Very handy trick for removing .gitignore’d files from a repo AFTER those files previously had been included in the repo:
git rm --cached `git ls-files -i --exclude-from=.gitignore`
Now commit the deletion(s):
git commit -m 'Repo pruned - Removed all files that are in the .gitignore'
And if you need to sync with a remote, push it:
git push origin master
And PRESTO – repo is cleaned up without modifying files.