diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 08b7b97..0bd65dc 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+# Add patterns in here to exclude files created by tools integrated with this
+# repository, such as test frameworks from the project's recommended workflow,
+# rendered documentation and package builds.
+#
+# Don't add patterns to exclude files created by preferred personal tools
+# (editors, IDEs, your operating system itself even). These should instead be
+# maintained outside the repository, for example in a ~/.gitignore file added
+# with:
+#
+# git config --global core.excludesfile '~/.gitignore'
+
+# Bytecompiled Python
 *.py[cod]
 
 # C extensions
@@ -32,11 +44,6 @@ nosetests.xml
 # Translations
 *.mo
 
-# Mr Developer
-.mr.developer.cfg
-.project
-.pydevproject
-
 # Complexity
 output/*.html
 output/*/index.html
@@ -48,11 +55,6 @@ doc/build
 AUTHORS
 ChangeLog
 
-# Editors
-*~
-.*.swp
-.*sw?
-
 # Cookiecutter
 output/
 boilerplate/
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/.gitignore b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/.gitignore
index 490f3ce..b0dbe83 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/.gitignore
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+# Add patterns in here to exclude files created by tools integrated with this
+# repository, such as test frameworks from the project's recommended workflow,
+# rendered documentation and package builds.
+#
+# Don't add patterns to exclude files created by preferred personal tools
+# (editors, IDEs, your operating system itself even). These should instead be
+# maintained outside the repository, for example in a ~/.gitignore file added
+# with:
+#
+# git config --global core.excludesfile '~/.gitignore'
+
 AUTHORS
 ChangeLog
 build
@@ -8,10 +19,7 @@ npm-debug.log
 releasenotes/build
 {{ cookiecutter.module_name }}/test/.secret_key_store
 .coverage*
-.idea
 .jshintrc
-.project
-.pydevproject
 .settings
 .tox
 .venv
@@ -19,5 +27,4 @@ releasenotes/build
 *.lock
 *.mo
 *.py[cod]
-*.swp
 *nose_results.html