Prolux Wet Dry Garage Vacuum Review

There are some jobs that your indoor vacuum just can’t handle. Do you need to clean up dry and wet debris, detail your car’s interior, or inflate large objects? The Prolux Wet-Dry can do these things and more. But does it do them well? Read on and find out.

Pros

• Can vacuum large, dry, and wet debris
• Performs well at auto detailing
• Able to blow up large inflatables

Cons

• Not suitable to clean larger upholstery areas or carpet without additional attachments
• Struggles with long hair 
• Need to walk back to the canister to turn vacuum on or off

Scoring

In This Review

Hardwood Cleaning Test | Garage Cleaning | Car Detailing | Upholstery Cleaning | Blower & Inflate | Long Hair Test | Pet Hair Test | Noise Test | Usability | Accessories | Size | Specs | Summary

Performance Tests

For the performance tests on the Prolux Wet-Dry, we deviated from our normal process since this vacuum is not designed for cleaning interiors. We skipped our carpet cleaning tests and also added subjective experiences on its performance across many prominently advertised functions.

These tests include:

• Hardwood cleaning test
• Garage cleaning experience
• Car detailing experience
• Upholstery cleaning experience
• Blower/Inflatable experience
• Hair test
• Pet hair test
• Noise test
• Usability test

Hardwood Cleaning Test

Performance on hardwood floors was fantastic on the Prolux Wet-Dry. The only catch is that you will need the right attachment. 

We first tried the multi-surface attachment, thinking it would do best to pick up large debris. In fact, it was the wider, squeegee attachment that is better designed for larger debris.

With either attachment, all smaller debris types saw 99% removed from the hardwood surface. However, the multi-surface tool didn’t permit cereal through its front and simply pushed it around. The wide squeegee attachment performed just as well with the smaller debris and perfectly with the cereal.

Garage Cleaning Test

It was a bit liberating to have a vacuum with which I could trust to suck up large and wet debris. Whether it was leaves, small rocks, or dirt, the Prolux tackled it all well. 

The biggest hurdle I faced was choosing the right brush head or attachment to use. The wide, bristled brush head is actually great for the large areas in the garage. Its front bristles are actually cut short to allow for bigger debris to pass into the head. 

When I saw leaves and truly large debris, it was most effective to use no attachment at all, and just suck them up with the wand. Finally, the crevice tool and duster brush made cleaning the gaps and corners easy. Overall, this garage vacuum was excellent at cleaning my garage.

Blower & Inflatable Test

There is a second port on the canister of the Wet-Dry distinguishable by siding material that acts as a lock for the hose.

The air blown by the Prolux Wet-Dry is quite strong, especially with the attachments to narrow the airflow. This is perfect for dusting or removing light debris from areas too difficult to reach with other attachments. 

I would not recommend this for use on electronics as the air coming out of the hose is far too strong and could cause damage.

A neat feature of this blower is that it is also designed as an inflator. The standard pumps that come with large inflatables will most likely be outdone by the Prolux Wet-Dry’s blower mode.

We tested this on an inflatable kayak, and it pumped up both sections within seconds. 

Note: this is not for use on tires or athletic balls. 

Another fun feature for our kayak experience was the ability to suck up water. After using this inflatable kayak, I always found it tricky to get all of the water out of the inside. 

To test this, I poured an entire glass of water into the kayak, flipped it vertically, and used the Wet-Dry to suck it up. This worked as perfectly as I hoped and is another example of the versatility of the Wet-Dry.

Upholstery Cleaning Tests

I had a few small rugs that have been in need of cleaning. I first used the mini turbo tool without any shampooing. Then I did a pass with the shampooer and back to the turbo and extraction tools. It made a huge difference, and I recommend the Wet-Dry for use on rugs. 

I have large cloth sectionals that haven’t been fully cleaned since purchasing them 2 years ago. While cleaning them the Prolux Wet-Dry did not perform as well as I would have hoped here. 

Part of the issue is the relatively small size of the shampoo container. It only holds 350 ml or about 12 oz. This just wasn’t enough for the sectionals I was cleaning. The blower barely got one section moist before running out of mixture. 

Another problem is the shampooer bottle itself leaks severely when in use. It is designed with an opening at the top to force the contents of the container to blow out of the end if the opening is closed with a finger. No matter how I adjusted the blower tip or container top, the mixture would always leak out. 

For couches and any other big upholstery sections, I would suggest not bothering with the Prolux Wet-Dry. 

Prolux does sell a large brush head designed for large carpeted areas as an additional purchase. That said, without a larger, better form of delivering cleaning mixtures to the carpet, I can’t imagine it would create better cleaning performance.

