Cells in Excel 2013 can carry fonts, fills, borders, number formats, and conditional formatting that you no longer want. Clear Formats removes all of that while keeping the values and formulas. Office 2013 reached end of support on April 11, 2023, so it no longer receives security updates. The same command works in newer versions of Excel.
Quick Answer
Select the cells, go to the Home tab, click Clear (the eraser icon) in the Editing group, and choose Clear Formats.
How to Clear Cell Formatting in Excel 2013
- Select the cells, rows, or columns you want to reset. Click the corner button above row 1 to select the whole sheet.
- Open the Home tab.
- In the Editing group, click Clear (the eraser icon).
- Choose Clear Formats. Values and formulas stay; formatting returns to the default.
- Remove conditional formatting separately with Home, Conditional Formatting, Clear Rules, if it remains.
Clear Menu Options
| Option | Removes |
|---|---|
| Clear All | Contents, formats, and comments |
| Clear Formats | Formatting only |
| Clear Contents | Values and formulas only |
| Clear Comments | Comments or notes |
| Clear Hyperlinks | Links, optionally keeping formatting |
Drop-down lists are not formatting. To remove one, see how to remove a drop-down list in Excel.
If numbers look rounded, read why Excel only shows two decimal places.
Troubleshooting
- Dates turn into numbers: Clear Formats also removes number formats, so reapply a date format.
- Colors remain: the color may come from conditional formatting or a table style. Clear the rules or convert the table to a range.
- To add color back deliberately, see how to fill cell color in Excel 2013.
- For more format options, read how to open the Format Cells dialog.
Related: Fix the Excel data validation error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a shortcut for Clear Formats?
There is no default single shortcut, but you can press Alt, H, E, F in sequence.
Does Clear Formats delete comments?
No. Use Clear Comments for that.
Can I undo it?
Yes. Press Ctrl+Z straight away.
Summary
- Select the cells.
- Open Home, Clear.
- Choose Clear Formats.
- Clear conditional formatting rules separately.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
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