an apparatus for removing contaminants from raw cotton traveling in an airstream includes a drum which is rotatably driven and mounted to a frame with the drum having a plurality of openings through , and further includes an assembly for directing the raw cotton against the drum , a first suction assembly for drawing contaminants from the cotton which is retained on the cotton collecting surface in a cotton impingement zone , a second suction arrangement for drawing cleaned raw cotton away from the cotton collection surface and including a cotton retention zone wherein the second suction airstream is opposed to the first suction airstream and a cotton release zone wherein the second suction airstream is assisted by atmospheric air in removing clean cotton from the cotton collection surface of the rotatable drum and delivering it to a clean cotton reservoir .