A few months ago, I spilled some frozen berries on my linoleum kitchen floor when I was testing a new ice cream maker. Since then, there has been a vaguely purple stain on the checkerboard surface that has taunted me every time I entered the room. Now, that stain is gone thanks to help from the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner. This newly-announced model combines a vacuum with a powerful steam cleaner for hard surfaces and wraps them all up in a slick package. Combo cleaners like this often fall short in one way or another, but after several weeks of regular use, I’m yet to find a mess or mishap that stumps Tineco’s flagship floor cleaner.
Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner
Verdict spoiler: This high-performance vacuum makes several lofty promises when it comes to multi-surface cleaning and overall versatility. And while it doesn’t come cheap, the Tineco delivers a clean floor under any circumstances.
How we tested the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner
I prefer to test devices like this by integrating them into my life as I would if I purchased it. I swapped my solid-but-aging Dyson Ball for this review vacuum and cleaned every couple days. I tested it primarily on dog hair, dust, dirt, and other common spills. I also put it through some more robust intentional spills with tough-to-clean substances like cornstarch, sprinkles, and spilled potting soil.
To test the stain removing power, I set the S9 loose on jelly, coffee, and a dried berry stain that has been on my floor for some time.
We didn’t put it through any over-the-top tests that would push past the limits of a typical vacuum because, while entertaining, those results often don’t represent actual performance in the real world.
Design and assembly
Out of the box, the Tineco goes together with just a few simple steps. Click the handle into the main body, fill up the water reservoir, plug in the base, and start charging. It took longer to cut the tape on the box than it did to fully assemble the vacuum.
The vacuum sits on a dedicated charging dock, which is easy to set off in the corner of the room. When the vacuum hits the charger, a colored light system (and even a voice notification if you desire) lets you know that it’s charging. The small screen on the handle indicates the charge level that’s readable from across the room so you’ll always know how much juice you have. The whole process makes this vacuum feel more like a gadget than an appliance, which I mean in the most positive possible way.
First cleaning with the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner
This is a self-propelled vacuum, so as soon as it turns on, it starts moving. The first thing I noticed is just how nimble it is when it comes to maneuvering. I’ve used the Dyson Ball a fair bit, but I like the handling on the Tineco better. It cuts hard corners around table legs and into small nooks and crannies. It moves a little faster than I would push it manually because it knows how fast it can go while still getting a good clean. I’m apparently an overly cautious vacuum operator.
The front of the vacuum is relatively low profile and fit easily under my cabinets, couch, and TV stand. It didn’t quite fit under the door of my fridge to get the grime that falls under there, but then again, very few vacuums I’ve tested have been able to cram themselves under there.
One big advantage that the Tineco offers over some of its competition: It can operate while the handle lays down totally flat. So, if you want to get way under the bed or a table, you can lower the handle as far as you need to. That’s a big win for people who hate moving furniture (which I assume is pretty much everyone).
All quiet
The second thing I noticed after the ease of movement was the sound level. I typically use a full-sized vacuum and the Tineco is an order of magnitude quieter, even in Max mode. My dog typically crashes out when it’s time to vacuum and she had no issue with the Tineco at all, even when I was running it right next to her bed. She’s the toughest critic in this regard, and the S9 passes with flying colors there.
Cleaning modes
A simple button press toggles between cleaning modes. Automatic mode quickly determines the type of surface you’re cleaning, as well as the dirt level to apply the proper cleaning techniques. Max mode amps up the power to its top setting in order to tackle areas with accumulated dirt–or in my case, dog hair. Steam mode works on hard surfaces in order to pull up stains and grime. The water in the tank needs time to heat up before you can activate steam mode, so give it about 60 seconds to do so.
For my first pass across all of my floors, I found myself in Max Mode fairly often. Because I could get into areas my typical vacuum misses, I was pulling out ancient tumbleweeds of dog hair and dust that had been lurking. With subsequent cleanings, however, I found automatic mode worked very well.
The vacuum automatically identifies areas with heavy dirt and adjusts the cleaning power and process accordingly. The dynamic light on the vacuum itself keeps you in the loop on the cleaning process without even having to look at the screen on the handle.
Turn on the steam
Tineco isn’t messing around when it comes to steam cleaning. Steam mode on this vacuum dispenses water at a minimum temperature of 210 degrees, which allows it to loosen stains and grease from hard surfaces. That’s well outside the capabilities of a typical vacuum and much more effective than something like a wet mop, which tends to push messes around rather than cleaning them up.
Even when Steam is fully engaged, this cleaner runs very quietly. I gave my entire linoleum kitchen floor the steam treatment and noticed a tangible difference in how clean it looked after. I typically mop every week, but was surprised to see how much grime the Tineco managed to find.
Cleaning the cleaner
As soon as the vacuum hits the charging dock, it runs a self-diagnostic test to determine the level of its own cleanliness. If required, it goes through a self-cleaning process, which takes less than five minutes, followed by a five-minute air drying process.
The vacuum doesn’t require any intervention during this cleaning process except when it’s time to empty the dirty water receptacle. The base and vacuum use hot water to clean the rollers and internals thoroughly before blowing everything dry with warm air.
Removing the dirty water tank is simple, though the mechanism to latch the filter into the tank feels flimsier than I would like. I didn’t encounter any issues with it, but I was cautious removing and reinstalling it. Overall, the whole device is very easy to maintain.
The box comes with a replacement roller as well as an extra air filter for when they need replacing.
Battery life and other features
Tineco promises up to 75 minutes of operation on a single charge, but that number fluctuates depending on mode, conditions, and (in my experience) vibes. It doesn’t take me a full hour to clean the floors in my 1,100 square foot house, so I usually finished up with roughly 20-25 percent charge left over. I got close to depleting the battery when using heavy steam cleaning, which makes sense since it takes considerable power to heat the water.
There are a number of other nice features built into the S9. The headline provides solid illumination across the floor and the directional nature of it highlights dirt that needs capturing. I know I already mentioned it, but the quiet running really is a differentiator with this vacuum. Not only does it run quietly, but the sound it makes avoids the grating pitches some other vacuums create.
Keep on rolling
The primary issue I run into with most vacuums involves the rollers getting jammed with my dogs insidious hair. The Tineco has a clever constant-cleaning system that continuously pulls hair and other debris from the roller as it operates to prevent tangles and jam-ups. Even during several weeks of cleaning, hair never managed to stump the roller and I never had to stop to manually clean it. I’m sure I will one day, but it hasn’t happened so far and that’s an impressive achievement.
Who should buy the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner?
At $999 retail (or $899 pre-order), this is an investment, but it really does serve the purpose of multiple floor cleaners. It’s a very capable vacuum cleaner that easily handles heavy debris and tough pet hair. At the same time, it’s an effective steam cleaner that can pull gnarly grime from any surface. I found myself cleaning my floors more regularly because using the S9 doesn’t feel like a chore.
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