The invention is an agitator configuration for a floor care appliance such as an upright vacuum cleaner. The floor care appliance is provided with at least two agitator chambers each having at least one rotary agitator member disposed therein. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vacuum cleaner suction nozzle is provided with symmetric left and right agitator disposed adjacent one another. A front agitator assembly comprised of a left and right agitator half-section is disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A rear agitator is located rearward of the front agitator assembly and is also comprised of a left and right agitator half-section disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A plurality of brush members extend from each agitator half-section arranged in a helical pattern around the circumference of each of the agitator-half-sections. The left and right agitator half-sections of the front agitator assembly have opposite helical patterns so that a "chevron" pattern is formed from the front agitator assembly. The "chevron" brush pattern sweeps dirt particles from the center of the suction nozzle along the front of the cleaner toward the suction nozzle's outer edges. Similarly, the left and right agitator half-sections of the rear agitator assembly have opposite helical patterns so that a "chevron" pattern is formed from the rear agitator assembly. The "chevron" brush pattern sweeps dirt particles from the center of the suction nozzle along the rear edge of the suction nozzle toward the suction nozzle's outer edges.