Git Clean: Remove Untracked Files and Directories

Cleaning Up with Git Clean

git clean removes untracked files from the working directory. Unlike git checkout or git restore (which work on tracked files), git clean targets files that git does not know about.

Safety: Always Dry Run First

# Show what WOULD be removed (does not delete anything)
git clean -n
# or
git clean --dry-run

Removing Untracked Files

# Remove untracked files (requires -f flag for safety)
git clean -f

# Remove untracked files AND directories
git clean -fd

# Remove files interactively (choose what to delete)
git clean -i

Handling Ignored Files

# Remove ONLY .gitignore'd files (build artifacts, etc.)
git clean -fX

# Remove ALL untracked files INCLUDING ignored ones
git clean -fx

# Remove untracked dirs INCLUDING ignored ones
git clean -fdx

Common Cleanup Scenarios

Reset to a pristine state (like a fresh clone):

git checkout -- .
git clean -fdx

Clean up build artifacts only:

git clean -fX

Clean specific directory:

git clean -fd src/generated/

Safety Tips

1. Always use -n first to preview what will be deleted
2. Use -i (interactive) if you are unsure about some files
3. Be careful with -x -- it removes .gitignore'd files like node_modules, .env, build output
4. There is no undo -- cleaned files are permanently deleted (not in trash)
5. Consider git stash -u as a safer alternative -- it saves untracked files in the stash