Sifting through folders can take a while, especially if you’re doing it manually with a search bar, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll find everything. Type in the name of old projects, or keywords where duplicates of older versions of files could be found, like “draft” or “copy.”īe sure to check the dates on the files to make sure they’re actually duplicates before deleting them. This strategy is most efficient when you sort the files by Name. Now you can search through documents, photos, music or other file types.
Here’s how to clean up these files on Mac with the Smart Folder tool.Ĭlick the + button in the upper-right corner. Whether you use your Mac device for school, work or daily life, you’re bound to have old drafts and duplicates of temporary files, photos, music, and other junk files. In the Trash window, click Empty in the top-right corner.Ĭlick Empty Trash to complete the process. Permanently delete these files to prevent them from taking up space on your Mac’s hard drive. Those old files you deleted a while ago are still hanging around in your Trash. Just make sure not to clean up Mac system files, which are needed for your operating system to properly function.
Review your files and click Delete to remove files and free up space. Here, you’ll see an overview of every file in every category (Applications, Trash, Documents, and so on). Next to the Reduce Clutter feature, click Review Files. Go to the Apple Menu and click About This Mac.Ĭlick Storage to see how much free space is left on your computer. Reduce clutterĭevices with macOS Sierra and later versions have a great feature to conveniently manage files that are bogging down your hard drive. You have to dig into folders, scroll around, and delete unnecessary files on your Mac. And just like a messy room, the best way to clean a cluttered device is to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Your Mac is a lot like a bedroom or desk - it can quickly get jumbled with things you don’t need. Here’s how to manually clean up your MacBook Pro, iMac, or any other Mac device: Clean up files on Mac The real key is to make sure you don't use the compressed air too close to the device.Manually performing a hard drive or disk cleanup on your Mac will free up space and leave you with a squeaky clean MacBook that runs as smooth as it looks. Apple has a handy guide to using compressed air on your Mac laptop. Compressed air is some of the best stuff to use to blow out unwanted dirt and dust from your keyboard keys. The butterfly keyboards on Mac laptops have been known to have issues with crumbs getting underneath the switches. Of course, keeping your keyboard clean is of the utmost importance. Make sure when you use them, you only get the cloth lightly damp and do your best to keep moisture away from any ports. They really are the must-have cleaning tool in your arsenal.
It's important to be cleaning your MacBook regularly to help prevent any annoying issues down the line and to ensure you aren't spreading germs and bacteria as much as you can.Īpple recommends the only type of cloth you use to clean your Mac laptops is lint-free, soft Microfiber cloths. Something you might overlook, however, is cleaning supplies. A lot of the best Macbook Pro and MacBook Air accessories that you can consider to ensure you get the most out of your device. Just using a laptop out of the box isn't going to be the best experience for most people. You might need to use a couple of these sheets to thoroughly wipe down the exterior each time you clean, which is why getting 100 at once is a smart idea.
Clean under your keys: Dust Off Compressed air (4-pack).Wipe it down: Amazon Basics microfiber cloths.
Note: Before using any cleaning product on your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, make sure you have powered down the laptop. If you want to avoid repairs and keep your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro looking clean and tidy, here are some essential tools for cleaning your MacBook. It doesn't matter how great our review of the MacBook Pro with M1 chip makes the computer out to be if you let it get dirty and stop functionally properly. If you don't, you risk gunk and grime getting into sensitive parts of the hardware, which in turn, could cost you money to repair. From the oils on your hands to the dust in the air, you'll need to spend some time every few weeks cleaning your MacBook. Whether you want to believe it or not, your MacBook Pro keyboard is likely going to get dirty.