How To Remove Docker Images, Containers, and Volumes

Introduction

Docker makes it easy to wrap your applications and services in containers so you can run them anywhere. However, as you work with Docker, it’s also easy to accumulate an excessive number of unused images, containers, and data volumes that clutter the output and consume disk space.

Docker gives you all the tools you need to clean up your system from the command line. This cheat sheet-style guide provides a quick reference to commands that are useful for freeing disk space and keeping your system organized by removing unused Docker images, containers, and volumes.

How to Use This Guide

• This guide is in cheat sheet format with self-contained command-line snippets.
• Jump to any section that is relevant to the task you are trying to complete.
• Note: The command substitution syntax, $(command), is available in many popular shells such as bash, zsh, and Windows Powershell.

Purging All Unused or Dangling Images, Containers, Volumes, and Networks

Docker provides a single command that will clean up any resources — images, containers, volumes, and networks — that are dangling (not tagged or associated with a container):

docker system prune

To additionally remove any stopped containers and all unused images (not just dangling images), add the -a flag:

docker system prune -a

Removing Docker Images

Remove one or more specific images

Use the docker images command with the -a flag to locate the ID of the images you want to remove. Then use docker rmi to remove them:

docker images -a

docker rmi 

Remove dangling Docker images

To locate dangling images:

docker images -f dangling=true

To remove them:

docker image prune

Removing Containers

Remove one or more specific containers

Use docker ps -a to locate the containers you want to remove:

docker ps -a

docker rm 

Remove all exited containers

To locate exited containers:

docker ps -a -f status=exited

To remove them:

docker rm $(docker ps -a -f status=exited -q)

Removing Volumes

Remove one or more specific volumes

Use the docker volume ls command to locate volumes:

docker volume ls

Then use docker volume rm to remove them:

docker volume rm 

Remove dangling volumes

To locate dangling volumes:

docker volume ls -f dangling=true

To remove them:

docker volume prune

Conclusion to Remove Docker Images

This guide covers some of the common commands used to remove images, containers, and volumes with Docker.