TOP 5 Best Wet Vacuum

Have you ever dealt with an extremely dirty floor but don’t want to get out of your mop? If so, you understand why the best wet vacuum may come in handy. These useful appliances work like a vacuum, but they can suck up wet messes. Therefore, with a wet/dry vacuum for home you have the suction power of a vacuum and the cleaning power of a mop. It doesn’t get easier to keep your home clean than that.

You will often find wet vacuums in combination with dry vacuums. These hybrid products are typically called wet/dry vacs 2022. You can even find wet and dry vacuum cleaners for carpet. Want to learn more about the top wet vacuums available today? Then keep reading. This article has all of the answers you need.

What The Best Wet Vacuum?

Let’s begin with the most essential topic you need to know about when it comes to wet and dry vacuum cleaners for carpet: which one is the best. Now, it is important to understand that the best product for one person may not be the best product for you. Everyone has their own requirements for their shop vacs 2022. But, there are a few features that set the top products apart.

• Your wet/dry shop vac should be large enough to clean any mess that may occur. For example, if you plan on using the product as a shop vac for woodworking, then you will likely need a wet vacuum with a large dirt collection bin. However, smaller messes will only require a small size. Make sure that the wet vacuum you choose is the exact size you need.
• The top wet/dry shop vacs will also come with accessories and other options. These products shouldn’t clean in only one way. So, you should either be able to use them as a blower, as a dry vacuum, or even as a carpet cleaner. Look for versatility in your product.
• Finally, the top wet vacuums will be portable. This means that they will not be too heavy for you to move them around. You don’t want to have to worry about porting the product to the mess. Moving the wet/dry shop vac should be a no-brainer.

Obviously, there are a lot of other features to look for in your wet and dry vacuum cleaner for home. But, these three are common among all the top products.

Features to look for when buying a wet vacuum

Now that you know what makes the best products, it is time to discuss all of the features you should look for when you buy a wet vacuum. Understanding how each affects your experience of the shop vac 2022 will ensure you choose the correct product for your home and life.

Size

The feature that matters a lot when choosing a wet vacuum is its size. The size of the product depends on its type. For example, wet and dry vacuum cleaners for home will typically be much smaller than wet/dry shop vacs. Powerful shop vacs 2022 are designed to clean up huge messes, and so they must be larger than home products.

Wet/dry shop vacs come in a number of different sizes. Below we’ve listed the most common—these are often measured by the size of the dirt collection bin in gallons.

• Mini: 2 gallons or less
• Small: 2-6 gallons
• Medium: 6-14 gallons
• Large: 14 gallons or more

As we’ve already mentioned, wet and dry vacuum cleaners for home are typically much smaller. Their dirt bins will likely be measured in ounces, and you may also find a measurement for the water bin as well. For these products, 15-30 ounce tanks are most common.

Power

Power is most important for heavy-duty shop vacs. These products have to clean up large messes, and so need the power to adequately do their job. However, you will also find the power rating for a wet/dry vacuum for home.

As with the size measurement, the power ratings for wet/dry shop vacs vs. wet/dry vacuums for home vary. The larger, more powerful shop vacs 2022 will have their power rated in peak horsepower. This measurement tells you how much horsepower the appliance makes when it is running at peak efficiency. Small shop vacs will make less power—around 2 peak HP—while larger products make more horsepower—4-6 peak HP.

On the other hand, wet and dry vacuum cleaners for home will have their power measured in amps. It is the same concept; a larger number means more power. However, amps measure an electrical current while horsepower measure energy output. In the home models, 4-6 amps are standard.

Attachments

As with most other vacuums, you will likely want some attachments with your wet vacuum. The more attachments you have, the more surfaces your vacuum can clean. This, of course, increases its versatility.

Some of the most common attachments include the crevice tool and a 2-in-1 nozzle. However, you will find some wet/dry vacuums for home that have other attachments included. Powerful shop vacs are typically the products that come with the most attachments.

If you have a lot of attachments that come with your wet vacuum, you may also want to consider looking for a product with an attachment holder or bag. This addition allows you to keep your attachments organized and together. It’s never fun to go to use your wet/dry vac only to find that you have lost the most important attachment.

Other options

In addition to attachments, many wet vacuums come with other options. For wet/dry shop vacs these options could include a car detail kit or a blower port. You may even find some of the larger shop vacs that come with hoses of different sizes so that you can switch them out depending on the cleaning job. Your smaller shop vac or wet/dry vacuum for home will likely not have a lot of other cleaning options.

