Storage Sense is the only cleanup tool most people actually need

• Set it once and let Windows handle the cleanup for you
• Search “Settings”

Select “System”

Select “Storage”

Set the Storage toggle to On

If your main reason for installing a cleanup app is to free up space, Windows already has a better solution built in. Storage Sense is designed to automatically clear out the stuff that actually clogs up your drive over time. That includes temporary files, system cache, items sitting in your Recycle Bin, and even old files in your Downloads folder if you want it to. It’s basically replacing what most “disk cleaner” apps claim to do, just without the ads, upsells, or questionable scan results trying to scare you into clicking something.

The best part is you don’t have to keep running it manually. Head to Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense. From there, you can choose how often it runs, what it cleans up, and how aggressive you want it to be. I usually set it to run automatically and clear out temporary files and anything that’s been sitting in the Recycle Bin for a while, but leave Downloads alone. Once it’s set, it just does its job in the background, which is exactly what a cleanup tool should’ve been doing all along.

Startup Apps is the fastest way to fix slow boot times

Turn off what you don’t need and get your desktop back faster.

A slow boot usually isn’t a mystery. It’s almost always too many apps trying to launch at the same time when Windows starts. Cloud sync tools, chat apps, game launchers, random utilities you forgot you installed. They all pile on, and suddenly your PC feels sluggish before you’ve even opened anything. This is exactly the kind of problem cleanup apps love to “fix,” but Windows already gives you a clear, no-nonsense way to handle it.

Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc, click the Startup tab, and you’ll see a list of everything that launches when your PC boots. The “Startup impact” column is the giveaway. Anything marked High is a good place to start. Right-click and disable startup programs in Windows you don’t need running the second your PC turns on. You’re not uninstalling it, just telling it to stay out of the way until you actually need it.

You can also get there through Settings > Apps > Startup if you prefer a simpler toggle view. Either way, trimming this list down is one of the quickest, most noticeable ways to speed up your PC without installing a single extra tool.

Task Manager shows you what’s actually slowing down your PC

Look at CPU, memory, and disk usage to find the real problem.

When your PC feels slow, it’s easy to blame Windows or assume you need some kind of cleanup. Most of the time, it’s much simpler than that. One app or process is using more resources than it should. That’s exactly what Task Manager is built to show you. Instead of guessing or running a vague “scan,” you can see in real time what’s eating up your CPU, memory, or disk and deal with it directly.

Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc and make sure you’re on the Processes tab. If it looks too simple, click “More details” at the bottom. From there, click the CPU, Memory, or Disk column to sort by usage. The apps at the top are the ones putting the most strain on your system. If something looks out of place, like a browser tab using an unusual amount of memory or a background app constantly hitting your CPU, you’ve found your issue.

You can right-click and end the task if needed, or just close the app normally. This is why Task Manager is so useful. It replaces the guesswork with real data, which is something cleanup apps don’t actually do better.