What slot do wet and dry vacuum cleaners fit into your life? A good car vacuum cleaner is an essential in any home. But it’s only so useful when you turn to your garage or a mucky car interior. What you need is a good wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Normal vacuum cleaners may be good for spilt crisps and dust bunnies but won’t be able to tackle larger debris or spillages.
Wet and dry vacuum cleaners may seem to be excessive for cleaning your car at first glance. You may think that you own a perfectly good mop for any spillages and a vacuum for everything else. But a proper wet and dry vacuum cleaner will not only transform how you clean your car. But also your garage but your home as well.
Even the very best cordless vacuum cleaners for your home are a bit out of depth cleaning your garage. A typical garage will have the remnants of DIY tasks (like sawdust), larger debris and sometimes even liquids that will need to be vacuumed up, something that will ruin a traditional vacuum cleaner. The same can be said for cleaning your car. A regular vacuum will be good for light tasks, but if you want to make your interior look better than new or the car is extremely mucky, then a simple vacuum will not cut it.
The best wet and dry vacuum cleaners at a glance:
Best wet and dry vacuum cleaner: Kärcher WD2 Wet and Dry Vacuum – Buy now from Amazon UK
Editor’s choice: Bosch UniversalVac 15 – buy now from Amazon UK
Best budget wet and dry vacuum cleaner: Draper 20515 – Buy now from Amazon UK
Wet and dry vacuums are designed to be tougher and more robust, meaning you’ll be able to tackle larger jobs with no worry at all. Not to mention, it can be used on spillages safely, too. It makes sense to own one if your car does get partially muddy on the inside, as a good wet and dry vacuum cleaner will be more effective on the mud while also keeping your carpet cleaner in good order while it spot washes your cabin.
The best wet and dry vacuum cleaners:
The best wet and dry vacuum claener
We'd recommend this one for beginners because of its reasonable price and simple filter system. Kärcher has a solid reputation for quality, and the WD2 Plus is designed specifically for tough jobs, including cleaning the car, garage and even the garden.
The WD2 has many aspects that make it my wet-dry champ, but the one that stands out is the superbly clever cartridge filter. Most wet-dry vacuums require swapping filters to clean up liquids and solids, but this single feature makes the WD2 the best wet-dry vacuum.
Read our full review by Aaron Hussain here.
Pros
- The cartridge filter makes cleaning foolproof
- Robust build quality will see it survive for years
- The value for money is evident
Cons
- The cable is shorter than expected
- The car-specific attachment is an extra cost
| Capacity | 12 litres |
| Power | 1000W |
| Operating radius | Four metres |
| Weight | 4.25kg |
Editor's choice
The plastics feel a little squishier, the ergonomics sharper, and the suction just as powerful. Like the Karcher, it uses a cartridge filter, which allows seamless wet-to-dry cleaning. For this reason alone, it secures our editor's pick. Another feature that is extremely welcomed is the dust extraction feature, a great feature for any keen DIYer.
I think it’s well worth the extra cash. It’s everything the Karcher is, but it's a little nicer to use and more refined. It is heavier than the competition, but the handle and efficient use of size does keep it decently portable.
Read our full review by Chris Williams here.
Pros
- Slightly more refined than the Kärcher
- Also features an excellent cartridge filter
- Tool storage is second to none
Cons
- Still burdened with a small cable
- Slightly heavier than the Kärcher
| Capacity | 15L |
| Power | 1000W |
| Operating radius | 5 Metres |
| Weight | 6.9kg |
The best cordless wet and dry vacuum cleaner
You’ll pay a price premium for this battery-provided portability, but the Worx's go-anywhere nature is hard to fault. It’s powerful and easy to use in a car thanks to the flexible hose. I’ve been able to get class-leading vacuuming results at the side of the road, far away from any power socket. I wish it had a brush attachment, and the shoulder strap was more of a nuisance than a help, but those are small critiques.
Read our full review by Aaron Hussain here.
Pros
- Infinitely portable with no cords
- Suction doesn't appear to be hampered by the batteries
- Part of the excellent Worx battery sharing range
Cons
- Shoulder strap was a pain to adjust
- No brush head once again
Best budget wet and dry vacuum cleaner
This means it’s both rugged and affordable. The plastics aren’t fancy but do feel tough enough to shake off being bashed about. The 1250W is loud but incredibly capable against debris, and there’s a nice tactility to everything. It’s simple to operate and feels engineered to last. I really like it.
This may make it appear to be a bit of a rough option, but most wet and dry vacuums will be relegated to the garage as a secondary vacuum and so can afford low-tech designs so long as they’re tough. Thankfully, the bucket-like Draper has toughness in bucketfuls.
Pros
- As simple as a wet and dry comes, expect it to last forever
- Small and lightweight design
- Value for money is exceptional
Cons
- Refinement is lacking
- Awful Draper hose is infuriating
| Capacity | 20 litres |
| Power | 1250W |
| Operating radius | Five metres |
| Weight | 4.5kg |
The best wet and dry vacuum cleaner for deep cleaning
The biggest problem with it is the complicated awkwardness of changing it over between the different modes. Instead of a simple filter swap, Numatic include two hoses, a tank that needs to be added and the filter. It’s time-consuming to do, but at least the excellent overall performance makes it a worthwhile piece of kit.
