ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A gadget gift site is offering a 24-carat gold plated vacuum cleaner for the princely sum of 1,120,000 euros.

Advertised on Firebox, the machine is billed as "the perfect vacuum for stretch limousine interiors, red carpets and yacht decks".

The machine - one of a limited edition of 100 models - is claimed to be the world's most expensive vacuum cleaner and is made by US firm GoVacuum. Each machine is custom-made for the customer and comes engraved with its own official serial number.

"Even the mind-bogglingly wealthy like a bit of therapeutic cleaning, and this gold-plated high-performance vacuum is perfect for picking up loose bundles of cash, stocks and bonds or any leftover blood diamonds that might be lying about," declares Firebox whose slogan is "Shop for the Unusual".

An identical vacuum was recently offered for sale on GoVacuum's own US site - priced at a cool million dollars. Presumably the company is having to spread its net wider to attract those rich punters who like to pose as they clean.

The unnamed uber vacuum has a lifetime warranty and shipping is free, which is little comfort considering the price. Besides a phenomenal amount of bling, the machine offers a 14-inch extra-wide cleaning nozzle with roller-brush attachment and non-slip urethane wheels. It weighs around 7.5 kg and has a 10 amp high-performance motor.

We would have liked to tell you more about the vacuum's performance. But for some reason or other, no online reviews seem to have been posted.