DiskDudeA ten-minute monthly checklist to keep your Mac from filling up
Most storage problems are the same handful of folders growing back. A short routine once a month keeps them in check.
Clearing a full drive takes an afternoon. Keeping it from filling again takes ten minutes a month, because the space almost always goes to the same places. Here is a routine that catches them.
1. Empty the Trash
Deleted files still take space until the Trash is emptied. Open it, check there is nothing you need, and empty it. If you want this to happen automatically, turn on Finder → Settings → Advanced → Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.
2. Clear Downloads
Sort ~/Downloads by date and delete anything older than a month that you have not moved somewhere else. Installers, disk images, and zip files are safe to remove once the app is installed or the archive is extracted.
3. Run a scan
Scan your home folder in DiskDude. The scan takes a few seconds and the Treemap shows the largest folders at a glance. Compare it with last month: anything that has grown noticeably is worth a look.
If you saved a Snapshot last month, DiskDude can show exactly which folders changed and by how much.
4. Check the usual suspects
Four folders grow back on nearly every Mac.
~/Library/Caches— safe to clear. Apps rebuild it.~/Library/Developer— if you use Xcode, deleteDerivedDataand old device support folders.~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker— if you use Docker, rundocker system prune.~/Library/Mail— if it is large, set Mail to download attachments only for recent messages.
5. Look at the Age map
Open the Age map view and look at the oldest band. Files you have not touched in a year are candidates to move to an external drive or delete. Large video exports and old project folders show up here first.
6. Check Applications
Open the Applications view and sort by last used. Uninstall apps you have not opened in six months. DiskDude removes their leftover files at the same time.
7. Save a snapshot
Save a Snapshot of the scan so next month you have something to compare against. Growth is easier to spot than size.
What this routine skips
It does not touch system folders, the Photos library, or Time Machine snapshots. Those need a decision rather than a routine. If your drive is still tight after the checklist, the Photos library is the next place to look.
Ten minutes a month is usually enough to keep a drive under 80 percent full, which is where macOS starts to slow down and warn you.