Remove untracked files from a Git working tree

Use git clean -nd to preview untracked files and directories in the current directory's scope. After reviewing the list, run git clean -fd to remove them. Ordinary ignore rules apply unless you choose a broader cleanup.

git clean -nd
git clean -fd

Run from the repository root if you intend to inspect the whole checkout. A dry run shows the current candidates; it is not a backup and cannot protect a file created or changed between the preview and deletion.

Choose the scope carefully

When an explicit pathspec is supplied, it determines the matching scope and -d is not required to recurse into matching untracked directories. Git normally protects nested untracked repositories; a second force option can override that protection. Do not add it just to silence a warning.

Preview ignored-file cleanup

# Inspect ignored candidates only.
git clean -ndX

# Inspect both ignored and ordinary untracked candidates.
git clean -ndx

Ignored does not mean disposable. The list can include credentials, local databases, dependencies, or generated artifacts you cannot easily reproduce. Only replace -n with -f after deciding what may be removed.

To retain a root .env while inspecting broader cleanup:

git clean -ndx -e /.env

Keep the same exclusions when executing. Without -x, an already ignored .env is normally excluded anyway.

Understand how reset differs

git reset --hard HEAD resets tracked contents and the index, whereas git clean removes selected untracked contents. Combining them can discard both kinds of local work. It still does not recreate a fresh clone: refs, configuration, retained metadata, and protected nested repositories may remain.

FAQ

Can Git recover a cleaned file?

Not if Git never stored it and no other copy exists. Check a prior commit, stash, editor history, or backup when relevant. Save ordinary untracked work with git stash push -u before cleanup if you need it; ignored files require a different scope or separate backup.

Why does clean refuse without -f?

The normal clean.requireForce setting requires confirmation through a force option. Dry-run and interactive modes provide their own protections. Keeping the default is useful; changing it is not necessary for routine cleanup.

Does this remove modified tracked files?

No. A tracked file's modifications are a separate restore/reset decision. Inspect git status to distinguish the two cases.

See git-clean, git-reset, and git-stash.