Written by Michelle Wong - Marketing Specialist
What is National Clean Out Your Computer Day?
National Clean Out Your Computer Day was started in 2000 as an initiative of the Institute for Business Technology and falls on the second Monday in February.
The event promotes taking time out of your day to do some basic housekeeping on your computer, such as backing up your computer, organizing your files and folders, updating software, and removing unused files.
Consider it an early start to spring cleaning. Just like any other cleaning or tidying up task, don’t get overwhelmed by trying to do it all at once, break it down into manageable chunks and just start with something easy, like deleting your folder of screenshots.
Before you delete any files, it’s a good idea to make sure you have a backup of your data, just in case!
And don’t forget about wiping the outside of your device, cleaning the screen and keyboard (say goodbye to fingerprints and keyboard crumbs).
Clean Out Your Computer Day for IT Providers & MSPs
IT Providers and MSPs can use Clean Out Your Computer Day to remind end users to create positive digital habits and walk them through how to perform a digital declutter. Below are some tips to show your clients and end users how to observe Clean Out Your Computer Day.
How to Celebrate
- Backup your computer, including files & folders, documents, and photos
- Organize your folders, documents, and bookmarks (close some of those dozens of internet browser tabs)
- Free up space by deleting or archiving files that you don’t need or don’t use
- Uninstall all the programs you no longer need or use
- Update software to the latest versions
- Tidy up your desktop and downloads folder (and delete all the screenshots and files you don’t need anymore)
Why is it Important?
National #CleanOutYourComputerDay is another reminder to help us create good digital and cyber hygiene habits. Cleaning up and tidying our personal and work computers can help us:
- Keep organized – making everything easier to find which will ultimately save time over the coming year
- Make our computers run faster – by deleting unnecessary files and uninstalling unused applications
- Give us peace of mind – by making sure our important files are properly saved and backed up, either locally or to the cloud, or both.
Below is a checklist and some additional references and resources about Clean Out Your Computer Day.
More 2025 IT Holidays + Free Marketing Resources
Check out our blog post on 2025 IT Holidays for more cybersecurity awareness days, and download our free marketing resources to help educate your end users about how they can stay safe in our digital world.
References:
- https://nationaltoday.com/national-clean-out-your-computer-day/
- https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/clean-out-your-computer-day/
- https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-clean-out-your-computer-day-second-monday-in-february
