I’ll Never Use Another Wet-Dry Vacuum Again — This Is the Clear Winner

Keeping the floors moderately clean in a super-busy household is already a challenging feat that requires daily attention. In our home, up until recently, it felt as if we’d totally lost that battle. With two dogs and three humans trekking back and forth through a muddy backyard and patio and in and out of the house, our ceramic kitchen tile floor was always filthy, and a new stain magically appeared every 15 minutes or so. It’s been a lot to manage — and when guests stop by unexpectedly, I’m very self-conscious about the floors.

But what was even more annoying than watching our floor get dirty almost instantly was the ordeal of having to clean it all over again, and all of the steps it takes to get it back to its least embarrassing state. You see, I didn’t feel like any of our best products were actually getting our floors clean solely on their own. On weekends we needed to kick off a two- or three-step process in order to truly banish all of the pet mess and shoe prints, and bring the freshness and shine back to our floors. We’d have to sweep or vacuum first, spot-clean the grout stains, and then mop heavily. It was exhausting and time-consuming, so when I had the opportunity to test the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Wet Dry Vacuum — which promises to eliminate the need to vacuum before mopping floors — I immediately jumped at it.

The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Wet Dry Vacuum is a dream two-in-one tool. It vacuums, washes, and steams your hard surfaces — all at the same time! It can even refresh your area rugs with steam. 

It features HydroSteam technology, which uses the power of steam to tackle tough messes, a tangle-free brush, self-cleaning mode, and a two-tank system to keep clean and dirty water separate.

I started using this wet-dry vacuum a little over two months ago, and I haven’t touched my go-to broom or mop since. I’m all about using fewer cleaning tools and saving time — especially because I have to clean our kitchen floor at least three times a week in the winter (salty, dirty snow prints), spring (garden drudge), and summer (outdoor season). The setup was super-fast, and the instructions are clear — and if you pair that with the look of its bold copper handle, I’ll admit I was impressed from the moment I unboxed it. 

Because the Bissell HydroSteam Technology uses steam to clean and sanitize tough stains while it vacuums loose dirt and debris, not only do I feel like I’m making our floors look better, but I also feel a sense of relief knowing that we’re spreading less germs throughout the house too. The LED light on the front helps ensure that I don’t miss a spot — especially when I’m cleaning at night. Plus, it’s quiet and light enough to move in and out of the closet and around the house with ease. 

Now, I’ll confess, when we first moved in we chose tile floors for our kitchen because they’re already a littler easier to clean than other floor types, but I never imagined we’d have to clean them so often. (I blame the light gray tile and white grout choice mostly, but we also have an elderly dog who gets sick often and has more and more accidents these days.)

With the CrossWave HydroSteam Wet Dry Vacuum, I cleaned — and vacuumed and sanitized — our entire kitchen floor in exactly seven minutes. Doing all three steps one by one typically takes me close to an hour. This has been reason alone for me to never look back and give this wet-dry vac a permanent spot in my cleaning tool rotation, but there is more.

Our floors, especially the grout, have never looked cleaner. Even our best spin mop was put to shame after this guy had a go at it. Just look at these before-and-after photos. We’d just finished making dinner and letting the dogs run around the garden. I wanted to quickly touch up the kitchen floor before calling it a night.

Ten minutes later, I was tucking myself into bed and the kitchen floor looked like new. Yes, new! If, like me, you’re tired of chasing down stains and want to clean your floors better and faster, I highly recommend you add the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Wet Dry Vacuum to your cart immediately. You’ll have zero regrets. 

Buy: Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Wet Dry Vacuum, $319.99