According to one embodiment, an upright liquid filtration vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum nozzle head and a housing moveably coupled to the vacuum nozzle head. The vacuum cleaner further includes a liquid tank that includes a wall defining an interior volume and a tank intake channel positioned in the interior volume. The interior volume is configured to hold a liquid. The tank intake channel is positioned to direct debris received from an intake passageway into the liquid tank so that the liquid in the interior volume of the liquid tank filters the debris into the liquid so that clean air is exhausted. The vacuum cleaner further includes a separator configured to generate an airflow. The vacuum cleaner is configured to seal the intake passageway when the vacuum cleaner is deactivated and further configured to unseal the intake passageway when the vacuum cleaner is activated.