You know it’s warm when it’s a time accompanied by cleaning. And here in Toronto, you especially know it’s hit when people are perpetually complaining about the weather, crazed over the rain, and silently urging for sunshine that has yet to announce itself.

But when it all comes back to cleaning, there’s a purge that occurs. Everything from clothing to decorations, beauty to anything in excess, is fair game. The same goes for your computer and all of your interwebular contents. I’m narrowing it down to email.

In le part deux of my sponsored Hotmail coverage for pre-summer, I’m going to chatter (no pun, no pun) away about the daunting email inbox. Truth be told, I have hardships when it comes to logging into my now near 9 year old inbox – there’s so. much. email.

Every time I log in I wonder if I still have my password down pact (you know how it is when you clear your cache – your password sometimes flows with it). I do an initial skim when I’m in. 70 emails, many of which are Facebook notifications (my Hotmail is my go-to email for social networks, Windows Live Messenger, and yes, my membership to the Michael Copon fanclub from five years ago). Here are a few steps to rid myself of that unread messages anxiety:

1. Check those Senders: Sort to see who is sending you what, and what is coming from what. What? Yes – you heard me with my winding sentences. I single out the unread messages first, then check on the ones that look most pressing first
2. Windows Live Hotmail Sweep: Using the “sweep” menu at the top of your Hotmail inbox, there are key bulk functions that make life so much easier. Like “delete all from” and “move all from”. That and it has my favourite feature of any software or technology – pleasant loading messages (they use “We’re running as fast as we can”)
3. File it Away: File folders aren’t just a thing of the cabinet – be liberal with your folder usage, it’s a merry tool. I’ll often (if not almost always) use conditional rules to automatically file the goods away. It’s basically keeping smart inboxes within your overall one. Alleviating a little less categorization in your day is a good thing. No, a very good thing.
4. Purge with all your might: Be ruthless and decisive when it comes to your inbox. It’s yours (unless you generously share it with your cat, because in that case, not so much). When I can easily identify something as a bot email or it’s a pitch from someone that’s subscribed me unwillingly to a newsletter, I delete all and block for future (Apple Mail’s got nothing on that). Another fantastical feature? The fact that Hotmail not only confirms with you your action, but makes suggestions:Wow, you’ve got a very clean inbox! (Did you know you can receive messages from other email accounts?)

Shucks, thanks Hotmail. You have me all fluttery in my digital insides.

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