Vacuum cleaner with reversible rotation of agitator

A floor care apparatus includes a cannister assembly, a nozzle assembly, and a suction generator that draws air, dust, dirt and debris from a carpet or rug to be cleaned through the nozzle assembly to a collection vessel. A rotary agitator 38 carried on the nozzle assembly is driven by a motor 40 in either a rearward bottom-dead-center direction when the floor care apparatus is being pulled rearward or a forward bottom-dead-center direction when the floor care apparatus is being pushed forward by an operator. In this way, the bottom-dead-center portion of the agitator engaging the underlying nap of a carpet or rug being cleaned is moving in the direction of movement of the floor care appliance so that the nap is always brushed from the bottom to the top and dirt and debris is lifted from the nap where it is entrained in the airstream being drawn into the apparatus by the suction generator to provide efficient and effective deep cleaning action.