Noise

Finally, no matter what vacuum you choose, make sure that it will not destroy your hearing. Again, wet and dry vacuum cleaners for home will not be nearly as noisy as shop vacs. But, they still make enough noise—measured in decibels (dB)—to be annoying.

As you research the wet/dry vacs you are interested in, make sure to pay special attention to their decibel level. You can consult this chart to see some of the most common activities and their noise levels. Ideally, you would find a wet vacuum in the 50-80 dB range.      

Top Five Best Wet Vacuum On The Market 2022

Top Five Best Wet Vacuum Reviews 2022

 #1 Vacmaster VP205 Shop Vacuum

If you are in the market for a small wet/dry shop vac, then the Vacmaster Vp205 Shop Vacuum is the product for you. It has a 2.5-gallon container, yet it still makes two peak HP. Between the reasonable HP for its size and the included attachments, you won’t struggle to clean any mess with the VP205.

Other features of the Vacmaster VP205 that put it at the top of our list is its onboard accessory storage. Plus, you can use the shop vac to clean up any mess, wet or dry. Finally, the cord organization and foldable top handle make the VP205 portable and storable.

 #2 Armor All AA255 Shop Vacuum

Another great small wet/dry shop vac is the Armor All AA255 Shop Vacuum. It like the Vacmaster product above has a 2.5-gallon container and it produces two peak HP. One difference is that the AA255 has a ten-foot, not an eight-foot, power cord. This makes the AA255 more useable in large spaces.

You will receive a number of attachments with the Armor All AA255, which makes this wet/dry vac a huge deal for the money. And, with its onboard hose and accessory storage, you won’t struggle to keep all of the components together.

 #3 Bissell CrossWave Floor and Carpet Cleaner with Wet-Dry Vacuum 1785A

Not everyone needs a wet/dry shop vac. Instead, you may be in the market for a wet and dry vacuum cleaner for home. That is where the Bissell CrossWave Floor and Carpet Cleaner with Wet-Dry Vacuum 1785A come in. It may have a long name, but the product itself is extremely easy to use.

There are no attachments to worry about. You just put the detergent in the 1785A and water in the water tank and get to cleaning. The Smart touch controls on the handle make it easy to go from carpet to hard floor with this wet vacuum. For versatility, it doesn’t get better than the Bissell 1785A.

 #4 Tineco iFloor Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner

Tineco has also produced a good wet and dry vacuum cleaner for home. The brand’s iFloor Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Clean does come with a couple of accessories. This addition sets the product apart from the Bissell 1785A. Plus, it is a very lightweight product and the only one on our top five list that doesn’t have a power cord.

You can just pick up the Tineco iFloor Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner and get to cleaning any surface. In fact, there is hardly a surface in your home you can’t clean with this product. Laminate, linoleum, sealed wood, marble, you name it the Tineco iFloor can clean it.

 #5 DeWalt Poly Wet/Dry Vac

To return to the wet/dry shop vacs, we wanted to include one large product on this list. For large shop vacs, we’ve chosen the DeWalt Poly Wet/Dry Vac. This product has a 9-gallon container and makes 5 peak HP.

Because it is a much larger shop vac, you can do a lot more with the DeWalt Poly Wet/Dry Vac. For example, this product comes with a blower port that increases its versatility. And, it includes an accessory storage bag to help you keep all of your attachments handy and secure.

How to use your wet vacuum effectively

Although the exact way you use your wet vacuum varies slightly from model to model, most of the tips apply to all products. You will want to follow the steps outlined in this section in order to most effectively use your wet vacuum. If you have any questions about how to use your specific model of wet/dry vac, consult your user’s manual.

Below are the general steps for using your wet and dry vacuum for home effectively.

