diff --git a/bin/cron.py b/bin/cron.py
index f2014608a1..e59e0250e7 100755
--- a/bin/cron.py
+++ b/bin/cron.py
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ def schedule_database_jobs():
 
 
 def schedule_file_jobs():
+    call_command('l10n_update --clean')
+
     @scheduled_job('interval', minutes=DB_UPDATE_MINUTES)
     def update_locales():
         call_command('l10n_update')
diff --git a/lib/l10n_utils/management/commands/l10n_update.py b/lib/l10n_utils/management/commands/l10n_update.py
index 206bafe1f5..24e50a073f 100644
--- a/lib/l10n_utils/management/commands/l10n_update.py
+++ b/lib/l10n_utils/management/commands/l10n_update.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 from io import StringIO
+from shutil import rmtree
 
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -15,20 +16,30 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
     def add_arguments(self, parser):
         parser.add_argument('-q', '--quiet', action='store_true', dest='quiet', default=False,
                             help='If no error occurs, swallow all output.'),
+        parser.add_argument('-c', '--clean', action='store_true', dest='clean', default=False,
+                            help='Remove old repos if they exist and do fresh clones.'),
 
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         if options['quiet']:
             self.stdout._out = StringIO()
 
-        self.update_lang_files()
-        self.update_fluent_files()
+        self.update_lang_files(options['clean'])
+        self.update_fluent_files(options['clean'])
 
-    def update_lang_files(self):
+    def update_lang_files(self, clean=False):
         repo = GitRepo(settings.LOCALES_PATH, settings.LOCALES_REPO)
+        if clean:
+            rmtree(repo.path_str, ignore_errors=True)
+            self.stdout.write('Removed old .lang repo')
+
         repo.update()
         self.stdout.write('Updated .lang files')
 
-    def update_fluent_files(self):
+    def update_fluent_files(self, clean=False):
         repo = GitRepo(settings.FLUENT_REPO_PATH, settings.FLUENT_REPO_URL)
+        if clean:
+            rmtree(repo.path_str, ignore_errors=True)
+            self.stdout.write('Removed old .ftl repo')
+
         repo.update()
         self.stdout.write('Updated .ftl files')