diff --git a/cleanup.py b/cleanup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc92fac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cleanup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import os
+import logging
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+
+# Define the path for the log file
+primary_log_directory = "/var/log/reform"
+
+if not os.path.exists(primary_log_directory):
+    local_log_dirs = "./cleanuplog" # If not, use the local log directory
+    if not os.path.exists(local_log_dirs):
+        os.makedirs(local_log_dirs)
+    log_file_path = os.path.join(local_log_dirs, "cleanup.log")
+else:
+    log_file_path = os.path.join(primary_log_directory, "cleanup.log") # create cleanup.log in /var/log/reform
+
+# Configure logging
+logging.basicConfig(
+    level=logging.INFO, # INFO, WARNING, ERROR, and CRITICAL
+    format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s',
+    handlers=[
+        logging.FileHandler(log_file_path),
+        logging.StreamHandler()
+    ]
+)
+
+# Define the path to the downloads directory
+download_folder = "./downloads"
+# cutoff time = 72 hours ago
+cutoff = datetime.now() - timedelta(hours=72)
+
+# Traverse the download folder
+# directory path, a list of sub-directories inside the current directory, and filenames
+for root, dirs, files in os.walk(download_folder):
+    for dir_name in dirs:
+        dirpath = os.path.join(root, dir_name)
+        # Get modification time
+        dir_modified_time = datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getmtime(dirpath))
+        # Check if the directory is older than 72 hours
+        if dir_modified_time < cutoff:
+            try:
+                # Attempt to remove the directory
+                os.rmdir(dirpath)
+                logging.info(f"Removed old directory: {dirpath}") # log: remove folders
+            except OSError as e:
+                # If directory not empty, remove files inside first
+                for root_dir, sub_dirs, sub_files in os.walk(dirpath, topdown=False):
+                    for name in sub_files:
+                        filepath = os.path.join(root_dir, name)
+                        try:
+                            os.remove(filepath)
+                            logging.info(f"Removed file: {filepath}") # log: remove files
+                        except Exception as e:
+                            logging.error(f"Error removing file {filepath}: {e}")
+                    for name in sub_dirs:
+                        sub_dirpath = os.path.join(root_dir, name)
+                        try:
+                            os.rmdir(sub_dirpath)
+                            logging.info(f"Removed directory: {sub_dirpath}")
+                        except Exception as e:
+                            logging.error(f"Error removing directory {sub_dirpath}: {e}")
+                # Finally, remove the main directory
+                try:
+                    os.rmdir(dirpath)
+                    logging.info(f"Removed old directory: {dirpath}")
+                except Exception as e:
+                    logging.error(f"Error removing directory {dirpath}: {e}")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/job.py b/job.py
index 8dde77a..7739b8f 100644
--- a/job.py
+++ b/job.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import wget
 from flask import request, flash, Flask
 from flask_mail import Message, Mail
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from werkzeug.utils import secure_filename
 
 from forms import ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS
@@ -173,10 +174,18 @@ def runReform(target_dir, ref_fasta, ref_gff, timestamp, position, chrom, in_fas
 
 
 def send_email(email, timestamp):
+    # calculate 72h DDL
+    deadline = datetime.now() + timedelta(hours=72)
+    deadline_str = deadline.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
+
     with j.app_context():
-        msg = Message('reform results', sender='reform@nyu.edu', recipients=[email])
-        msg.html = "reform job complete. <a href='https://reform.bio.nyu.edu/download/" + timestamp \
-                   + "'> Click here to download results.</a> "
+        subject = f"Reform Results - Download Deadline: {deadline_str}"
+        msg = Message(subject, sender='reform@nyu.edu', recipients=[email])
+        msg.html = f"""Reform job complete. 
+                       <a href='https://reform.bio.nyu.edu/download/{timestamp}'>Click here to download results</a>. 
+                       The file will be available for the next 72 hours. 
+                       The deadline to download the file is {deadline_str}. 
+                       If you do not download the file before this time, it will be deleted."""
         mail.send(msg)
 
 
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
index e91dcfb..32e52df 100644
--- a/run.sh
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ mkdir -p ./downloads/$timestamp
 echo "tar cf - ./results/$timestamp/ | pigz  > ./downloads/$timestamp/reformed.tar.gz"
 tar cf - ./results/$timestamp/ | pigz > ./downloads/$timestamp/reformed.tar.gz
 
+# remove results folder
+echo "rm -Rf ./results/$timestamp"
+rm -Rf ./results/$timestamp/
+
 echo "########################################"
 echo "[$(date "+%D %T")] END $timestamp"
 echo "########################################"