I usually have cleaned them up after they dried for a week, when I cut off the yellow tops. But in fact I agree, it is a lot harder! and more time consuming to do it.
One thing I also noticed after the bulbs had sat for an hour or two before cleaning, that in the humid conditions of the day, the yellowed lower leaves were quite mushy and wet... I think getting rid of them quickly was the best plan, and by stripping down the last leaf it was easy and quick to pull it down to a clean wrapper.
I didn't find any wireworms this time (although a few bites which look like their work), just a bunch of spiders, one worm, a green and yellow striped caterpillar, and some very tiny thing bit me really hard
before I squashed it beyond recognition.
Incidentally, we had 33 mm of rain by last midnight instead of the 8 mm forecast, and the garlic still in the field seems to be loving it. The scapes are lifting their heads and I do believe they will mostly go upright after all.
Hopefully the soil will dry a bit before it's time to harvest the purple stripes and Spanish Roja.