How to Do a Deep Clean on Mac (Advanced Methods)
Beyond Basic Cleanup
After clearing caches, Trash, and Downloads, advanced methods can free another 10-30GB. These require more technical knowledge but are safe when done correctly.
Remove Time Machine Local Snapshots
macOS stores Time Machine snapshots locally. Check with: tmutil listlocalsnapshots /. Delete specific snapshots: tmutil deletelocalsnapshots [date]. Can free 5-20GB.
Reclaim Mac finds and removes junk files automatically.
Clear Xcode and Developer Data
Delete DerivedData: rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData. Remove old device support: ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport. Clean Archives: ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives. Developer cleanup alone can free 20-50GB.
Delete iOS Backups
Old iPhone/iPad backups in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync can use 5-50GB each. Delete through Finder (connect device > Manage Backups) or System Settings > Storage.
Rebuild Spotlight Index
A bloated Spotlight index wastes 1-5GB. Rebuild: sudo mdutil -E /. Takes 30-60 minutes but can reduce index size.
Delete Sleep Image and Disable Hibernation
sudo rm /private/var/vm/sleepimage frees RAM-sized space (8-32GB). Then: sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0 prevents recreation. Note: risk of data loss if battery dies during sleep.
Automated Deep Clean
Reclaim Mac finds most of these hidden files automatically. Run it first — it catches the common deep clean targets without needing Terminal knowledge.
Clean your Mac in 60 seconds
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