Dyson PencilWash is what happens when a mop goes to engineering school

Dyson has unveiled the PencilWash, a floor cleaner so slim it genuinely earns the pencil in its name. At just 38mm in diameter, this is the slimmest wet and dry cleaner the company has produced, weighing in at 2.2kg with only 380g felt in hand.

The PencilWash aims to be a lighter, more manoeuvrable machine that still delivers hygienic wet cleaning. It uses a combination of hydration, agitation and extraction to deal with both wet spills and dry debris in a single pass. The focus is on always using fresh water on your floors, not recycled sludge from a previous swipe.

According to John Churchill, Chief Technology Officer at Dyson, the aim was to “make machines smaller and lighter while dramatically improving performance.” PencilWash brings that thinking to wet cleaning, pairing the simplicity of a broom with engineering that feels distinctly Dyson.

Built like a pencil, cleans like a proper machine

The 38mm ultra-slim handle is the obvious talking point. It steers with a simple twist and lies flat to 170 degrees, allowing it to reach under sofas and low cabinets without lifting off the floor. In practical terms, it can glide under furniture as low as 15cm, which is usually where dust and the occasional coffee spill like to linger.

The high-density microfibre roller does the real work. With 64,000 filaments per square centimetre, it spins rapidly to lift both wet and dry mess in one go. An eight-point hydration system feeds clean water directly onto the roller, while dirty water and debris are continuously extracted with every rotation. On paper, that translates to a floor that dries quickly and never gets washed with reused water.

And there is no filter. Dyson says this eliminates sludge build-up, blockages and odours that are common with conventional wet and dry cleaners. By going filter-free, the PencilWash removes one of the least pleasant parts of ownership: cleaning the cleaner.

Two hydration modes let you adjust water flow depending on how serious the spill is. The 300mL clean water tank is rated to cover up to 100m², and the 30-minute runtime can be extended with a swappable battery pack.

Part of a bigger design story

PencilWash is also the second device in what appears to be Dyson’s “Pencil” cleaning portfolio, built around an ultra-slim industrial design language.

ALSO READ: This new Dyson vacuum is so thin, it could probably hide behind your curtain rod

The first was the Dyson PencilVac, a stick vacuum that drew attention for its unusually thin profile and compact engineering. PencilVac laid the foundation. PencilWash builds on it, applying the same design philosophy to wet cleaning.

Dyson PencilWash price and availability

The Dyson PencilWash launches in a few global markets at $349 (~Rs 32,000), and the price includes a charging stand for the handle portion. Dyson has also stated that the product will launch in India soon, but for now, you can check out other Dyson vacuum cleaners below.

If Dyson’s bet pays off, PencilWash could shift wet cleaning away from heavy, tank-like machines and toward something that feels far less intimidating to pull out for everyday spills. Like how the PencilWash looks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.