleaners or best robot vacuums, we're always in search of the next thing to make light work of tough chores, and save time.
One of my biggest gripes after vacuuming, is the arduous task of filling up a bucket and wringing out the mop to clean my hardwood floors. And since 90% of my home is hardwood and tiles, I’ve always loved the idea of an all-in-one vacuum cleaner to do the work for you.
So you can imagine my excitement when I got my hands on the new Dyson V15s Detect Submarine — the brand's first wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Finally, a cordless vacuum that mops!
Although wet and dry robot vacuums already available on the market, this is Dyson's newest addition to their innovative range. This also follows on from their smart Dyson 360 Vis robot vacuum — which I’ve also tested.
It’s no surprise that the Submarine is engineered with the same precision — the head has a motor-driven microfibre roller to remove spills, tough stains and marks. It comes with eight water jets, evenly spaced along the roller, and 18ml of water is released every minute to wash floors thoroughly. The dirty water is then sucked into a separate, 360 millilitre chamber for easy emptying out.
Sounds impressive enough — with that in mind, I put the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine to the test in my home, to find out if it's the answer to all of my cleaning woes.
Ease of use
Essentially, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine has a similar design to the Dyson V15s Detect Absolute, but comes with a selection of advanced cleaning heads.
This includes the standard digital motor bar cleaner head to deep clean carpets, fluffy optic cleaner head, hair screw tool, combination/crevice tool, and of course, the Submarine mopping head.
Like all Dyson vacuum cleaners, the different heads are easy to attach, and swap out by simply clicking the signature red buttons together — and pressing to take apart.
It’s also lightweight, at 9 lbs, and easy to manoeuvre around the room, thanks to its swivel head. I found it easy to tackle my hardwood floors and tiles in no time — without it being a back-breaking task.
In addition, it comes with a 60-minute battery pack, making it less heavy than previous models. However, I would recommend putting it on Eco mode, to get the most out of your battery life.
It’s also straightforward to slide out the water tank/chamber from the wet roller head, unscrew the cap, and fill with clean water. Unlike traditional mopping, you don’t use hot or lukewarm water, just room temperature — and no detergent such as dish soap.
I was concerned that my floors would just be washed, and not be properly sanitized, so I asked the Dyson team if I could add a drop of disinfectant to the water — which they said I could, providing it won’t sud up inside the tank. Then I simply slid the tank back into place on the Submarine head, before attaching to the stick.
What’s more, the whole process took under a minute, compared to me filling up a mop bucket with hot, soapy water! Now I was ready to see how well it could tackle my hardwood floors and tiles.
Verdict
After using the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine to clean my living room and kitchen/bathroom. I was pleasantly surprised. With its exceptional suction power, it speedily washed my floors in two sweeps — which did appear much cleaner. The drying time was also quick, eliminating wet footprints, and I could still detect a hint of my fresh disinfectant.
In addition, it didn’t leave behind a saturated floor, which some traditional and steam mops often do. Plus, without a heated element, there is less risk of ruining hardwood floors, like the time when a steam mop damaged my floors due to the steam moisture. What’s more, the handstick’s LED display gives you an indication of how much clean water is left, in case you need to tackle other spots.
Cleaning is also a breeze as you simply empty the dirty water tank, and give the roller brush a good rinse in water. And the handy drip tray ensures you don't have messy spills on the floor.
Perhaps, the only downside is that as the roller picks up grime from the floor, it can leave streaks behind. This is especially noticeable when I paused movement for a bit — in which case, I had to go over the area again to remove unsightly marks. However, considering the sheer power of the Dyson V15s Submarine, this is not a real deal breaker.
Another caveat is that if you already own a Dyson Absolute cordless vacuum cleaner, the Submarine wet roller head will not be compatible. And considering its eye-watering price of almost $1,000, you’d probably need to consider whether it’s really worth the upgrade.
But if like me, you’re after an all-in-one, cordless vacuum cleaner that offers impressive power, versatility and convenience, then I’d happily trade in my old model any day!
Availability
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is available to buy in the U.S. from Dyson.com, and costs $949.49. In the UK, you can pick one up at Dyson.co.uk and Dyson Demo Stores, priced at £799.99.
More from Tom's Guide
