Wacky Vac Does Away With Dust

Fed up with using your regular vacuum cleaner to try to remove dust from those nooks and crannies, bookshelves, computer keyboards, pleated lampshades and telephone buttons? Consider the new Wacky Vac, a vacuum cleaner attachment that gets in hard-to-reach places with ease.

Wacky Vac has 25 small suction pipes with soft filament brushes that suck up dust. It looks unusual, like a spider, but it works well. It can even dust the bottom of a full drawer without sucking up such small items as lipstick tubes. And it’s perfect for cleaning a car’s instrument panel.

The unbreakable plastic attachment comes with two adapters, one for major brands of vacuum cleaners, the other for the Dustbuster.

Wacky Vac is lightweight (less than a pound) and washable. The unusual attachment is manufactured by IdeaWorks, the creator of mini-blind and vertical-blind vacuum attachments. To order Wacky Vac ($9.99, plus $2 for postage and handling), contact: IdeaWorks, 74-940 Highway 111, Suite 121, Indian Wells, Calif. 92210; (619) 773-2653.

MP 4000 Scale Prevents ‘Postage Due’ Letters

With the higher cost of postage stamps, you may want an inexpensive way to find out whether a letter needs an extra stamp. A Los Angeles company has the answer--a small, hand-held scale that tells you how much a letter weighs, up to 4 ounces or 4 grams.

The MP 4000 Postal Scale is simple to operate: Attach its clip to the envelope and hold the scale by its ring. The letter’s weight shows on the pointer. The handy scale is approved by the U.S. Postal Service, its manufacturers say.

The MP 4000 comes with a vinyl carrying case and an up-to-date postal-rate chart showing domestic and international rates. MP 4000 Postal Scale ($3.75, plus $1 shipping and handling) can be ordered from Metal Products Engineering, 3864 Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90058; (213) 581-8121 or (800) 824-0222. California residents should add 24 cents sales tax.

Sanitaire Travel Spray Packs a Disinfectant

Travelers might want to try Sanitaire Travel Spray, a disinfectant and deodorizer in a convenient 5-inch high, 1 1/2-ounce can that fits in a purse, briefcase or suitcase.

The spray kills germs and viruses on hard surfaces, such as toilet seats, wash basins, door handles and telephones, its Irvine-based manufacturer says. It can also eliminate unpleasant odors, leaving a clean scent.

Sanitaire Travel Spray ($4.99, plus $1 shipping and handling) is available from International Distributors, 17192 Murphy, P.O. Box 16995, Irvine, Calif. 92713; (714) 972-1145.

Lynn Simross welcomes readers’ comments and suggestions for columns. Because of volume, she cannot respond individually to calls and letters. Write to Lynn Simross, Consumer Column, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053.