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Creator Cleaner detection results dashboard. The tool identifies cleanup candidates while performing no deletion or file modification.
Inspiration
What it does
How we built it
Challenges we ran into
Inspiration
Creators often accumulate temporary production files while working with tools like Photoshop, video editors, audio tools, and AI workflows. These files can grow quickly, but deleting them manually is risky because creators may not know which files are safe to remove.
Creator Cleaner was built to solve that problem with a safety-first approach: detect cleanup candidates, explain why they were detected, and never delete anything automatically.
What it does
Creator Cleaner is a cleanup assistant for creators. It scans for temporary or generated production files, produces reviewable reports, and helps users understand what may be safe to clean.
The current version focuses on detection, documentation, safety rules, and verification rather than destructive cleanup. It is designed so creators can review candidates before taking action.
How I built it
I used ChatGPT, GPT-5.6, and Codex to design, implement, review, and verify the project. Codex helped with repository preparation, documentation, safety checks, GitHub publishing, and submission readiness.
The project includes safety specifications, implementation plans, test plans, project history, and decision logs so that the development process is auditable and reproducible.
What I learned
The biggest lesson was that cleanup tools should not be designed around deletion first. For creative work, safety, transparency, and reversibility matter more than speed.
I also learned how useful Codex can be as a development partner when the task is managed as a complete workflow: implementation, verification, documentation, Git history, privacy checks, and final submission preparation.
Challenges
The main challenge was balancing usefulness with safety. A cleanup tool can become dangerous if it removes files too aggressively, so Creator Cleaner currently prioritizes detection, explanation, and review.
Another challenge was preparing the project for public submission: removing private logs, checking for secrets, rewriting Git identity safely, configuring GitHub, and publishing the repository without exposing local data.
What's next
Next, I want to expand Creator Cleaner into a broader creator environment protection tool. Future versions may support more production apps, clearer cleanup categories, safer review workflows, and eventually guided cleanup with strong confirmation steps.
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