# Git Clean

# Clean Ignored Files

git clean -fX

Will remove all ignored (opens new window) files from the current directory and all subdirectories.

git clean -Xn

Will preview all files that will be cleaned.

# Clean All Untracked Directories

git clean -fd

Will remove all untracked directories and the files within them. It will start at the current working directory and will iterate through all subdirectories.

git clean -dn

Will preview all directories that will be cleaned.

# Forcefully remove untracked files

git clean -f

Will remove all untracked files.

# Clean Interactively

git clean -i

Will print out items to be removed and ask for a confirmation via commands like the follow:

Would remove the following items:
  folder/file1.py
  folder/file2.py
*** Commands ***
    1: clean        2: filter by pattern        3: select by numbers        4: ask each
    5: quit        6: help
What now>

Interactive option i can be added along with other options like X, d, etc.

# Syntax

git clean [-d] [-f] [-i] [-n] [-q] [-e <pattern>] [-x | -X] [--] <path>

# Parameters

Parameter	Details
-d	Remove untracked directories in addition to untracked files. If an untracked directory is managed by a different Git repository, it is not removed by default. Use -f option twice if you really want to remove such a directory.
-f, --force	If the Git configuration variable clean. `requireForce` is not set to false, git clean will refuse to delete files or directories unless given -f, -n or -i. Git will refuse to delete directories with .git sub directory or file unless a second -f is given.
-i, --interactive	Interactively prompts the removal of each file.
-n, --dry-run	Only displays a list of files to be removed, without actually removing them.
-q,--quiet	Only display errors, not the list of successfully removed files.

← Recovering Using a .gitattributes file →