NaceCare CVC 370 Charles Compact Commercial Wet Dry Vacuum, 4 Gallon

It's 2:15 on a Tuesday and a student just knocked a water bottle across the classroom floor. The big wet vac is two floors down in the custodial closet. The NaceCare CVC 370 Charles is the one you keep upstairs: a 4-gallon compact wet dry vacuum that weighs 19 lbs and picks up the spill, the pencil shavings and the dust under the desks with one machine.

It runs a 1,200-watt bypass motor (1.6 HP) with 95 cfm and 100 inches of water lift, the same motor figures as NaceCare's 6-gallon CV 570. A 42-foot cord covers most classrooms and offices from one outlet, and at 61 dB(A) it runs about as loud as a normal conversation.

Charles is the wet dry vac I'd put on every floor of a school or office building, not the one I'd send to a flooded basement. It lifts out of a janitor cart with one hand, rolls on casters and carries by its handle to the sink to dump. Spills, mop water left in a corner, a leaking sink trap, entrance grit on a rainy day: that's its job. It earns its keep in a fleet garage, a dealership or a maintenance shop too: leaves and sand out of a trunk, crumbs from between the seats with the crevice tool, slush off rubber floor mats, all on a 42-foot cord that reaches around a car from one outlet.

Be clear about what it isn't. There's no drain hose, so a lot of water means a lot of trips to the sink. For dry vacuuming you fit the bag and filter, and for water they come out, so it's one quick change between jobs. If your crew would rather never make that change, the CV 570 next door uses a combination filter for both. And if water is the main event, step up to a 12 or 20-gallon machine like the ones below.

• 19 lbs, 4-gallon tank. Light enough to carry up a flight of stairs or lift into a service elevator cart.

• 1,200 W bypass motor, 100 inches of water lift. A bypass motor keeps its cooling air away from the dirty air, which is what you want around water.

• 0.5 micron filtration at 98.6%. NaceCare rates it at that level with or without a bag, so fine dust stays in the tank instead of blowing back into the room.

• Rotating ball float shutoff. When the tank fills with water, the float closes so liquid never reaches the motor.

• 61 dB(A). Quiet enough for a lobby, a hallway between classes or an office that's still open.

• 42-foot cord. Nearly three times the 15 feet you get on a typical shop vac.

• 7-piece A21 tool kit. Two floor tools plus crevice, dusting and upholstery tools for vents, ledges and chairs.

Every CVC 370 at $629 ships with NaceCare's A21 kit: a 9-foot hose, a stainless steel wand, two floor tools, a crevice tool, a round dusting brush and an upholstery brush.

Dry pickup: fit an NVM-2BH HepaFlo bag and the filter. NaceCare's manual says to use both every time you vacuum dry.

Wet pickup: take the bag out, and check the float moves freely before you start. When the float closes and the motor note rises, the tank is full: switch off, lift the head and pour it into a sink or floor drain.

Not sure Charles is big enough for your building? Send us what you clean up most and how often, or call (855) 601-5678, and we'll tell you which wet dry vac fits.

Want to skip the filter change? The NaceCare CV 570 CombiVac holds 6 gallons, has a structural foam tank and a combination filter that works wet and dry without swapping, for $370 more.

On a tight budget? The Clarke Maxxi II 35 holds 9 gallons for $57 less, and the Tornado Taskforce 10 is $90 less. The Maxxi runs louder, at 81 dB(A), and Charles has more water lift: 100 inches against the Maxxi's 72 and the Taskforce 10's 90. Honestly, if price is the deciding factor, either one is a fair buy.

Moving real water? The NaceCare WV 900 holds 12 gallons, empties through a dump tube and takes a 29-inch squeegee, from $1,059. For spills far from an outlet, the cordless NaceCare WVB 370NX runs on a lithium battery. Compare them all in our commercial wet dry vacuums collection.