NORI, THE ORIGINAL NASAL PASSAGE CLEANER

$49.50 plus shipping and handling (from the U.S. distributor) from Richard Steiner, Forchstrasse 279, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland, (011-41-1) 422-6868, email (U.S. distributor): denises@window.id.iit.edu, Internet: www2.active.ch/~gerstei/main.en.html

Suggested by alert reader Steve Hayman of Toronto, Ontario.

Cleaning your nose doesn't have to be a boring task; have a party and share it with your friends.

This would make a fine companion gift for the Cleopatra Nose Lifter: Together, they send the joyful holiday message: ''Your nose needs a LOT of work.''

The Nori Nasal Passage Cleaner is a hygiene device that cleans out those pesky nasal passages in a unique manner that is hard for the layperson to believe, or even look directly at.

''Blowing your nose is not enough!'' states the Nori promotional material, adding that a nose ''needs regular cleaning to remove buildup and residue.''

This is where the Nori, which looks like a small mutant teapot, comes into play. According to the instructions, you fill it with salt water. Then: ''While leaning over a sink, tilt your head sideways and slightly insert the spout into one nostril. Important! Your mouth must stay open! The salt water will flow through the nasal passage and come out the other nostril.''

You read that correctly: The water goes into one nostril and comes out the other . So this is not just a hygiene device: It also would make a great ''ice-breaker'' at formal dinner parties (''Hey everybody! Watch THIS!'') We understand that Martha Stewart has at least one of these devices in every room of her house.