Clearing the Content or Formats from Cells in Excel

If you have ever got into a pickle when trying to control the appearance of the content of a cell, it could be because the formatting on the cell is not removed when you delete using the Delete key. It's all about understanding what the Delete (Del) key on the keyboard really does.

So let me explain, using the Clear command on the Ribbon you can empty the content of a cell ie the calculation or data. When the content is cleared the cell becomes empty. Clearing the content of the cell does not remove the formats. When the formats of a cell are cleared, all formats are returned to the defaults set by Microsoft. Clearing the formats of the cell does not remove the content. There may be times when you want to clear both the content and formats at the same time. Clearing both the content and the formats makes the cell empty and returns the formats back to Microsoft’s defaults ie no bold, no italic, no borders and no shading, etc.

Bearing in mind all the above, the Delete (Del) key on the keyboard only removes the content, it does not remove any formatting applied to the cell.

Follow the instructions below to remove just the content, just the formats, or both the content and formats from the cell:

Clearing the Content from Cells using the Clear Button
• Select the cell or range of cells to clear
• Select the Home Tab on the Ribbon
• In the Editing Group, click the Clear Button, then select Clear Contents to clear the content, but leave the formats

Clearing the Content from Cells using the Keyboard
• Select the cell or range of cells to clear
• Press Delete (Del) on the keyboard to clear the contents, but leave the formats

Clearing the Formats from Cells
• Select the cell or range of cells to clear
• Select the Home Tab on the Ribbon
• In the Editing Group, click the Clear Button, then select Clear Formats to clear the formats, but leave the content

Clearing the Content and Formats from Cells
• Select the cell or range of cells to clear
• Select the Home Tab on the Ribbon
• In the Editing Group, click the Clear Button, then select Clear All to clear the contents and formats

If you would like to learn more of these useful and time-saving tips, check out our Level 1 Microsoft Excel course, this is a one-day course and can be attended live online, in-class at our training location, or at your company's office.