Stashing & Cleaning
git clean
Remove untracked files from the working directory
Practical Example
git clean -n # preview what will be removed git clean -fd # remove untracked files and directories git clean -fdx # remove everything not tracked
Command Overview & How It Works
Deletes files that are not tracked by Git — typically build artifacts, logs, or generated files that are not in your .gitignore. This is a destructive command, so always preview first with git clean -n (or --dry-run), which shows what would be deleted without actually removing anything. Use git clean -f to force removal of files, git clean -fd to also remove untracked directories, and git clean -fx to remove ignored files (those matching .gitignore) as well. For maximum cleaning, git clean -fdx removes untracked files, directories, and ignored files — useful for wiping a build directory before a fresh build. Combine with git reset --hard for a complete reset to the last committed state.
Practical Tips
- •Always preview with git clean -n before deleting anything — git clean cannot be undone.
- •Use git clean -fdx to wipe untracked files, directories, and ignored files before a fresh build.
- •Combine with git reset --hard for a complete return to the last committed state.