Midori Mini-Cleaner: Zoom Zoom!

18 May 2006

This little guy comes with two miniature brushes that sweep from front to back when you roll it along, pushing dust, debris, and eraser fallout into the back compartment. It’s brilliant! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anywhere online to order new ones (it’s made by “Midori” of Japan–you can guess how many companies have that name!). So far the only place I know you can get it is in the main stationery store in the Japan Center in San Francisco. Anyone know where else to get them?

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Posted in Life | Tagged , , | Comments (23)

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  • Chris

    Hi, I bought 2 of these great little cars while I was in Japan. When I got back, I started searching for a place where I could buy some more. I have found these two websites that sell them:
    http://www.branders.com/ and http://www.epromos.com/
    Just do a search for “mini cleaner”. The bad news is that you have to buy them in bulk as they are sold as promotional items for businesses and the like. Epromos has the best deal on them at $5.29 a piece for an order of 125 of them. I know this is a lot of money to spend on something like this, but I was thinking you might be able to get a company or organization to buy these as a promotional item and then grab a couple for yourself. That is what I am going to try and do. I hope this helps.

    Chris

  • Chris

    Hi again,

    I was looking at those websites mentioned earlier and if you have a business, you can get samples. I am going to call them and see if I can get a few that way. Later.

    Chris

  • Robert

    Thanks for the great tips, Chris. Who says blogging is a useless pasttime?

  • Diane

    I’ve been looking for these also, ever since I came back from Japan. Did you ever find out where to get them?

  • Robert

    Hi Diane,

    I wish I did! Still nowhere short of the Japan Center in San Francisco.

    Cheers,
    Robert

  • dave

    I have one
    it’s very useful!!

  • Robert

    Aren’t they great, Dave? My favorite is sweeping up eraser bits after I erase something. Just brushing them off the table with my hand seems like such a plebian option compared using to this sophisticated little gizmo.

  • naomi

    Hi there Robert. I too have been looking to replace my mini cleaner (dismantled by an excited 4 yr old). But when I called the Japan Centre in SF they didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. Do you know if they are still available?

  • Robert

    Hi Naomi,

    The Japan Center in SF is a large shopping complex. So perhaps when you called you got the information desk? The store that had Midori Mini Cleaners was the large stationery store in the Center. It is in the main building, to the right as you come up the stairs (to the left is a large book and Manga shop). Sorry I can’t be more specific. Also, this was over two years ago.

    Good luck!

    Best,
    Robert

  • Harry

    The store that sells them is Kinokinuya bookstore’s stationery side – called MaiDo Stationery – two locations – San Jose, CA and San Francisco Japantown.

    http://www.santanarow.com/shopping/specialty.php?id=55

  • Robert

    Thank you so much for the tip!

  • robin weiss

    Any update on where do find these in the U.S.? I have been longing to replace my supply (dwindled to one) purchased several years ago and given as gifts. No one knows what I am talking about except you all!

  • Robert

    Hi Robin,

    Just MaiDo Stationery in SF (and apparently San Jose and Palo Alto as well). Have you tried them?

    Best,
    Robert

  • http://none rachel

    Palo Alto MaiDo doesnt exist anymore!!!!!!!!

    THIS WAS THE MOST TRAGIC EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. PERIOD!!!

    However there is still one in San Jose (Santana Row), and Kinokunia in Japan Center. Alsoo, Maido opened somewhere else in SF. Very random..

  • Carmen Passaniti

    I found the great little cars in MOMA store in New York. I discovered the original cars some time ago and immediately I fell in love with them. At that time Conran shop in Paris sold them but now they don’t. I have looked everywhere to buy them again and at last I found last week in MOMA store West 53th Street. The price is $7 each.

  • Robert

    Thanks for passing this along!

  • Michelle Lee

    Well, I live in Hawaii, and bought one at Shirokiya; Sanrio. It’s a great thing to have around, and I can’t stop laughing when I use it. :D

    • http://www.robertpeake.com/ Robert Peake

      Yes, I love the fast little sweepers!

  • Jane Jane

    Have no idea how my 9 year old heard about this. But based on his first research we went to Wal-Mart – to no avail. Came home and spent the next 30 minutes on the imternet and -oila!!- just ordered the darn thing from the MOMA. I haven’t laughed so hard in awhile – never spent so much time finding a gadget! Does this mpick up the crumbs from the desk? How does it work – I see the “brooms”, but what picks up the eraser dust?

    • http://www.robertpeake.com/ Robert Peake

      Aren’t they great? The little sweepers push debris into the bucket, like legs kicking an object backwards as it “walks.”

  • Naomi

    I have the Mini Cleaner II, which has a shape very similar to http://www.momastore.org/wcsstore/MOMASTORE1/images/m_79510.jpg when turned to the side. Has anyone ever seen this kind of mini cleaner for sale? It is also made by Midori.

  • lucas_lai

    hi robert, so is there any official websites tat we can go through it? was thinking to get it and sell it here in malaysia…
    cheers
    lucas

  • Simseuss

    Midori’s website is: http://www.midori-japan.co.jp/english/ who made them, but it says on it’s website that it does not sell to individuals outside Japan. I don’t know what minimum order you need to convince them to sell. They still have them in their product list.