Tineco Stretch S6 – all power mop cleaning issues solved (cleaning review)

The Tineco Stretch S6 power mop has solved the four main issues facing nearly every other power mop. It can get under furniture, has dual-side and front-edge cleaning, and 70° mop washing and drying.

And unlike most other brands of lay-flat designs, it does not choke/reflux when laid flat due to a new water tank and vacuum tube design that prevents water from backwashing into the motor.

We have been reviewing powered mops for a couple of years now, and it is interesting to see how the technology races ahead. We have reviewed brands, including LG, Samsung, Dyson, Karcher, Shark, Roborock, and Narwal.

You can read our guide Five tips for choosing a cordless power mop.

Power mop tech

The early models could not dual-edge clean, but Tineco invented a full-width roller that could. The S6 Series was the first to market, and that has carried through to the S7 series. No other brand currently offers this.

They could not clean the front edge, so Tineco developed a better squeegee/blade system to remove the water just as effectively and allow the roller to extend past it. The Tineco Stretch S6 has triple edge. No other brand currently offers this.

The power mop only allows forward motion, but you had to pull against that to mop forward and backward. This can be hard for arthritis and carpal tunnel sufferers because they can weigh five kilograms or more. The S7 Flash solved that with forward and backward power wheels, making power mopping easy. It also added a 45° swivel head to get into tight corners. No other brand currently offers this.

Roller mops tend to smell if they are not adequately cleaned. Many brands now have a 40° hot air dryer that blows air over the roller and out the front of the charging stand – not the best dry, but better than none. Tineco blows 70° air over the roller and out the vacuum tube, drying and disinfecting the whole device.

Battery life has always been an issue. Where most brands use 300 complete recharge cycle Lithium-Ion cells (because they are cheap and hold more energy), Tineco has developed a safer multi-pouch cell technology that extends battery lifespan by up to 300%. No other brand currently offers this.

Lay flat – Tineco got it right

As we mentioned, the lay-flat models from other brands suffered from backwash when laid flat (180°). Some brands recommend emptying the wastewater first; some have moved the clean water tank lower. Tineco’s Stretch S6 3-chamber wastewater tank design cures the issue.

Finally, Tineco has redefined the meaning of automatic. Where most brands expect you to select the cleaning power (if that is an option), Tineco developed iLoop. This innovative colour circle changes from blue to red depending on the dirt in the wastewater stream. It is a terrific automatic way of getting dirty areas clean.

Tineco power mop reviews

• Tineco Floor One S5 Pro vacuum mop hard floor cleaner
• Tineco Floor One Switch S6 vacuum/mop – flash dry mop clean
• Tineco FLOOR One S6 Pro Extreme – hard floor vacuum and mop is a breeze
• Tineco Floor One S7 Pro – an upgrade to an already good vacuum mop
• Tineco S7 Steam – vacuum, mop and steam in one pass
• Tineco iCARPET washes yucky carpets

Australian Review: Tineco Stretch S6 lay-flat power mop

Website	Tineco US product details (US pricing) Tineco AU Site Manual – coming soon
Price	$899
From	Authorised Amazon AU site only
Warranty	24-months ACL on unit and 12-months on accessories
Made in	China
Company	Tineco (Est. 1998) is part of Ecovacs (Deebot). In 2019, it launched in the US, followed by Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
More	CyberShack Tineco news and reviews CyberShack Cleaning news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

We are also tightening up on grading. From now on, Pass, for example, means meeting expectations for the price bracket. We consider a Pass mark to be 70+/100 with extra points added for class-leading and excellence.

First Impressions – Pass+

At first glance, it looks like any other Tineco, but the changes become more evident as you unpack it.

First, the water tank has moved from the back of the barrel to the top of the roller. Tineco calls this HyperStretch, and it allows the barrel to lay flat.

Next is the ‘bulging’ front roller that allows it to front clean – no other we have seen does this as well as dual-edge clean.

Finally, the 45° head tilt angle makes it easier to use.

It is well-made, durable, and ahead of the pack, as Tineco has always been.

What does the Tineco Stretch S6 do?

It is a hard floor power mop. It takes water (and usually some diluted cleaning solution) from the clean water tank and wets a rotating roller to clean the floor. The dirty water is squeegee/bladed off the roller to a wastewater tank to prevent mopping the floor with dirty water. Tineco has invented MHCBS technology to keep the roller clean and wet, which is very effective.

