This article is focused on the digital cleaning of your computer. It is still important to physically keep it cleaned as well. Keep a can of compressed air nearby to keep your computer and accessories free of dust. A damp cloth can be used to wipe down the computer case as well if it needs it.
Cleaning your computer is just as important as cleaning your house is. If it is not done on a regular basis junk will build up. Cleaning your computer is not hard either. Here are some simple tasks you can do to clean your computer:
- Empty your Recycle Bin
- Run Disk Cleanup
- Clear your browser cache
- Clear the temp folder of temp files
- Delete unneeded downloads in your Downloads folder
I know you really want to know how often you should be doing this. I generally like to divide tasks up into weekly and monthly tasks. For the weekly tasks, I suggest you focus on the quick tasks such as emptying out the Recycle Bin and removing unneeded downloads from your download folder (do this first as the files will end up in the Recycle Bin). For the monthly tasks, you will want to perform a deeper clean of your system. This includes cleaning out temp files and browser cache. Most of these tasks can be done by running Windows’ built-in Disk Cleanup utility or a 3rd party tool such as CCleaner. 3rd party tools will generally clean up more files than the Disk Cleanup utility.
There are also more advanced tasks that can be run to clean your system and improve system performance, such as cleaning the system registry, but with these tasks, I recommend you consult with an IT professional.
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