Why wet-dry vacuums might be the future of cleaning in Indian homes

Despite being among the world’s most cleanliness-obsessed countries, Indian households may be stuck in a cleaning loop that isn’t delivering true hygiene. A new Dyson Global Wet Cleaning Study reveals that while Indians clean more often than most, outdated tools like mops and cloths might actually be making things worse.

According to the study, almost half of Indians clean their hard floors daily; more than twice the global average. That’s unsurprising in a country where 94.5 per cent of homes have hard floors like tile or stone, which demand regular mopping. But the data also shows that 49 per cent of respondents don’t change the mop water after each room, effectively spreading dirty water and germs around the house.

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What’s more, cleaning isn’t just frequent; it’s time-consuming. One in three Indian households spends over two hours on routine floor cleaning, far exceeding the global average. Yet despite the time and energy spent, only 33 per cent feel that sponges or cloths are truly effective. So what’s going wrong?

Tradition vs hygiene

In many Indian homes, cleaning is deeply embedded in daily life. It’s tied to rituals, respectability, and health. But tools like mops, cloths, and buckets haven’t evolved to match today’s urban messes, such as fine dust, oily stains, food spills, and pet hair.

The Dyson study found that 45 per cent of Indians struggle with stubborn stains, while 31 per cent are concerned about slipping on wet floors. Nearly a third of users find wet cleaning physically tiring and frustratingly inefficient. Traditional methods often require sweeping first, followed by mopping, which stretches cleaning time and increases physical strain.

A shift in expectations

Despite the low awareness of modern cleaning machines, 62 per cent of Indian respondents believe vacuum cleaners with wet functionality are the best solution, suggesting a growing appetite for smarter cleaning solutions.

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Users say they want devices that are easy to maintain, durable, mess-free to empty, and powerful enough to handle tough spills and stains. That’s exactly where wet-dry vacuums come in – combining powerful suction with wet cleaning capabilities in a single pass.

Tech that cleans better and faster

There are several innovative products that are designed to meet the specific needs of modern Indian homes. The Dyson WashG1, the brand’s first dedicated wet cleaner, tackles both wet and dry debris using two counter-rotating microfibre rollers.

It hydrates, lifts, and extracts dirt while keeping dirty water and solid debris separate. Floors dry up to 80 per cent faster compared to traditional mopping, and its self-cleaning mode ensures hygienic maintenance after every use.

A Dyson V12s Detect Slim Submarine, on the other hand, offers an all-in-one-solution with wet and dry vacuuming. It combines dust illumination, powerful suction, and anti-tangle tech with the Submarine roller head to clean both mess and moisture with ease, even under furniture and in tight corners.

Other brands are also beginning to enter this space. The Eureka Forbes NXT 1380W Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner is a powerful corded alternative that can handle both solid debris and wet spills, providing a more accessible entry point into modern wet-dry cleaning solutions.

The future of clean

Cleaning frequency doesn’t always equal cleanliness. Indians are pouring time, energy, and intention into floor cleaning, but their trusted tools may be stuck in the past. As modern homes get busier and hygiene takes centre stage, the shift toward intelligent, tech-driven cleaning solutions isn’t just desirable, it’s inevitable.

Maybe it’s time we gave the mop a break. If smarter machines can slash your cleaning time, cut down germs instead of spreading them, and make the whole process less of a chore and more of a breeze, why stick to yesterday’s methods? The future of clean floors is here, and it doesn’t come with a bucket.