I have to admit that I’m not someone who is typically good at keeping my home clean. Clutter tends to find me. Recently I’ve gotten on a cleaning spree and the clutter has decreased. I’ve also found some pretty cool things in the cleaning including my father’s and grandparents’ wedding rings.

If you thought I was going to write about house cleaning, think again. While I’ve done a good job recently, I’m no expect. Instead I want to talk about cleaning up your hard drive. It can also become cluttered over time.

Let’s start with the folder where you save downloaded files. When I look in my downloads folder, I sometimes find 4-5 different versions of software. Only the most recent version is needed so I make sure to delete the older ones. You might also find something that sounded interested, but isn’t something you want to keep. Every few months you should go through this folder and clean out the extra files.

Now move to the folders where you store documents, drawings, photos and other data. Are there files you no longer need? Some files you will likely want to delete. Other data that you don’t feel you’ll need often can be archived and removed from your hard drive. Keep your drives clean and your system will perform better.

Even if you can only find 10-15 minutes a week to clean up unneeded files, you’ll be able to do a good job staying on top of it. Put an appointment on your calendar and keep your drive clean!