Abstract: A motor-fan unit for a wet pick-up type of vacuum cleaner comprising a fan-section and a separately ventilated motor section. A motor-end bracket in the motor housing structure serves as a common end wall with the fan section and carries a bearing for the common shaft of the motor and fan. A baffle carried by the motor-end bracket within the fan section has an apertured central portion, at least partly enclosing the bearing, to provide a passage-way for high velocity air sealing the bearing from detergent-containing cleaning liquid entrained in working air drawn into the fan section. A normally closed check valve at an inlet to the sealing air passageway inhibits back-flow of either air or liquid through the inlet but permits such sealing air to serve as cooling air when the entrance of working air into the fan section is impeded.