It is not a vacuum per se that you can use on carpet. It has a suction-only mode to vacuum spilt liquids (the roller is not wetted). Its Max Mode also boosts suction power and water to handle stubborn stains. The app has a custom mode that lets you fine-tune what the mop does.

The key differences to other Tineco models include:

• 180° lay-flat
• Tri-edge cleaning
• Self-cleaning mop and barrel with 70° hot air (in all S7 series)

To be clear, you will still need a stick vac to clean the carpets and areas you cannot mop.

Modes – Pass+

• Auto – use this 99% of the time. This means that power and spray volumes (20-100ml/minute) are automatically adjusted and aided by iLoop.
• Max – Increased vacuum power and spray from a light rinse to max. I use Max on stubborn stains like dried coffee. No iLoop.
• Suction: No spray – just vacuum to aid the suction of lots of liquid on the floor. No ILoop.

The Tineco App is not necessary for use

The Tineco App for Android and iOS is only really required for firmware updates. Every function is available on the device itself.

It has an informative colour LCD screen that monitors all aspects and tells you if the clearwater tank needs filling or the wastewater tank needs emptying.

Battery – 40 minutes on Auto – Pass+

After four weeks of testing in five homes, we can verify that it ranged between 32 and 40 minutes in auto mode.

The new, safer pouch-type battery has up to a 3X lifespan of traditional lithium-ion cell packs. It is a 21.6V/4A/86.4W, and recharge time was between 4-5 hours.

Area coverage – Pass+

It has an 800ml clean water tank and a 720ml wastewater tank.

Panellists commented that the coverage seemed to increase each time they used it. That is because iLoop was working to restore the floors to where a maintenance mop was only required.

On average, we believe 100m2 is about the right ‘dirty clean’ area and up to 200m for floors in good condition (e.g., not showing red on the iLoop indicator) per water fill.

Use and Mopping efficiency – Pass+

This uses the roller for forward motion. However, unlike earlier models, it has four guide wheels and a 45° angle handle, which panellists commented makes it easy to manoeuvre.

Our standard test includes 100g of coffee, sugar, rice bubbles, rice, and 100ml milk. It recovered all the dry and wet detritus. Its triple edge meant it could get under 90mm cupboard overhangs. The real bonus is the triple-edge clean.

It leaves few if any, streaks, and the floor is ‘walk dry’ in minutes.

Caveat for any power mop: Avoid oil and other viscous spills (including pet poo) that will clog the mop. You will have to manually hand clean/scrub the mop roller using a strong detergent to get it to rejuvenate it.

Self-cleaning – With 720°/70°C rotation/hot water clean and 70°C air dry – Pass+

Unlike most power mops, this counter rotates during cleaning to ensure it is clean to the base of the roller pile. It also leaves it ‘fluffier’. It first washes for two minutes with 70° water and then dries for six minutes with 70° air.

Hot air is exhausted through the barrel to disinfect it – not wasted by blowing out the front.

Use of Tineco cleaning solution

It comes with a 500ml cleaning and deodorising solution. It is economical and does a better job than water alone.

It contains 5% 2 Methyloxirane (washing/grease stripping) and Benzothiazolinone (fungicide) in water.

It is $39.95 for 1L at Harvey Norman. It is economical – only a capful per clean water tank refill.

Maintenance

The roller wash is automatic – push the clean button.

Apart from emptying the wastewater and washing the container under the tap, you don’t need much more. There is a filter at the top of the wastewater container that you can occasionally wash. If you wish, you can easily remove the roller and see if there is any detritus on the squeegee/blades.

A two-pack of rollers and filters is $50 on Amazon.

Noise – Pass

It is about 75-78dB – the same as a vacuum cleaner.

CyberShack’s view: Tineco Stretch S6 is the penultimate powered mop

We say penultimate (one before the ultimate) because who knows what innovation is next? This has everything you need at a price that is hard to beat.

Remember, this is a stick vacuum/mop for hard floors, and you will still need a vacuum for carpets, stairs, edges, etc. The upside is that it cuts vacuum/mop time in half on hard floors, which is worth it.

Tineco Stretch S6 rating

70/100 is a pass mark.

• Features: 90 – it has it all. What’s next?
• Value: 90 – Worth every penny.
• Performance: 85 – it is more than a maintenance mop
• Ease of Use: 85- Tilt angle head, gets under furniture, light in the hand. Great warranty.
• Design: 85 well-made, excellent quality and a keeper.