what similes buddha gave for removing defilments

"Just as in the last month of the Rains, in the autumn season when the crops are ripening, a cowherd would look after his cows: He would tap & poke & check & curb them with a stick on this side & that. Why is that? Because he foresees flogging or imprisonment or a fine or public censure arising from that [if he let his cows wander into the crops]. In the same way I foresaw in unskillful qualities drawbacks, degradation & defilement and I foresaw in skillful qualities rewards related to renunciation & promoting cleansing."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.019.than.html

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Just as a skilled carpenter or his apprentice would use a small peg to knock out, drive out, and pull out a large one; in the same way, if evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or delusion — arise in a monk while he is referring to and attending to a particular theme, he should attend to another theme, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful.

Just as a young woman — or man — fond of adornment, would be horrified, humiliated, and disgusted if the carcass of a snake or a dog or a human being were hung from her neck; in the same way, if evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or delusion — still arise in the monk while he is attending to this other theme, connected with what is skillful, he should scrutinize the drawbacks of those thoughts: 'Truly, these thoughts of mine are unskillful, these thoughts of mine are blameworthy, these thoughts of mine result in stress.'

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.020.than.html

SN 22.100 Gaddula Sutta: The Leash

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.100.than.html

"It's just as when a dog is tied by a leash to a post or stake: If it walks, it walks right around that post or stake. If it stands, it stands right next to that post or stake. If it sits, it sits right next to that post or stake. If it lies down, it lies down right next to that post or stake.

"In the same way, an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person regards form as: 'This is mine, this is my self, this is what I am.' He regards feeling... perception... fabrications... consciousness as: 'This is mine, this is my self, this is what I am.' If he walks, he walks right around these five clinging-aggregates. If he stands, he stands right next to these five clinging-aggregates. If he sits, he sits right next to these five clinging-aggregates. If he lies down, he lies down right next to these five clinging-aggregates. Thus one should reflect on one's mind with every moment: 'For a long time has this mind been defiled by passion, aversion, & delusion.' From the defilement of the mind are beings defiled. From the purification of the mind are beings purified.

There is a collection of similes at accesstoinsight.org. If you search for {defilements} you'll find them. You may also want to look for similar keywords like {craving}, {clinging}, {sensuality}, {fetters} ...

Similes for defilements:

• Barley reaper: {defilements} Miln II.1.8
• Boat being bailed out: {defilements} Dhp 369
• Rafters of house: {defilements} Dhp 153
• Reeds or rushes: destroyed by their own fruit {defilements} SN 3.23
• shedding its skin {defilements} Sn 1.1

Vammika Sutta - The Discourse on the Ant-hill [Similes for the spiritual training] (Majjhima Nikya 23/1:142-145)

http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/28.13-Vammika-S-m23-piya.pdf

Vammika Sutta is one of the most interesting discourses that reveals the Truth of Buddha's Dhamma in a simple, effective way and in unequivocal terms.

ON the impermanence of the body. ON the fifteen puzzling questions that the dazzling non-human put to the Buddha: "What is the anthill? What smokes by night? What flames by day? Who is the brahmin? Who is the sage? What is the tool? What is the digging? What is the bar? What is the frog? What is the forked passage? What is the strainer? What is the turtle? What is the meat cleaver? What is the joint of meat? What is the cobra?" ON the parable of the smouldering anthill; with the Buddha explaining: the anthill symbolizes the body; the smoke by night symbolizes thought; flames by day symbolize words and actions; the brahmin symbolizes an enlightened being; the sage symbolizes the monk; the tool symbolizes wisdom; digging symbolizes effort; the bar symbolizes ignorance; the frog symbolizes passion and anger; the forked passage symbolizes doubt; the strainer symbolizes the five hindrances (passion, ill-will, indolence, anxiety, and doubt); the turtle symbolizes clinging to worldly things (the five aggregates: form, feelings, perceptions, formation, and consciousness); the meat cleaver symbolizes the pleasures of the five senses; the joint of meat symbolizes passion and delight; the cobra symbolizes those who have extinguished all desires.

MN 7 - Vatthupama Sutta: The Simile of the Cloth

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.007.nypo.html

With a simple simile, in this sutta, the Buddha illustrates the difference between a defiled mind and a pure mind. According to the Vatthupama Sutta in the Majjhimanikaya,2 the Buddha says that the cloth that is stained and dirty cannot be properly dyed because the cloth is not clean. Even so when the mind is stained or defiled a bad destination is to be expected. On the contrary when the cloth is quite clean and pure that can be dyed in bright colours. Even so when one's mind is not stained with defilements a happy destination may be expected a good bourne. That is the simile given in this Sutta to explain detachment.