Last week you took steps to safeguard your privacy online and on your electronic devices. But caring for your electronic presence involves ongoing housekeeping, too. After all, It’s easier to lose important information or compromise your operations if you’ve got a lot of junk files slowing down your PC or your tablet. Prepare for Clean Out Your Computer Day this coming Monday by purging the clutter, and note: much of the sorting and deleting can be done while watching television, including certain sporting events that may be occurring this coming Sunday.

Wash
There is a wide range of computer cleanup software out there, but sometimes you need to start with the basics?defragmenting, ending automatic processes, and streamlining email, for example. Here, Gizmodo describes seven basic tasks to get your cleanup work started.

Rinse
If you’ve removed junk files and unnecessary processes, but you still feel like You’re overwhelmed by digital data, it may be time to overhaul your electronic filing system. This primer guides you through both basic and more advanced data organization and will help you organize your files into a system that works for you.

Repeat
You’ve probably run basic utility tools to defragment your hard drive and check for errors, but did you know you can set up a script to run these automatically? More advanced users will want to check out this LifeHacker article that explains how you can keep your computer in better running order throughout the year.