How to Clean Up Mailbox Space in Outlook

Introduction

Over time, your Outlook mailbox can become cluttered with emails, attachments, and other data, leading to reduced performance and storage issues. This guide will provide you with effective methods to clean up your mailbox space in Outlook, ensuring smooth and efficient email management.

Check Your Mailbox Size

Before you start cleaning up, it's helpful to know how much space you're using.

Step 1: Check Mailbox Size in Outlook

Open Outlook.
Click on the "File" tab.
Select "Info" and then click on "Tools" > "Mailbox Cleanup."
Click "View Mailbox Size" to see the size of your mailbox and individual folders.

Delete Unnecessary Emails

Step 1: Sort and Filter Emails

Open your inbox.
Use the sort and filter options to find large or old emails.
- Sort by "Size" to find large emails.
- Sort by "Date" to find old emails.

Step 2: Delete Emails

Select the emails you no longer need.
Right-click and choose "Delete" or press the Delete key.

Use the Cleanup Tools

Step 1: Run Mailbox Cleanup

Click the "File" tab.
Select "Info" and then click on "Tools" > "Mailbox Cleanup."
Choose options such as:
- "Find items older than" to locate old emails.
- "Find items larger than" to find large emails.
- "View Mailbox Size" to see detailed folder sizes.

Step 2: Clean Up Conversation

Open your inbox.
Select the "Home" tab.
Click "Clean Up" in the "Delete" group.
Choose "Clean Up Conversation" to remove redundant messages.

Archive Old Emails

Step 1: Manual Archiving

Click the "File" tab.
Select "Info" and then click "Tools" > "Clean up old items."
Choose "Archive this folder and all subfolders."
Select a date to archive items older than that date.
Choose a location to save the archive file and click "OK."

Step 2: Access Archived Emails

Click the "File" tab.
Select "Open & Export" > "Open Outlook Data File."
Browse to the archive file location and open it.

Manage Attachments

Step 1: Save and Remove Attachments

Open an email with attachments.
Right-click the attachment and choose "Save As" to save it to your computer.
After saving, right-click the attachment again and choose "Remove Attachment."

Step 2: Use the Attachment Tools

Go to the "File" tab.
Select "Info" and then click "Tools" > "Mailbox Cleanup."
Click "Find items with attachments" to locate emails with large attachments.

Auto-Archive Settings

Step 1: Configure Auto-Archive

Click the "File" tab.
Select "Options" > "Advanced."
Under "AutoArchive," click "AutoArchive Settings."
Choose how often to run AutoArchive, select folders, and configure settings.
Click "OK" to save changes.

Empty Deleted Items and Junk Email Folders

Step 1: Empty Deleted Items

Right-click the "Deleted Items" folder.
Select "Empty Folder."

Step 2: Empty Junk Email

Right-click the "Junk Email" folder.
Select "Empty Folder."

Additional Tips

Use Search Folders: Create custom search folders to find specific types of emails (e.g., large emails, old emails).
Organize with Folders: Move important emails to specific folders to keep your inbox clean.
Unsubscribe from Newsletters: Reduce incoming email volume by unsubscribing from unnecessary newsletters and promotions.