When life does not abhor a vacuum

We don’t vacuum like we used to apparently. Where once we performed a deep weekly clean, households today prefer instant cleans several times a week, according to Electrolux.

This gives life to products like the Ergorapido ($299), a lightweight, manoeuvrable and colourful battery powered cleaner that can be plucked from its charge stand for quickie grab-and-go tidy ups (or solo air guitar concerts).

You can play the Ergorapido like a guitar... it just won't make any music... and if someone sees you, they might think you're a little mad.

It’s so light and easy to handle, in fact, that the company says even the elderly and kids can use it with ease – not that any kid would, though.

Cleaning cred includes a motorised brush head for scooping up crumbs, hair and dust from carpet and hard floors, and cyclonic centrifugal force for separating particles from the airflow inside the Ergorapido. In a nice touch, there’s even an LED headlight in the nozzle for spotting the grot in dark corners and under furniture.