Black & Decker Cordless Multi-Surface Vacuum & Wash Duo with HEPA Filter

Why I reached for the Duo

My floors see everything: pet hair, tracked-in grit, occasional cereal-and-milk mishaps, and the kind of sticky footprints that only appear when you’re already late to leave. That’s exactly why I was curious about the Duo—a cordless floor washer that also vacuums. The promise is simple: one pass to suck up dry debris and wash away the residue, without dragging a cord behind you. After several weeks of daily messes, here’s how it held up.

Setup and design

Assembly is straightforward: snap in the handle, seat the brush roll, dock the base, and charge. The package includes two rollers (a soft one for sealed hard floors and a bristled one that’s more aggressive), a HEPA filter, a cleaning brush, a HEPA brush, cleaning tablets, and a charging/self-clean base. At 11 lb, the unit feels substantial without being unwieldy, and the flexible head pivots deeply—up to 160 degrees—so it can snake under low furniture and around chair legs.

The clean and dirty water tanks are easy to access. The clean tank has a narrow profile that keeps the machine compact; it also means you’ll refill more often on larger jobs. The dirty tank has a debris strainer that catches hair and solids before they hit the sink—small detail, big difference for cleanup.

One build note: the roller must be fully clicked into place (and the side cap firmly locked) or the brush won’t spin properly. The tank latches also need to seat cleanly; if the “add water” indicator flashes despite a full tank, reseating the tank and making sure the float moves freely has solved it for me.

Cleaning performance

On sealed hard floors, the Duo shines for everyday messes. It picks up crumbs and hair while using just enough solution to lift sticky spots without leaving the floor wet. With the soft roller installed and the supplied cleaning tablets mixed per instructions, I got squeaky-clean tile and vinyl with minimal streaking. Milk spills and dried juice rings were the most telling tests—one pass removed the bulk, and a slow second pass evened out the sheen. The floor was touch-dry within a few minutes.

Suction is solid for small to medium dry debris. For bigger chunks (think dry dog food), I got the best results by slowing down and letting the brush pull debris under the squeegee rather than bulldozing forward. Fine dust is captured well, aided by the HEPA filtration, and I noticed less “dust haze” on sunlit floors after switching from a traditional broom-and-mop routine.

On area rugs and low-pile carpet, the Duo is more of a spot-refresher than a deep cleaner. The bristle roller helps lift surface soil and handle damp messes on rugs, but this isn’t a carpet extractor; don’t expect it to pull embedded dirt from plush carpet. I kept it on low-moisture passes and avoided saturating.

Battery and runtime

Cordless convenience is the Duo’s biggest quality-of-life upgrade. In practice, I averaged 20–25 minutes of cleaning per charge—enough to do my kitchen, entry, hallway, and a bathroom in one go. That aligns well with the size of its water tank; I typically refilled once during a full session.

Recharging to full takes several hours on the dock, so this is a “clean in sessions” machine rather than a whole-home marathoner. If your home is mostly hard floors over 1,200 square feet and you want to clean it all at once, plan on breaks—or consider segmenting rooms by day.

Maneuverability and edge cleaning

The flexible head helps the Duo get into toe-kick areas and under cabinet overhangs where many upright designs struggle. It also tracks well along baseboards. Edge pickup is good but not perfect: I still saw a slim line of dust along some wall edges, especially where grout lines or uneven trim interrupt the seal. A quick tilt of the head to angle the squeegee toward the baseboard improves this.

The absence of crevice tools is worth noting; this isn’t a modular stick vac you can convert for upholstery or tight corners. It’s a dedicated floor machine.

Filtration and allergens

The H13 HEPA filter is a welcome inclusion in a wet/dry design and is washable. I rinsed and air-dried it overnight between deep cleans. If you have pets or allergies, this helps keep fine particles from circulating back into the room. As always, make sure every component is bone-dry before reinstalling to avoid odors.

Noise and user experience

The Duo runs quieter than most upright vacuums. I could hold a conversation while cleaning, and skittish pets were less bothered. The trigger and mode controls are simple, and the status lights are readable at a glance. There’s no app or complicated interface—just point, squeeze, and go.

Maintenance and the self-clean cycle

Any vacuum-mop combo asks you to trade a bit more maintenance for time savings while cleaning. The Duo leans into that with a self-clean feature: park the machine on its base, add water, and start the cycle. It flushes the brush and internal lines, which keeps smells down and reduces hand-washing.

That said, there are still several parts to rinse and dry if you want the machine to stay fresh: the dirty tank, debris strainer, brush cover, and brush roll itself. The clean water tank’s narrow shape can trap a few droplets; I leave both tanks open on the counter to air out after use. Expect 3–5 minutes of post-clean care—worth it, in my view, to avoid the sour-mop effect.

Tips from use

• Seat the roller until it clicks and lock the end cap; if the brush won’t spin, this is usually the culprit.
• If the water indicator flashes, reseat the clean tank and confirm the float isn’t stuck.
• Use the soft roller on sealed hard floors for fewer streaks; swap to the bristle roller for textured tile or grubby entry rugs.
• Go slower than you would with a dry vac. Let the brush dwell briefly on sticky spots, then make a drying pass.
• Run the self-clean cycle immediately after each session. Empty and rinse the dirty tank right away.

What I liked

• True one-pass cleaning on hard floors with minimal leftover moisture
• Cordless convenience and low noise
• Flexible head gets under furniture and around obstacles
• Included accessory set (two rollers, HEPA filter, cleaning tablets) adds value
• HEPA filtration captures fine dust and pet dander
• Self-cleaning cycle meaningfully cuts down on manual scrubbing

What could be better

• Battery is not swappable; 20–25 minutes may feel limiting in larger homes
• Recharging takes several hours
• Clean water tank could be larger; refills are common for full-floor cleans
• Edge pickup is good, but not perfect along uneven trim
• Setup sensitivity: if components aren’t seated precisely, the brush or water feed may not engage

Who it’s for

The Duo fits best in homes with mostly sealed hard floors, pets or kids (or both), and a preference for quick, frequent maintenance cleans over occasional deep mops. If you want to make sticky spills disappear in one pass and appreciate a quieter, cordless routine, it’s a strong match. If you have expansive square footage to clean in a single session, a corded model or a system with a swappable battery may suit you better.

Recommendation

I recommend the Duo for small to medium spaces with hard floors where convenience and day-to-day cleanliness matter most. It genuinely reduces the friction of tackling routine messes, leaves floors clean without soaking them, and is easy to maneuver. Be aware of its constraints: modest runtime, a smallish clean tank, and the need for a few minutes of post-clean maintenance. Buy from a retailer with a solid return window in case your unit shows early quirks, and you’ll likely be pleased with how much time it saves on everyday cleanup.