Don't Break Your Vacuum with Winter Mud, Sludge, and the Post-Storm Cleanup – This Portable Wet/Dry Shark Vacuum Is On Sale and Up to the Task

With winter storms forecast to bring snow, ice, and heavy slush across large parts of the US, many households are thinking ahead to how they’ll protect their homes – and how they’ll recover once conditions improve.

You'll likely be preparing for extreme weather, but once the worst has passed, the practical reality is that winter weather has a habit of being tracked indoors – that’s where a compact wet/dry cleaner can make everything a little easier.

The Shark MessMaster, now reduced to $139.99, impressed us during testing for how quickly it lifted wet debris and ground-in stains – and it remains our favorite portable option for tackling small but stubborn messes.

Easy winter cleanup

Shark MessMaster | was $169.99, now $139.99 at SharkNinja (save $30)

We loved how quickly and effortlessly the Shark MessMaster dealt with stains, sludge, and wet debris during our testing sessions. It's an affordable solution for a post-storm clean-up that's easy on your storage space.

Read more in our full Shark MessMaster review.

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The Shark MessMaster Quickly Deals With Winter Messes and the Post-Storm Cleanup

Winter storms have a way of testing even the strongest cleaning routines. Snow, ice, sleet, and freezing rain become tracked inside on boots, paws and coats, leaving behind moisture and residue that regular vacuums simply aren’t designed to handle.

In fact, using regular upright vacuums or cordless sticks on wet debris can shorten their lifespan, clog filters, and risk long-term damage to the motor.

That’s where a dedicated wet/dry cleaner comes in – and why the Shark MessMaster stands out as an essential winter tool. This compact machine is built specifically for the damp, messy conditions winter brings. It can tackle liquid spills and dry debris in one go, making it far safer and better suited to post-storm cleanup than your usual best vacuum.

Moisture is what makes winter cleaning so challenging. Melted snow, road salts and wet leaves all find their way inside.

The MessMaster is designed to cope with all of it – whether it's shallow puddles on hard floors or soggy grit embedded in rugs. On test, it impressed us with how efficiently it handled wet debris, even pulling moisture up from carpets where you’d typically need to get scrubbing with a wet cloth.

It's small and can be used in handheld mode for quick spot cleaning, or there's an extended reach mode if you need to cover a larger area. This makes it particularly useful in the days after a storm, when you might be cleaning little and often rather than doing one big reset. And as it's so small, your storage space won't suffer for it.

There's a wide nozzle to help clear puddles quickly, a crevice tool to get into corners and along baseboards where salt and grit collect, and a brush attachment to loosen stubborn residue that can otherwise feel impossible to shift.

It’s a practical setup that's affordable and easy to keep at home, but of course, a wet/dry vacuum isn’t a replacement for storm preparedness.

Securing your home ahead of severe weather – from the three spots to secure before the storm to steps that help future-proof your home against extreme weather – should always come first.

The same goes for knowing how to prepare for extreme cold, following sensible rules to follow during snow weather.

But once conditions improve, cleanup is how you return your home to normal. And looking ahead, these are common winter messes that can quickly build up over these darker months, and avoiding doing so will demand a much more thorough winter deep clean.

And while the best vacuum-mop combos may be a better investment if your home is full of hard floors, the Shark MessMaster is more of a specialist, portable cleaner that you can grab-and-go when messy moments arise.

And at $139.99, it’s an affordable addition to a winterized home. It's small enough to store easily, robust enough to handle wet debris, and easy to grab when conditions demand it, leaving your main vacuum safe from moisture damage.

The Shark MessMaster is discounted to $139.99 at SharkNinja. It's also available for $139.95 at Crate & Barrel, four cents cheaper, but I always recommend buying directly from the manufacturer. Both options offer free shipping.

More to Shop

Here are a few more wet and dry cleaning solutions that will make your life easier this winter.

All prices correct at time of publication.

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