A vacuum cleaner is improved with blower for agitating particulate matter by means of directed air pressure. The air agitation system replaces or augments the beater bar arrangement in traditional household vacuum cleaners. The blower is combined with a vacuum cleaner to increase cleaning effectiveness. The blower pushes dirt and debris into the vacuum cleaner air duct, while the vacuum produced by the vacuum cleaner pulls dirt and debris into the vacuum cleaner air duct. The combination of pushing and pulling increases the magnitude of the forces acting on the dirt and debris and enables heavier debris like sand to be easily abstracted from the floor.