Dirt collecting system for a vacuum cleaner

The invention is a floor care appliance such as vacuum cleaner having sever al embodiments of a dirt particle separating and collecting system removably inserted and sidewardly disposed into a recess in the floor care appliance's housing. One embodiment of the dirt particle separating and collecting system includes a translucent dirt cup having an apertured wall between a dirt particle collecting chamber and a second chamb er housing a primary filter. One other embodiment is a translucent bag container for housing a filtration bag. The filtration bag may or may not be disposable and may or may not have a HEPA rating. Other embodiments include utilizing a single dirt container for housing the apertured wall and primary filter combination, a filtration bag only, or a combination of a filtration bag and the apertured wall and primary filter combination. Portions of the vario us embodiments of the dirt collecting systems may be seen through cutaway portions of the cleaner housing.