Over the last 10 years, I must admit, I have been a Roomba convert. Being able to “set and forget” the mundane task of vacuuming and mopping the floors has simply been a godsend. So the notion of bringing a new cleaning product into my life that requires manual operation was an interesting question to pose.
The Tineco Floor One Stretch S6 sets itself apart as it lays flat to get to these hard-to-reach areas and has a heated self-cleaning option that keeps the brush roller clean and fresh each time you use it. Still, the manual operation concerned me, especially after so many years of blissful vacuuming automation. Now it was time to try the Floor One Stretch S6 to both vacuum and mop around the house. Thankfully, we might have another winner on our hands.
Design
Unpacking was a breeze with a simple click of two parts to get it together. There is also a swappable attachment allowing you to clean the whole house. It is very similar to the Floor One Switch, the main difference here is the ability to Stretch, the entire unit goes vertical to allow you to get under those hard-to-reach areas with complete ease.
The Floor One Stretch S6 comes with a relatively straightforward unboxing experience and attachments. A spare roller brush and a bottle of the Tineco cleaning solution are included in the box. The top of the vacuum clicks into the body and then slides into the charging dock There is a clean water tank on the top of the roller with the dirty water tank going into the main body in a separate chamber is the dust and dirt chamber that keeps it dry and separate from the water.
The dock plugs into power and recharges the vacuum and mop after use. It is quite compact and fits perfectly into smaller spaces. Apart from charging the vacuum and mop, it also has a heated self-cleaning mode that ensures the longevity of the roller. While its not reinventing the wheel in terms of its overall design, I can appreciate it for sticking to what works.
Functionality
The vacuum and mop combinations have been set to an incredibly high standard, as we have come to expect with Tineco devices, and it’s no different here. The Floor One Stretch S6 is incredibly easy to use and glides along the floor with ease thanks to its mini assist wheels that make this a light way to clean your floors. There is a button that lets you switch between auto mode, suction only for just vacuuming and turbo mode if you really need to clean up a lot of stains.
The intelligent Iloop technology returns here and uses smart sensor technology that is based on the mess condition to clean effectively and reduce battery wastage. While it does encourage you to put it back on the charging dock after each use, on my battery test I got about 50 minutes of it before needing to charge it again.
The water tank has been completely revolutionised by the introduction of the Flashdry Self-cleaning system. It starts with a 70 degrees celsius hot water wash to get rid of any stains, while also deep cleaning the pipe and the brush roller. Then a flash dry process has 70 degrees celsius hot air blasting to ensure all of the water evaporates. The brush roller is then rotated in both directions to make the brush fluffier which also prevents mould and eliminates any odours that may be clinging to it.
This is about a 10-minute process and is quite loud so if you have sensitive dogs or want to make a phone call in the same room, it’s probably best to put this somewhere out of the way. It definitely does a fantastic job of cleaning and keeping everything fresh, but it is just quite loud.
The HyperStretch technology is what allows the vacuum to lay completely flat down to 13cm to get into those really hard-to-reach areas. This is worth the price of admission alone and got into areas that even my Roomba couldn’t get to. The re-positioning of the water chamber and separation of the solids, liquids and air, protects the engine and allows for the cleaning power to remain the same, even when fully flat.
It does a stellar job of picking up dirt, dust and pet hair. Suppose your dog is shedding anything like mine at the moment. In that case, vacuuming becomes a daily occurrence before things get out of hand, and the Floor One Stretch S6 had no issues picking any of this up and separating it into the dry chamber. When it comes to mopping, only a small amount of Tineco solution mixed with fresh water was required to lift up any stubborn stains in the kitchen. It also worked wonders for cleaning the bathroom and shower floors as well.
Software
There is a companion app simply called Tineco. It can tell you what cycle the machine is on when it’s running, it can tell you if you need to empty the dirty water tank and what percentage of battery you have. You can download voice commands for the system and additional languages.
Outside of that, it is fairly unnecessary as the main controls you need are located on the device intself. The dock is sturdy and is your key to using the Flashdry self-cleaning mode that is activated by a button on the device. After each use when the vacuum is placed on the dock, it will tell you if it needs to go through this cleaning cycle. Just make sure to empty the dirty water chamber after each use as it can lead to a build-up of odours.
Verdict & Value
The Floor One Stretch S6 is the perfect option for vacuuming and washing your floors. It made me convert from using the Roomba to getting that deep clean in half the time that the Roomba takes. The Flashdry Self-Cleaning removes any manual labour from having to handle dirty rollers and brushes makes sure it doesn’t attract mould and gets rid of any odours.
The ability to lay the vacuum vertically while still operating is truly remarkable and allows easy cleaning of any area of your home. While the app doesn’t serve much use and you still have to empty the dirty water and dust chambers manually, this is the ultimate device for cleaning your home without needing multiple devices.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Easy to set up and use; Solid performance; Gets to difficult to reach areas easily
Lowlights: The Tinco app doesn’t enhance the experience
Manufacturer: Tineco
Price: A$899
Available: Now
Review based on unit supplied by Tineco and is now available via their official Amazon store.
