my $hashvar = {
               emp => {},
               hemp => {
                        splay => {},
                        hay   => {
                                  go => 1,
                                  ho => {},
                                  },
                        tay   => [],
                        may   => [ 'way' ],
                       },
               };

sub HashClean {
    my ($hashref) = @_;
    if (ref ($hashref) eq "HASH") {
        foreach my $key (keys %$hashref) {
print "W $key\n";
            if (ref ($hashref->{$key}) eq "HASH") {
print "HR $key\n";
                if (keys (%{$hashvar->{$key}})) {
print "HC $key\n";
                    &HashClean($hashref->{$key});
                }#if
                else {
print "HD $key\n";
                    delete $hashref->{$key};
                }#else
            }#if
            if (ref $hashref->{$key} eq "ARRAY") {
print "AR $key\n";
                if ($#{$hashvar->{$key}}) {
print "AC $key $#{$hashvar->{$key}}\n";
                    &HashClean($hashref->{$key});
                }#if
                else {
print "AD $key\n";
                    delete $hashref->{$key};
                }#else
            }#if
        }#foreach
    }#if
    else {
        foreach my $key (@$hashref) {
            if (ref ($hashref->[$key]) eq "HASH") {
                if (keys (%{$hashvar->[$key]})) {
                    &HashClean($hashref->[$key]);
                }#if
                else {
#                    delete $hashref->[$key];
                }#else
            }#if
            if (ref $hashref->[$key] eq "ARRAY") {
                if ($#{$hashvar->[$key]}) {
                    &HashClean($hashref->[$key]);
                }#if
                else {
#                    delete $hashref->[$key];
                }#else
            }#if
        }#foreach
    }#else
}#sub

print Data::Dumper->Dump([$hashvar],[qw (::hashvar)]);

&HashClean($hashvar);

print Data::Dumper->Dump([$hashvar],[qw (::hashvar)]);