Regular clean ups in WordPress can keep you website moving at a faster pace and can keep the back-up files smaller. If you have used WordPress for quite some time, you probably need to clean your site. Here's how you can get better performance from cleaning up WordPress.

<h2>Start with a Backup</h2>

Before you do anything else, you need to do a complete WordPress backup. This helps to protect you in the event of a mistake. Once you use the clean-up plugin, the results are irreversible, so having a backup gives you a bit of peace of mind.

<h2>Using the WP-Sweep Plugin for WordPress</h2>

The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-sweep/">WP-Sweep Plugin</a> is a great choice for cleaning up your WordPress website. It's easy to use and provides the necessary options for getting more out of your site. 

Start by installing and activating the plugin. Once you have done this, you can access it by going to <strong>Tools&gt;&gt;Sweep</strong>. This is where you will go to clean up your WordPress database.

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ToolsSweep.png" alt="Tools Sweep" width="157" height="208" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8093" />

From this page, you will have the option to sweep multiple items, such as posts, comments, users, term, database and more.

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SweepPage.png" alt="Sweep Page" width="1110" height="381" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8094" />

The plugin analyzes everything within your WordPress database and provides you with a report of all the clutter. You can clean it a little at a time or you can clean it all at once. The Sweep All option at the bottom of the page allows you to sweep everything all at once. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SweepAll.png" alt="Sweep All" width="774" height="157" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8095" />

This option is the fastest way to clean your WordPress database with just one click. Once you have done it, you will notice your site loads faster because there isn't nearly as much clutter.

The actual cleaning of your database may take a bit of time, depending on the size. You should make sure to clean your database often. This plugin will clean many things including:
<ul>
<li>Revisions</li>
<li>Auto Drafts</li>
<li>Orphaned Meta</li>
<li>Comments</li>
<li>Unused Terms</li>
<li>Duplicated Content</li>
<li>Transient Options</li>
<li>And more!</li>
</ul>
If your site is slow or you believe you may need to clean it, use the WP-Sweep plugin for a better performing WordPress website.
