A dust separating and collecting apparatus for a suction cleaner comprising at least one cyclonic separating device (10) having a body (12) through which a stream of air with dust therein can be caused to flow by a suction unit from an air inlet (16) to an air outlet (18) of the device, said inlet and outlet being at or adjacent one end of the body and said separating device further having a lateral outlet (20) at or adjacent the other end of the body for dust separated from the airstream in the course of its passage through the separator; and a receptacle (34) for the separated dust, the receptacle being movably disposed alongside said separating device (10) and having an inlet (42) for separated dust communicating with the dust outlet (20) of the separating device. Preferably there are two cyclonic separating devices (10, 11) and the receptacle (34) lies generally between them.