Smart Digital Spring-Cleaning Tips

With Digital Cleanup Day set for March 19 and spring-cleaning season almost here, it's the perfect time to get your digital house in order.

 

You may be surprised to learn that the internet and its supporting systems contribute to the production of 90 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. That's a lot of trashed files sitting on server backups in the cloud, consuming electricity.

 

From managing old contacts and apps and checking your privacy settings to updating passwords on your smart home devices and reviewing online subscriptions, a digital cleanse may be just what you need to re-emerge this spring with a fresh tech start.

 

 

If your desk has turned into a clutter of cords, you're not alone. With the average family carrying around at least 10 devices, anything that can organize the “I-need-to-charge" chaos is welcome. The ChargeHub X5 from Limitless Innovations provides five USB ports to deliver a powerful charge to smartphones, tablets, gaming devices and headsets from just one outlet. You'll eliminate excess cables, multiple plug usage and clunky power strips for good.

 

Between old emails, outdated apps and bursts of selfies you might never post, your phone and computer are more than primed for a clean sweep. Spend some time deleting games you tired of long ago, apps you impulsively downloaded and never used, programs you haven't opened in years and massive files taking up valuable storage space. Programs like MacKeeper and Avast Cleanup can run a usage check to help you come up with a get-rid-of-it game plan.

 

Run a Safety Check

 

Proactively protecting your tech and data is a must-add to your springtime to-do list. Back up your phone and devices, check your privacy settings on your wifi and social networks and review permissions on all your apps. Make it a rainy-day task and the security scrubbing will be time well spent.

 

 

The number of email users is set to grow to 4.6 billion by 2025, which means we may never get to Inbox Zero. Nonetheless, you can get your email accounts in check by deleting defunct ones, organizing messages by thread, and deleting ones you no longer need (and then emptying the trash).

Do Away with Those “Just-In-Cases"

 

When it comes to a closet clean-out, experts advise you purge items you haven't worn in a year. The same applies to your digital world. Unsubscribe from newsletters you've let pile up in your in-box.

 

 

Even though many of our favorite subscription services may only cost a few dollars a month, they can quickly add up. Apps like TrueBill will help you take a quick assessment of your subscriptions, and can either unsubscribe or negotiate fees on your behalf.

 

 

Much-needed digital copies of your driver's license, family birth certificates and passports, immunization records, insurance policies and other important documents not be left to linger aimlessly in your photo album or on a random folder on your laptop. Apps like ScannerPro, Genius Scan and SwiftScan make digitizing, storing, then searching for documents you deem valuable quick and easy.

 

 

If your mouse is starting to function erratically, it's most likely time for a deep cleaning. Here's a step-by-step to sprucing it up:

 

• Unplug the mouse from the USB or PS/2 port (if the latter, shut down the computer before unplugging it).
• Clean the top and bottom of the mouse with a cotton cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol.
• If you have a mechanical mouse, turn the ball-cover ring counter-clockwise and repeat the same cleanup on the ball and the insides.
• Allow all parts to fully dry before reassembling and reconnecting.

 

 

While you're busy getting your tech in order, you might want to do a full sweep of your surroundings, with an assist from smart home devices. Just a few examples: The iRobot Roomba i3+ uses a reactive to senses dirt and attacks it. The nooks and crannies of your keyboard are no match for the Numi Cordless Air Duster, while the SmartKlear Smart Phone Screen Cleaner lets you safely and effectively rid your smartphone and handheld screens of fingerprints, facial oils and germs.