The present disclosure concerns the field of vacuum cleaners and, in particular, those which have a filter bag for collecting air entrained detritus. The invention relates especially to a vacuum cleaner which reduces the exposure to the operator of dust and contaminated matter collected during cleaning when replacing the filter bag. The invention provides a vacuum cleaner comprising a suction drive unit in fluid communication with a vacuum chamber for accommodating a filter cartridge, the vacuum chamber itself being fed by a fluid inlet port in communication with a nozzle via which air is drawn into the vacuum chamber when the suction drive unit is in operation, wherein the filter cartridge comprises a gas-porous membrane including wall portions which define a filter interior, the cartridge having an airflow inlet at one end through which air-entrained dirt enters the filter, with dirt retained in the interior and air passing through the gas-porous membrane, wherein the chamber is configurable between open and closed configurations, so that in the closed configuration the cartridge filter is enclosed and constrained within the vacuum chamber with the cartridge inlet disposed so as to be fed by the fluid inlet port, and in the open configuration the constraint is at least partially removed so that the cartridge is free to be removed from the chamber by travel in a removal direction.