An upright vacuum cleaner (A) includes an upright housing section (B) and a nozzle section (C). A cyclonic airflow dirt and dust separating chamber (54) is defined in the upright housing section. A suction source (E) pulls air and entrained dirt; and dust through a main suction opening (26) in the underside (24) of the nozzle and into the cyclonic airflow chamber (54). The cyclonic airflow chamber causes the suction airstream to travel in a cyclonic path such that the entrained contaminants are separated therefrom and deposited into a dirt container (52) that defines the chamber (54). A main filter element (K) filters residual contaminants from the suction airstream between the chamber and the suction source. A final filter assembly (F) filters the suction airstream discharge by the suction source to ensure that the air discharge into the atmosphere is contaminant free.