diff --git a/modules/clean_images.js b/modules/clean_images.js
index bff7bda..06f35a2 100644
--- a/modules/clean_images.js
+++ b/modules/clean_images.js
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@ exp.run = function() {
       var helmdir = __dirname + "/../" + config.helms_dir;
       var files = fs.readdirSync(skindir);
       for (var i = 0; i < Math.min(files.length, config.cleaning_amount); i++) {
-        fs.unlink(skindir + files[i], function(){});
-        fs.unlink(helmdir + files[i], function(){});
+        var filename = files[i];
+        if (filename[0] != ".") {
+          fs.unlink(skindir + filename, function(){});
+          fs.unlink(helmdir + filename, function(){});
+        }
       }
     } else {
       logging.log("ImageCleaner: Nothing to clean");
diff --git a/modules/config.example.js b/modules/config.example.js
index e504840..e29028f 100644
--- a/modules/config.example.js
+++ b/modules/config.example.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var config = {
   default_size: 160,         // size to be used when no size given
   local_cache_time: 3600,    // seconds until we will check if the image changed. should be > 60 to prevent mojang 429 response
   browser_cache_time: 3600,  // seconds until browser will request image again
-  cleaning_interval: 1800000,   // ms interval: deleting images if disk size at limit
+  cleaning_interval: 1800,   // seconds interval: deleting images if disk size at limit
   cleaning_limit: 10240,     // minumum required available KB on disk to trigger cleaning
   cleaning_amount: 50000,    // amount of avatar (and their helm) files to clean
   http_timeout: 1000,        // ms until connection to mojang is dropped
diff --git a/modules/config.js b/modules/config.js
index adcdd4d..f431aaa 100644
--- a/modules/config.js
+++ b/modules/config.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ var config = {
   local_cache_time: 30,      // seconds until we will check if the image changed. should be > 60 to prevent mojang 429 response
   browser_cache_time: 30,    // seconds until browser will request image again
   http_timeout: 3000,        // ms until connection to mojang is dropped
-  cleaning_interval: 3000,      // ms interval: deleting images if disk size at limit
+  cleaning_interval: 3,      // seconds interval: deleting images if disk size at limit
   cleaning_limit: 10240,     // minumum required available KB on disk to trigger cleaning
   cleaning_amount: 50000,    // amount of avatar (and their helm) files to clean
   faces_dir: "skins/faces/", // directory where faces are kept. should have trailing "/"
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index df1614e..531200a 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ var server = app.listen(app.get("port"), function() {
 });
 
 // cleaning worker
-setInterval(clean.run, config.cleaning_interval);
\ No newline at end of file
+setInterval(clean.run, config.cleaning_interval * 1000);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/skins/faces/.gitkeep b/skins/faces/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/skins/helms/.gitkeep b/skins/helms/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29