Auto Interior Detailing Test

The experience of cleaning my sedan with the Prolux Wet-Dry was great. The hose was long enough that I never felt limited and the variety of attachments made vacuuming easy.

My favorite attachment for the car was the 4-inch brush head with removable bristles. Between that and the crevice tool, I could get about everything.

Using the blower mode with the 4 detailing attachments was effective at clearing debris from nooks and crannies that other attachments couldn’t fit.

Overall, It was every bit as good as one of those self-service vacuums you would find at a car wash place.

Shampooing Car Interior

We used the shampooer attachment on the blower mode to deliver a shampoo/water mixture on the interior upholstery. Then we used the upholstery extraction tool and the pet hair/mini turbo tool to suck up the mixture. The manual played up the mini turbo tool for its versatility, but specifically called out its use on car seats.

This sedan was recently used to move large, dirty items that left stains behind. The mini turbo tool performed great in tackling the removal of these stains.

Because of the clear top, you can see the dirty water being sucked up through the turbo tool. The upholstery extraction tool did little but simply extract the liquids.

My advice is to use the mini turbo tool first, then do a pass or two with the extraction tool. Overall, I think the Prolux Wet-Dry is more than capable of both vacuuming and shampooing car interiors.

Long Hair Test

For our hair test, we place strands of hair on high-pile carpet. We then run the vacuum over it and check to see how much hair was removed, and if any tangled in the brushroll.

We used the mini turbo tool in our long hair test, as it is the only one with a spinning brush and specifically described for use on carpets. Its performance with long hair left much to be desired. It actually disabled the spinning brush roll, which was needed for many more tests, until I did a full dismantling and cleaning. 

On the plus side, the brush tool is well-designed to be taken apart for maintenance. On the negative, I would highly recommend not using it to remove large amounts of long hair.

Pet Hair Test

Our pet hair test is similar to the long hair test, in that we place pet fur in the direct cleaning path of the vacuum, run the vacuum over it, and see how much is removed. For this test, we placed the pet hair on high pile carpet and ran the Prolux with its correct attachment.

While other attachments would probably perform well, the manual suggests the pet hair/mini turbo tool would be best for cleaning pet hair. We used this during the test with great results.

After one slow pass, there was about a decent amount of pet hair left behind. After several quicker passes, the pet hair was entirely removed from the carpet. Overall, it was a quick and effective cleaning experience.

Noise Test

To test the noise of the Prolux Wet-Dry, we run the vacuum on hardwood floor on its only power setting and measure the amount of noise generated with a sound meter from about 3’ away.

This is an exceptionally loud vacuum, as its intended use is typically outside or in the garage. I wouldn’t recommend a phone call or conversation of any type while using this vacuum.

Common noise levels:

• 20 dB – rustling leaves
• 30 dB – whisper
• 40 dB – quiet library, babbling brook
• 50 dB – refrigerator, moderate rainfall
• 60 dB – normal conversation, dishwashers
• 70 dB – traffic, showers
• 80 dB – alarm clock, telephone dial tone

Usability Test

Usability of the Prolux Wet-Dry is excellent, however, it takes more practice and instruction than most vacuums. From practicing how to coil and store the hose, coordination between the canister, hose, and handle, and knowing which accessory to use, there is a lot to learn. 

This is on par for the amount of functionality the Wet-Dry provides. The instruction manual is good, but not amazing at explaining each function. 

As far as maneuverability, the canister is not too heavy and can be moved around to where jobs are needed. There are no dedicated handles, per se, but the clamps that hold the debris canister to the top half effectively serve this purpose.

This isn’t like a stick or even canister vacuum with wheels; it’s designed to be affixed to a wall while you move around with the long hose. The hose is 30’ long.

Overall, operating the many functions of the Wet-Dry takes time to learn, but it’s designed well enough to make this process manageable.

Setup

Setup for the Prolux Wet-Dry can be quick or somewhat long, depending on if you want to mount the canister and hose hanger. We did not mount these items, though they seemed straightforward and involved little hardware.

If you don’t care to mount these items, the Wet-Dry can be set up and usable within 5 minutes.

The steps can be listed as:

1. Unbox the vacuum and its accessories
2. Remove pieces stored in the dust canister
3. Attach hose to the blower or suction port 
4. Choose your accessory or brush head
5. Flip the switch

While we did not mount the Wet-Dry, I did appreciate the design.

The mounting mechanism is 2 flat metal hooks and it allows for easy detachment if you’d like to move the Wet-Dry to clean somewhere else. 

Controls & Display

Generally speaking, controls on the Prolux Wet-Dry are quite minimal. There is only one button – the power button. There is a light display that indicates when power is on, when suction is too high, and when the canister is full.

