A surface-treating appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, includes a main body housing a component such as a post-motor filter. A door provides access to the filter. The door is connected to the main body by a hinge arranged to allow the door to pivot about the hinge's rotational axis and to move axially as the door is moved between closed and open positions. The provision of a hinge that can move along its rotational axis permits the door to move laterally as it opens, thereby clearing adjacent parts of the appliance, such as the spine. This allows an appliance to be manufactured that permits the user to access components housed inside of it, but is compact. Preferably, the hinge includes a cam arrangement, so that the door automatically moves away from adjacent parts of the appliance as it moves from the closed position to an open position.