After all, what else can perform like a Henry around the home, clean up sawdust without breaking a sweat, suck up the spillage of a leaky washing machine, spot-clean a car seat and deep clean your floors in one unit? It’s as impressive as it is frustrating.
Read the full review of the George by Ryan Gilmore.
Pros
- Every conceivable vacuum cleaner in one
- Built like a Swiss tank
- Massive operating radius
Cons
- No cable management
- The most complex vacuum cleaner I've ever tested
| Capacity | 15 litres |
| Power | 1060W |
| Operating radius | 26.8 metres |
| Weight | 9kg |
The best value wet and dry vacuum cleaner
There were good parts about it. The 30-litre dustbin size was more than generous, the telescopic handle nifty, and the pass-through power socket is a very welcome addition. The 1600W motor is a beefcake and was more than capable in a car or around the home, let down by a rather meh floor head.
But there are also some big drawbacks. The hose is simply awful to use. It’s too stiff and would pitch the main body onto three wheels if held at an angle it didn’t like. There’s also no cable management system at all, which adds to the agricultural feeling.
Read our review of the Draper 1600W vacuum cleaner by Ryan Gilmore.
Pros
- A dependable as they come
- A lot of suction power for your money
- Huge dustbin makes deep cleaning a breeze
Cons
- More suited to a building site than a living room
- The hose drove me mad
| Capacity | 15L |
| Power | 1250W |
| Operating radius | 5 Metres |
| Weight | 4.8kg |
A wet and dry vacuum cleaner
It’s small in size and very lightweight, but the lack of attachments means it’s not that practical for car cleaning. There’s no flexible tool or brush head for fabrics, which limits where you can stick it.
The attachments Beldray did include weren't much cop either. A rubber squeegee head does help a bit with sucking up water but is otherwise unremarkable, as is the crevice tool. The bargain-basement price and tiny size are small redeeming features, but when a proper wet and dry is only a couple of pounds more, it’s hard to justify this.
Read our full review of the Beldray by Ryan Gilmore.
Pros
- It functions as a vacuum cleaner
- Suitable for wet and dry vacuuming
- It's light and easy to carry around
Cons
- Not the last word in quality
- Underperformance is riff
- It sucks, literally
What you need to know about wet and dry vacuum cleaners
Price
There are plenty of very good models for less than £100. The £150 mark and over will get you an exceptional wet and dry vacuum cleaner. They’re roughly the same sort of price as a handheld vacuum cleaner, so similar principles apply. Budget for the best you can afford, and also look at what extra features are available and how much of a premium they are. If, for example, you need a carpet cleaner as well, look at a wet and dry vacuum cleaner with a built-in shampooer. Not only could this save you some cash in the long run, but it’ll also cut down on storage space.
Suction power
Another top consideration for wet and dry vacuum cleaners. Wet and dry vacuum cleaners aren’t subjected to maximum power rules. This means they’ll undoubtedly be more powerful than a regular vacuum cleaner. We found this out for ourselves when testing the Karcher WD2 Plus. This means they can clean deeper than a regular vacuum. It’s also worth noting that most wet and dry vacuums have different capacities for solids and liquids. Finally, factor in how easily the vacuums can be emptied. The best wet and dry vacuums will have a drainage tap for liquids.
Extra features
The Bosch UniversalVac 18 has loads of them. And some premium wet and dry vacuum cleaners will also offer extra functions beyond vacuuming, which is well worth considering. Several models we’ve selected include a blow function, meaning your vacuum doubles as a leaf blower. This is a welcome feature for any keen gardener, and it’ll mean you won’t need a dedicated leaf blower to take up room in your garage. Looking past the £150 mark, some wet and dry vacuum cleaners will offer a detergent option. This means they double up as carpet cleaners. If you want to remove stains without the bulk of a separate stain remover, they’re worth considering. Just remember the added cost and weight.
Wet and dry vacuum cleaners: Frequently asked questions
Is it worth buying a wet and dry vacuum?
In day-to-day life, our cars and our homes will inevitably experience unexpected spills on carpets and upholstery, especially if you have young children or pets, so a wet and dry vacuum can be the ideal solution for keeping things clean and tidy.
Is a wet and dry vacuum good for carpets?
Yes, as it can remove spills, preventing the mess from drying into the carpet and causing stains and odours.
What is the difference between a wet vac and a wet dry vac?
A wet and dry vac can be used to get rid of liquid spills as well as perform as an ordinary day-to-day vacuum for getting rid of household dust, whereas a wet vacuum cleaner is designed to tackle larger amounts of liquids in a safe manner.
How we choose
All of these wet and dry vacuum cleaners have been hand-selected by our team of experts who have spent hours investigating and researching wet and dry vacuum cleaners to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we’d never recommend a product we don’t believe in.
Where possible, we also test and share the latest and best products you should know about.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. A veteran car cleaner; if it details, waxes or washes, he’ll be on hand to make sure it’s worth your money.
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