How to Empty Deleted Items in Outlook
Outlook is a widely used email client that offers a variety of features to manage your emails, contacts, and calendars. One of the common issues users face is the accumulation of deleted items in the Deleted Items folder, which can lead to unnecessary clutter and reduced efficiency. In this article, we will guide you through the process of emptying deleted items in Outlook to help you maintain a clean and organized mailbox.
Method 1: Manually Emptying Deleted Items
The simplest way to empty deleted items in Outlook is by manually deleting them. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Open Microsoft Outlook and navigate to the Deleted Items folder.
2. Select all the items you want to delete by clicking on the first item and then pressing the Shift key while clicking on the last item.
3. Right-click on the selected items and choose “Delete.”
4. A confirmation dialog box will appear. Click “Yes” to confirm the deletion.
5. The selected items will be moved to the Deleted Items folder, and you can now manually delete them by following the same steps mentioned above.
Method 2: Emptying Deleted Items Using the Empty Folder Option
Outlook provides a convenient option to empty the Deleted Items folder directly. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Open Microsoft Outlook and navigate to the Deleted Items folder.
2. Click on the “File” menu at the top left corner of the window.
3. Select “Empty Deleted Items Folder” from the dropdown menu.
4. A confirmation dialog box will appear. Click “Yes” to confirm the deletion of all items in the Deleted Items folder.
Method 3: Using the Deleted Items Cleanup Feature
Outlook also offers a feature called “Deleted Items Cleanup” that automatically removes items older than a specified date. Here’s how you can use it:
1. Open Microsoft Outlook and navigate to the Deleted Items folder.
2. Click on the “File” menu at the top left corner of the window.
3. Select “Properties” from the dropdown menu.
4. In the “Properties” dialog box, go to the “Deleted Items” tab.
5. Check the box next to “Delete items older than [X] days” and specify the number of days you want to keep the deleted items.
6. Click “OK” to save the changes.
7. Outlook will automatically remove the deleted items older than the specified date.
By following these methods, you can effectively empty deleted items in Outlook and maintain a clean and organized mailbox. Regularly clearing out the Deleted Items folder will help you save space and improve the overall performance of your Outlook account.