1. Bring out your wet/dry shop vac from storage. Check all of the components, especially the hose and electrical cord, for breaks or tears.
2. Clear the hose of any extra, stale water. You can do this by putting the hose in a dry bucket and turning on the wet vacuum. Once the hose is clear, you may want to let it dry out—if you plan on using the wet and dry vacuum for home on a dry mess. If you need to use your wet vacuum on a wet mess, then once the hose is clean you can keep it attached to the vacuum and begin using it as normal.
3. As you are performing your systems check of the wet vacuum, look at the filter as well. Sometimes wet and dry vacuum cleaners for carpet will come with multiple filters. You use one for wet messes and one for dry messes. It is essential that you have the correct filter in the product before you begin using it. Also, even if there is only one filter, it may be time to clean or change it. If this is the case, you will want to do that before you begin cleaning.
4. Once everything is clean, changed, and ready to go, it is time to pick your attachment—if you need one. Always put the attachment on before you plug in the vacuum.
5. If you have a corded wet/dry shop vac, plug it in now.
6. Now it’s time to begin cleaning. As you clean pay attention to the dirt collection bin. If it fills with water or debris, you may need to empty it before you continue cleaning.
7. If you need to change attachments while cleaning, turn off the wet/dry shop vac and then perform the change. Never try to change an attachment while the wet vacuum is running.
8. Once you are done cleaning up the mess, make sure to put all of the attachments back in their bag or storage location. This way you never need to worry about losing an essential component of your wet vacuum.

FAQ:

Any extra questions you have about wet vacuums will be answered in this FAQ section.
1.Is a wet vacuum the same as a wet/dry shop vac?

If you have been paying close attention throughout this article, you will notice that we have discussed both shop vacs and wet and dry vacuums for home. These are clearly different products from one another. A shop vac is a type of drum, or canister, vacuum that is high powered and usually used in a garage or shop. A wet/dry vacuum for home is smaller and can be used as a vacuum and a wet vacuum.

Although they have their differences, we’ve included both wet/dry vacuums for home and wet/dry shop vacs in this article. We’ve done this because the overall function of both types of vacuums remains the same. The largest difference between the two types of products is where you use the wet vacuum and its size.

2. Who can use a wet vacuum?

Now that you know there are two types of wet/dry vacs, you are probably wondering who could use one of these products and how to choose between them. Because of their huge amount of functionality, anyone could use a wet vacuum of either type. Without a wet/dry vac, you would not have an appliance that could clean both wet and dry messes. Having a single product that works on both types of messes is really a game-changer, which is why we recommend wet vacuums to anyone.

However, there are specific circumstances where a wet and dry vacuum cleaner for home may work better for you than a wet/dry shop vac. You should choose a home model if you do not make a lot of messes. Also, if you will be using the product in your home exclusively, then a wet/dry vacuum for home is the best bet.

On the other hand, if you have a large shop or garage, make large messes, or will be using the product anywhere on your property, then you need to choose a powerful shop vac. Although these products can be overkill in some situations, the many different size options make them more versatile for most people. So, if you are unsure what wet vacuum to choose, start with the shop vacs and then go from there.

 3.What can a wet vacuum clean?

Here’s another important question to discuss. Just because a wet vacuum can clean wet or dry messes does not mean that it can clean everything. Consult your owner’s manual for how to use your specific model. Below we’ve provided a list of the most common things a wet/dry vac can and cannot clean.

• Obviously, wet/dry shop vacs can be used to clean dirt, dust, wood shavings, simple liquid messes. Anything you can clean with a vacuum or carpet cleaner you can clean with these products.
• You can use a shop vac with a blower port to clean out clogged drains. Snow can also be cleaned by using the blower function.
• A wet and dry vacuum cleaner for carpet will work and clean almost exactly like a carpet cleaner. Therefore, you can use the product to remove stains and mildew.
• Larger debris like nails and screws can be cleaned up using a powerful shop vac with a wet and dry function.
• Any kind of water-based disaster, a wet/dry vac can help you clean.

 4.How to clean your wet vacuum.

Just because your wet/dry vac’s job is to clean doesn’t mean it does not need cleaning itself every once and a while. Your user’s manual will give you tips for cleaning your specific product, but here are a few general tips and tricks to get you started.

• If your dirt collection bin gets too dirty, you will need to clean it out. First, empty it. Second, you can clean it with a rag, gentle soap, and water. Just make sure it is completely dry before you put the top back on the container.
• The filter will either need to be washed or replaced periodically depending on your wet and dry vacuum for home. Always follow your user instructions for this procedure.
• If your wet/dry vac has a detergent container, that will also need to be cleaned. You can clean this just as you would the dirt container, and it too will need to be completely dry before being put back together.

Conclusion

The best wet vacuums will help you take care of any mess or disaster that occurs in your home. Whether big or small, a wet and dry vacuum cleaner for home has you covered. Follow the tips and tricks presented in this article to help guide your selection process. Then try out one of the five products we reviewed above.

Once you’ve determined your wants and needs, finding a wet vacuum that is perfect for you will not be hard. Try your own wet/dry vacuum for home today, you’ll be happy you did.