Pulse: Style: New and Now: Test Drive

Black & Decker ScumBuster S600

WHAT: A cordless electric scrubber with a set of detachable pads of varying degrees of abrasiveness, designed to clean everything from your shower to the 24-inch rims on your Escalade.

HOW IT WORKS: Fill the internal chamber with any liquid cleaner, attach the appropriate pad, and watch the rotating head devour all sorts of ebola-laden muck.

THE PROS: Anything that takes elbow grease out of chores is a good thing. Add to this the fact you’ll be keeping that $25 manicure clear of corrosive chemicals.  

THE CONS: While the ScumBuster kicks most filth, it’s not for the homeowner who only cleans the tub on the solstices. And while the unit itself is affordable, when you consider the cost of buying a lifetime of replacement brushes, and the extra kilowatts you’ll be paying for to recharge the thing — okay, that’s ridiculous. Just go out and buy it.

PRICE: $39.99 at area ­Target and Wal-Mart stores.