On a deeper level, we can say that the attachments have a bit more complexity to their controls. For example, the blower tools, including the shampooer, all have holes designed for fingers to block for proper operation. Initially, this felt strange, but, in practice, it made a lot of sense. Again, there is only one power button and it’s on the canister.

These finger controls allow you to regulate the intensity of the air coming out of the attachment. In the case of the shampooer, it essentially acted as an on/off switch for the cleaning mixture.

I found that I missed having an on switch on the handle of the vacuum. Having to walk over to the canister to flip it on and then back to the area I am cleaning and then back to the canister to flip it off was a mild inconvenience. 

Maintenance

Maintenance is straightforward on the Prolux Wet-Dry. There are 3 main elements to clean periodically:

• HEPA Filter
• Cloth Filter
• Copper probe

There is a yellow indicator light that can either mean the dust bin needs to be emptied or the HEPA filter needs replacing. If it is on, and the dust bin is empty, this means the HEPA filter should be replaced. With average use, Prolux recommends replacing it once a year. 

Otherwise, they recommend washing both the cloth and HEPA filters periodically upon inspection. 

Finally, the copper probe that sticks into the dustbin will need washing occasionally, especially if the contents of the dust bin are allowed to submerge it.

The manual also details methods for clearing clogs at various locations in the vacuum.

Attachments & Accessories

There are a lot of accessories for the Prolux Wet-Dry, due to its many designed functions.

The full list of accessories includes:

• Deep crevice tool
• 2 extension wands
• 30 ft hose
• Duster brush
• 4  inflator tools
• Multi-surface floor tool
• Handheld shampooer
• Upholstery tool
• Pet hair/Mini turbo tool
• Squeegee floor tool
• Upholstery extraction tool
• Crevice tool

The accessories bag was not only a nice addition, it was absolutely necessary in organizing/storing all these accessories. There are 16 parts to manage including the hose. The sizes and shapes of these accessories vary wildly. 

The bag is designed to hang up at the bottom of the wall-mounted hose hanger. Once you get some practice coiling the hose to the right length, this hose hanger and accessories station becomes quite efficient. 

My only gripe with the accessories bag is that Prolux doesn’t offer a clear image of how each accessory is supposed to fit. I fiddled with it longer than I’m proud to admit and still ended up with one brush head that didn’t fit anywhere. 

If this is to be a comprehensive accessories storage bag, it would be useful if the company could show us how it is supposed to fit.

Size & Dimensions

The canister of the Prolux Wet-Dry is about 32” tall and 14” wide. It weighs 25 lbs and features no wheels or designated handles. The specific dimensions are listed below

Here are the dimensions of the Prolux Wet-Dry:

• Width – 10.24″
• Depth –  9.66″
• Height – 46.26″
• Weight – 8.68 lbs

The hose length is roughly 30 feet and combines with the extension wands and brush heads to offer a 36-foot reach from the canister. When coiled as intended it takes up about 2 feet in width and 3 feet in height either under or next to your canister. 

If you intend to mount these items, prepare enough wall space for both the canister and hose dimensions. The accessories bag is designed to hang in the middle of the coiled hose.

Prolux Wet Dry Garage Vacuum Specifications

Specifications
Type	Garage
Manufacturer	Prolux
Model	Wet-Dry
Height	31.5”
Width	13.8”
Length	12.6”
Floor Type	Hardwood, Cement, Upholstery
Dust Bag Capacity	20 L.
Hose Length	30′
Suction Power	107 CFM
Cordless	No
Bagless	Yes
Returns	Varies by retailer
Warranty	3 Years
Price	Check Price

Should you buy the Prolux Wet-Dry Canister Vacuum?

I would recommend the Prolux Wet-Dry if you are looking for the following features:

• Excellent garage cleaning: Normal stick or upright vacuums have limitations that the Prolux Wet-Dry does not. The Prolux can handle large and wet debris like leaves from a storm. And for those who spend time working in their garage with projects that make messes, this is a fantastic tool for keeping it, and any work area within, clean. 
• At-home car detailing: From vacuuming, dusting, and shampooing upholstery, we found the Wet-Dry capable of cleaning most every part of a car’s interior. You will need some practice with the tools, as specific tasks work better with specific tools. If you’re someone who likes maintaining your vehicles at home, the Wet-Dry is a good option. 
• Blowing/inflating capabilities: Aside from blowing out crevices that normal attachments can’t reach, the Prolux Wet-Dry is great at blowing up large inflatables. From pools, mattresses, and all manner of water recreation, the Wet-Dry is a power-inflating device that I think would outperform most inflating tools included in their boxes.

For more information or to buy the Prolux Wet-Dry, click here.