This One Product Cut My Cleaning Routine in Half (My Kitchen Was Done in 10 Minutes!)

My 1940s Brooklyn apartment has some serious character — which is partly why I fell in love with it — but it also needed a lot of TLC when I moved in. The kitchen was newly renovated, at least; in fact, it was the only part of the apartment that had been touched since the ’70s. Just about everything in it was shiny and new (emphasis on shiny). But as it turns out, the main “selling point” of my Brooklyn apartment quickly became my biggest headache. 

After moving in, I soon learned that my white high-gloss cabinets and black granite countertops show every fingerprint, stain, and spill — and the black tile floors are the worst of all. Always more grimy than glossy, they attract and highlight every crumb, every bit of cat fur, and every piece of kibble. But a few months ago, my saving grace arrived. I got the opportunity to test out Dreame’s new wet/dry vacuum mop — the Dreame Aero Pro — and at last, the tides are turning. Finally I’m winning the war against my messy kitchen floors! 

The main draw of the Dreame Aero Pro is the time and energy it saves you by combining two of the most tedious and frequent cleaning tasks: vacuuming and mopping. This was huge for me — my old floor cleaning routine involved vacuuming daily and (begrudgingly) mopping roughly once a week. And even then, it felt like the kitchen floors looked dirty most of the time. Plus, it’s great for small spaces because it combines those two large, unsightly items into one sleek super-tool.  

The Aero Pro has four different cleaning modes: Smart Mode (which I use most often), Turbo Mode (exactly what it sounds like), Suction Mode (for liquid spills) and Quiet Mode (which is ideal for apartments or shared living spaces, as it really does reduce the noise significantly). I also noticed that it can get right up to the edge of my baseboards, and easily slides under my couch and bed. (If you’ve ever had to clean up an under-the-bed hairball, you’ll know how clutch that feature is.) 

Best of all, instead of having to clean and store away my gigantic mop and bucket every week, all I have to do when I’m done using the Aero Pro is return it to its charging port, which is conveniently set up in my front hall closet. While it charges, it also cleans and dries itself. This process is a bit loud, but it usually only runs for around 30 minutes total — and it’s so worth it. I don’t think I could ever go back to cleaning out my dirty mop bucket in the shower. 

Just a few days after it arrived, my Dreame Aero Pro was put to the ultimate test. I was hosting a party for a friend’s bachelorette, and between people’s shoes, seltzers, and beer spills, I knew my floors were about to get gross (think: frat house floor). But the next morning, the Aero Pro handled it like, well, a pro! Although it took a couple of passes on Turbo Mode, my floors went from a sticky disaster to squeaky clean in just about 10 minutes flat. 

And that was when my floors were at their worst. I’ve been using the Aero Pro almost daily since then, and every time I’m impressed. I will note that sometimes I do still take a pass with my vacuum first to pick up the excess cat kibble and crumbs. Inside the dirty water tank there’s a filter that catches most of the solid debris, but it’s a bit nasty to clean in my kitchen sink. So to avoid that, I use the Aero Pro mostly for liquid spills and messes, and the occasional smattering of cat fur, which it has no issues with and isn’t likely to clog my drains. 

I have just one warning: please, I beg of you, don’t forget to empty the dirty water tank and return the Aero Pro back to its port immediately after using it. In an unwise move that I’ll be blaming on my ADHD, I left my Aero Pro out after cleaning the kitchen once. By the time I realized what I had done, it had been sitting out almost 24 hours — and I must say, it smelled nasty. Entirely my fault, as the instructions do warn against this. Now I can confirm that they are not overstating the importance of following them. But it’s still way easier (and usually way less gross) than cleaning out your mop bucket in a tiny apartment bathroom. 

Though it’s a bit of an investment, you’re getting two different machines in one with the Dreame Aero Pro. I’d highly recommend it — and have already, to several friends and guests (you know you’re getting older when you’re giving your guests a demo of your new vacuum).

I do sometimes wish I could use it on carpets as well, but that’s alright. Vacuuming the carpet is really no bother — it’s the constant mopping that was driving me crazy, and most of my apartment is hardwood anyway. If that’s important to you though, Dreame does make other similar models that can do both, like the Pro CarpetFlex.

The Dreame Aero Pro is so much more than just a vacuum: It’s a vacuum/mop hybrid miracle machine that totally saved me from taking a sledgehammer to my kitchen floors. And it certainly costs less than new flooring would have. 

Even better, the miracle machine is on sale on their site right now for 23% off, and 16% off on Amazon — and starting tomorrow, it’ll be discounted even further for Prime Day at 20% off. 

• Dreame Aero Pro, from $449.99 (now on sale for $349.99!) 
• Dreame Aero Pro, from $449.99 (now on sale for $379.98, or $359.99 June 23 – 26 for Amazon Prime Members!)