A wet and dry cleaner that sprays, scrubs, and suctions in one pass solves a real problem: no more switching between a carpet cleaner and a separate vacuum for spills and stains. It also creates a new one, since the internal tubing that carries dirty water back to the waste tank can build up residue and start smelling if it is never properly flushed. The ABIR G80 addresses this directly with a built-in self-cleaning cover, and it is worth understanding exactly what that system does and why it matters for a machine handling wet mess regularly.
This is one of those features that rarely gets top billing on a spec sheet next to suction figures, but it has a real, cumulative effect on how the machine performs and smells months into ownership rather than on day one.
What the Self-Cleaning Cover Actually Does
The G80's self-cleaning cover is a press-and-hold function that flushes the machine's internal tubing using clean water from the tank. Rather than the internal pathways sitting wet and unattended between uses, a quick press after finishing a clean sends water through the same channels the dirty water just travelled, clearing residue before it has a chance to dry, cling, or build up odour.
This matters specifically because of what a wet and dry cleaner actually does. Unlike a dry vacuum, where debris passes through relatively dry pathways into a bin, the G80 is pulling a mix of water, cleaning solution, and lifted dirt through its internal tubing on every single use. Left unaddressed, that combination is exactly the kind of residue that leads to musty smells and reduced suction over time in wet and dry machines generally.
The self-cleaning function is designed to be part of your normal post-clean routine rather than an occasional deep-clean task. A quick press-and-hold after each session, before the machine is put away, is the intended use pattern.
Why Flushing the Tubing Matters for Wet and Dry Cleaners
Wet and dry cleaners face a maintenance challenge that dry-only vacuums simply do not have. Standing water left in tubing after a clean creates the right conditions for odour and, over time, for buildup that can affect suction and flow. This is a known weak point across the wet and dry category generally, not something specific to one brand or model, and it is one of the more common complaints levelled at wet and dry machines that lack any equivalent flushing system.
Building a self-cleaning function directly into the machine, rather than requiring manual disassembly and cleaning of the tubing, is a meaningful convenience specifically because most people would not reliably do that manual step often enough on their own. A one-button flush after each use is far more likely to actually happen than a more involved cleaning process would be.
The result, done consistently, is a machine that stays fresher between uses and holds its suction performance better over the long run, since residue is not being given repeated opportunities to accumulate inside pathways that are otherwise hard to inspect or clean by hand.
How the Wet and Dry System Works Alongside It
The G80 runs at 15000Pa suction, driven by a 450W motor, and combines spray, scrub, suction, and drying in a single continuous motion across carpets, upholstery, and other fabric surfaces. The 1800ml clean water tank holds fresh water or cleaning solution, while a separate 800ml wastewater tank collects what gets pulled back up, kept apart by a 99.9% sealed filtration system that is specifically designed to prevent leaks or dirty water finding its way back out during use or transport.
The tank sizes matter for the self-cleaning function too: because the clean and wastewater tanks are larger than many handheld competitors, there is more capacity for both extended cleaning sessions and for the self-clean flush itself, without needing to interrupt a job midway through to refill or empty.
This is the same tubing pathway the self-cleaning cover flushes afterward. Clean water goes out through the spray function during use, dirty water and lifted residue come back through suction into the waste tank, and the self-clean function later runs a similar clean-water flush through that same route once the job is done, rather than leaving it standing.
The 5-metre power cord paired with a 1.2-metre hose gives enough reach for stairs, sofas, and car interiors without constantly hunting for a new socket, which matters in practice since a wet and dry job often means moving between several different spots in a single session.
Brush Heads and Where Self-Cleaning Fits Into Your Routine
The G80 comes with four interchangeable brush heads: standard, pet, glass, and sofa, covering carpets, upholstery, curtains, car interiors, and glass surfaces without needing a separate machine for each. Switching heads mid-session for different surfaces is part of the appeal, and the self-cleaning cover works the same way regardless of which head was attached, since it flushes the machine's internal tubing rather than the brush head itself, keeping the maintenance step consistent no matter what job you were doing.
Brush heads still need their own separate attention: rinsing or wiping down after use, particularly the pet head after heavier pet-mess jobs, keeps them performing well and stops them redistributing residue onto the next surface you clean. This is a distinct step from the self-cleaning cover, which handles the machine's internal pathways rather than the exterior brush attachments themselves.
A sensible routine looks like this: finish the clean, detach and rinse the brush head used, then use the self-cleaning cover to flush the tubing before emptying the wastewater tank and letting everything air dry before storage.
What This Replaces: The Manual Alternative
Without a built-in self-cleaning function, keeping a wet and dry cleaner's tubing genuinely clean typically means partially disassembling the unit to access and rinse the internal pathways by hand, then leaving parts to dry before reassembly. This is effective when actually done, but it is a real barrier to doing it regularly, since it takes noticeably more time and effort than most people are willing to commit to after every single clean, particularly on a busy day.
