clean
Remove old files and empty folders from a directory.
Usage
Arguments:
PATH- Directory to clean (required)
Options
| Flag | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
--older-than |
Delete files older than duration | --older-than 30d |
--empty-folders |
Remove empty folders | |
--trash |
Move to trash instead of deleting | |
--execute -e |
Execute the cleanup | |
--dry-run -n |
Preview what will be deleted | |
--min-size |
Minimum file size | --min-size 1KB |
--max-size |
Maximum file size | --max-size 10MB |
Duration Format
The --older-than flag accepts various duration formats:
| Format | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 30d |
30 days |
| Weeks | 2w |
2 weeks |
| Hours | 24h |
24 hours |
Examples
Remove Old Files
# Preview files older than 30 days
neatcli clean ~/Downloads --older-than 30d
# Delete files older than 30 days (permanent)
neatcli clean ~/Downloads --older-than 30d --execute
# Move old files to trash (safer)
neatcli clean ~/Downloads --older-than 30d --trash --execute
Remove Empty Folders
# Preview empty folders
neatcli clean ~/Projects --empty-folders
# Remove empty folders
neatcli clean ~/Projects --empty-folders --execute
Combined Cleanup
# Remove old files AND empty folders
neatcli clean ~/Downloads --older-than 7d --empty-folders --trash --execute
With Size Filters
# Only delete small old files (< 1MB)
neatcli clean ~/Downloads --older-than 30d --max-size 1MB --execute
Output
Preview Mode
→ Scanning /Users/you/Downloads for files older than 30d...
Old files to clean:
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
○ old_report.pdf (45d old, 2.3 MB)
○ backup_2024.zip (60d old, 150 MB)
○ temp_file.tmp (90d old, 12 KB)
Summary: 3 files (152.3 MB) older than 30d
ℹ Use --execute to delete these files.
Execute Mode
Permanent Deletion
Without --trash, files are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
Use --trash for safer cleanup.
See Also
- undo - Undo operations (only works for moves, not deletes)
- duplicates - Find and remove duplicate files