git stash & git clean

Quick Summary

git stash saves your uncommitted work to a temporary shelf so you can switch contexts (branches, hotfixes) without losing progress. git clean removes untracked files from your working directory. Together, they keep your workspace clean and flexible.

---

git stash — Save Work Temporarily

The Problem

You're mid-feature and your boss says "hotfix needed on main NOW." You can't commit half-done work, and you can't switch branches with uncommitted changes.

Solution: Stash it.

sequenceDiagram
    participant WD as Working Directory
    participant ST as Stash Stack
    participant BR as Branches

    Note over WD: Working on feature...
    WD->>ST: git stash
    Note over WD: Workspace is clean!
    WD->>BR: git checkout main
    Note over BR: Fix the hotfix
    BR->>BR: git commit -m "hotfix"
    BR->>WD: git checkout feature
    ST->>WD: git stash pop
    Note over WD: Back to where you left off!

Core Commands

# Save current changes to stash
git stash

# Save with a descriptive message
git stash push -m "WIP: user profile page"

# List all stashes
git stash list

# Restore the most recent stash (and remove it from stack)
git stash pop

# Restore a stash (keep it in the stack)
git stash apply

# Restore a specific stash
git stash apply stash@{2}

# Drop a specific stash
git stash drop stash@{0}

# Clear ALL stashes
git stash clear

Examples

# Save everything (tracked modified + staged)
git stash

Saved working directory and index state WIP on main: a1b2c3d feat: add auth

# List stashes
git stash list

stash@{0}: WIP on main: a1b2c3d feat: add auth
stash@{1}: On feature: WIP user profile page
stash@{2}: On main: debugging session

# Restore and remove from stack
git stash pop

On branch main
Changes not staged for commit:
        modified:   src/app.js
Dropped refs/stash@{0} (a1b2c3d4e5f6...)

Advanced Stash Options

# Stash including untracked files
git stash -u

# Stash including ignored files too
git stash -a

# Stash only specific files (Git 2.13+)
git stash push -m "only auth changes" src/auth.js src/login.js

# Create a branch from a stash
git stash branch new-feature stash@{0}

# Show what's in a stash (without applying it)
git stash show stash@{0}
git stash show -p stash@{0}   # Full diff

Stash conflicts

If the code has changed since you stashed, git stash pop may cause merge conflicts. Resolve them the same way you'd resolve any merge conflict.

---

git clean — Remove Untracked Files

Removes files that Git doesn't track — build artifacts, temp files, editor debris.

Syntax

git clean -n               # Dry run — show what WOULD be deleted
git clean -f               # Force delete untracked files
git clean -fd              # Delete untracked files AND directories
git clean -fX              # Delete only ignored files
git clean -fx              # Delete ALL untracked (including ignored)
git clean -i               # Interactive mode

Always dry-run first

git clean -f is irreversible. Always run with -n first to preview what will be deleted.

Examples

# Preview what would be removed
git clean -n

Would remove build/
Would remove temp.log
Would remove .env.local

# Actually remove (after reviewing)
git clean -fd

Removing build/
Removing temp.log

# Interactive mode — choose which files to delete
git clean -i

Would remove the following items:
  1 - build/
  2 - temp.log
  3 - .env.local
*** Commands ***
    1: clean   2: filter by pattern   3: select by numbers   4: ask each   5: quit
What now> 4
Remove build/ [y/N]? y
Remove temp.log [y/N]? y
Remove .env.local [y/N]? n

---

Decision Guide

Scenario	Command
Need to switch branches but have uncommitted work	git stash
Save stash with a note	git stash push -m "description"
Restore saved work	git stash pop
Remove build artifacts	git clean -fd (after -n preview)
Remove only .gitignore-d files	git clean -fX
Nuclear cleanup (everything untracked)	git clean -fdx

---

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
Stash pop has conflicts	Code changed since stashing	Resolve conflicts manually, then git add
Can't find stashed work	Applied with apply (not pop), or cleared	Check git stash list; use git reflog if cleared
git clean deleted important files	Didn't use -n first	Recover from backup or git reflog (if ever tracked)
Stash won't apply to different branch	Significant code divergence	Use git stash branch to create a new branch from the stash

---

Best Practices

• Always name your stashes (-m "description") — unnamed stashes pile up and become confusing
• Don't let stashes accumulate — apply or drop them promptly
• Always dry-run git clean — run with -n before -f
• Use git stash -u for new files — by default, stash ignores untracked files
• Prefer committing WIP on a feature branch over stashing, if possible

What's Next

1. Branching Fundamentals — Work in parallel with branches
2. Conflict Resolution — Handle merge conflicts confidently