In practice, this gap between the ideal maintenance routine and what people actually do consistently is exactly where odour and residue problems tend to develop on wet and dry machines generally. A feature that turns a multi-step disassembly process into a single press-and-hold action closes that gap by making the correct habit the easy habit rather than the effortful one.
It is a similar principle to why auto-empty stations exist on robot vacuums, covered in ABIR's robot vacuum range: removing friction from a maintenance step that people would otherwise skip is often more valuable in practice than the underlying task being technically simple to do by hand.
Maintenance Beyond the Self-Clean Button
The self-cleaning cover handles the tubing specifically, but it is not the only maintenance step worth building into a routine. The wastewater tank should be emptied and rinsed after each use rather than left standing, since this is where the bulk of collected dirt and residue actually sits, separate from the tubing the self-clean function addresses.
The sealed filtration system also benefits from periodic checking to ensure it is seating properly and free of buildup, since this is what keeps dirty water contained during use. Brush heads, as covered above, need their own rinse or wipe-down depending on what they were used for.
None of this is unusually demanding for a wet and dry cleaner, and the self-cleaning cover genuinely removes the most tedious and easiest-to-skip step, flushing the internal tubing, from the list. The remaining steps are quick and become routine after a few uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the self-cleaning cover different from simply running clean water through on its own?
The self-cleaning cover is specifically designed and positioned to flush the internal tubing pathway efficiently with a single press-and-hold action, rather than requiring you to manually run the spray function and guess whether the tubing has been adequately cleared. It is a purpose-built maintenance function rather than an improvised workaround using the normal spray controls.
How often should I use the self-cleaning cover?
After every cleaning session is the intended use pattern, since it is designed to be a quick step in your normal post-clean routine rather than an occasional deep clean. Skipping it regularly increases the chance of residue building up in the internal tubing over time.
Does the self-cleaning cover use the clean water tank?
Yes. It draws from the same 1800ml clean water tank used during spraying and cleaning, running a flush through the internal tubing pathway. This is why it makes sense to use it immediately after a clean, while there is still clean water available in the tank rather than needing to refill separately just to flush.
Does self-cleaning replace emptying the wastewater tank?
No. The self-cleaning cover flushes the internal tubing specifically; it does not empty the separate 800ml wastewater tank, which still needs to be emptied and rinsed by hand after each use. These are two separate steps addressing two separate parts of the system.
Will skipping the self-clean function damage the machine?
Occasional skips are unlikely to cause immediate damage, but consistently skipping it increases the risk of residue buildup and odour developing in the internal tubing over time, similar to any wet and dry cleaner left unflushed. Building it into your routine after each use is the more reliable habit.
Can I use the self-cleaning cover with any of the four brush heads attached?
Yes. The self-cleaning function flushes the machine's internal tubing rather than cleaning the brush head itself, so it works the same way regardless of which of the standard, pet, glass, or sofa heads was in use during the clean. Brush heads still need their own separate rinse.
Is the self-cleaning system unique to the G80, or is it common on wet and dry cleaners?
Standing water and residue buildup in tubing is a known challenge across wet and dry cleaners generally, not specific to one model. A built-in, one-button flush like the G80's self-cleaning cover is a direct response to that common issue, making the maintenance step easier to actually follow through on consistently.
Does the self-cleaning cover take long to use?
It is a quick press-and-hold action rather than a lengthy process, designed to slot into the end of a normal cleaning session without adding significant time. The exact duration is short enough that it fits comfortably alongside rinsing the brush head and emptying the wastewater tank.
Does using the self-cleaning cover use up a lot of my clean water tank?
The flush uses a modest amount of water from the 1800ml clean water tank rather than draining it significantly, since it is designed as a quick maintenance flush rather than a full clean cycle. For most sessions, there is little practical concern about running short on clean water purely because of the self-clean step.
What happens if I forget to self-clean for a few sessions in a row?
A missed session or two is unlikely to cause lasting issues, but the risk of residue buildup and odour increases the longer flushing is skipped, similar to any wet and dry cleaner left unmaintained for a stretch. Returning to the habit as soon as you remember is better than continuing to skip it indefinitely.
Final Thoughts
The self-cleaning cover addresses a genuine weak point in wet and dry cleaners: residue and standing water left in internal tubing between uses. By making the flush a quick, built-in, one-button step rather than a manual chore easy to skip, the G80 makes good maintenance the path of least resistance rather than something you have to remember to do separately and consistently over time.
Paired with its 15000Pa suction, sealed filtration, and four interchangeable brush heads, it is built to handle spills, stains, and general fabric cleaning across a home without needing a separate machine for each surface. Check the G80 product page for full specifications, or browse the wider vacuum range if you are comparing it against other cleaning tools and want to see how it fits alongside dry-only options.
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