Docker Cleanup Shell Script (Prune Images, Containers & Volumes)

Free disk space on Docker hosts with an automated cleanup script that prunes unused containers, images, and volumes.

What this script does

• Removes stopped containers
• Prunes dangling and unused images
• Cleans unused volumes and networks
• Shows disk usage before and after
• Dry-run mode for safety

Prerequisites

• Docker installed and running
• Root or user in docker group

Step 1: Save the script

sudo nano /usr/local/bin/docker-cleanup.sh
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-cleanup.sh

Step 2: Full script (scroll to read)

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

DRY_RUN=false
PRUNE_VOLUMES=false
LOG="/var/log/docker-cleanup.log"

log(){ echo "[$(date '+%F %T')] $*" | tee -a "$LOG"; }
run(){ if $DRY_RUN; then echo "DRY-RUN: $*"; else eval "$@"; fi; }

log "Docker disk before:"; docker system df | tee -a "$LOG"

run "docker container prune -f"
run "docker image prune -a -f"
run "docker network prune -f"
$PRUNE_VOLUMES && run "docker volume prune -f"

log "Docker disk after:"; docker system df | tee -a "$LOG"
log "Docker cleanup completed"

Scroll inside the box to read the full script.

Step 3: Configure settings

• DRY_RUN=true — preview without deleting
• PRUNE_VOLUMES — enable volume cleanup (careful!)
• Run during low-traffic hours

Step 4: Test manually

sudo /usr/local/bin/docker-cleanup.sh

docker system df

Schedule with cron

sudo crontab -e

Add:

0 3 * * 0 /usr/local/bin/docker-cleanup.sh >> /var/log/docker-cleanup.log 2>&1

Related tutorials

• Linux Disk Monitor Shell Script
• Linux Backup Shell Script: Files & Database to Remote Server
• Cron Jobs in Linux: Schedule Tasks with crontab
• SSH Key Authentication on Linux Servers

Terminal screenshot is an original illustration created for Gnome IT Solutions (blog.gnomeitsolutions.com).