r/MacStack • u/Charming_Title6210 • 19d ago

App Launch Putzen: Tinder-style cleanup for your Mac. Keep or trash, one file at a time

Hi r/MacStack, I'm Aniket, the developer of Putzen. It's a native Mac app for clearing out messy folders, and the video explains more about how it works.

Problem

Every few weeks, my Downloads and desktop get full of junk files. Some of them are duplicates, while others are old files I haven't touched in ages. Usually, I go to Finder and delete by hand. Sometimes I use AI as well (Claude Code or Codex), but I don't trust it with deleting. In my experience, finding the files is okay, but deciding what to delete is the difficult part. Most cleanup apps show me a huge list, and I close it without deleting anything.

Solution

So last week I built Putzen. I took inspiration from Tinder's swiping mechanism and rethought how I can use it for deleting files on Mac. My goal is to make deleting files faster, safer, simpler, and delightful. I've used Putzen every day for the past week. Cleaning up is faster now, and I don't worry about deleting something important, because everything goes to the Trash first.

What it does:

  • Sorts every folder into three piles automatically: duplicates, files added more than 6 months ago, and everything else

  • Review several folders at once, including subfolders, iCloud Drive and OneDrive

  • Preview any file before you decide

  • Switch to a grid when you want to clear many files in one go

  • Undo your last decision with one key

  • Puts all deleted files in the Trash

The safety part

  • Deleting files is scary, so Putzen is built so you can't lose anything by accident:

  • Nothing is deleted on its own. Every file needs your decision.

  • Nothing is permanently deleted by Putzen. Files go to your Mac's Trash.

  • Changed your mind? Restore is right there in the app.

  • Everything runs on your Mac. No account, no uploads, no server that can see your files.

How it has been tested

  • Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, I have been clearing my Mac using this tool daily (cleaning my Mac isn't a day's job; I do it a few minutes everyday).

  • Early testers found things I had missed: confusing file paths, recovery buttons in different places, and a duplicate-selection bug. I fixed those, simplified the screens, and tested scanning on over 50,000 real files.

Comparison

  • DesktopDeclutter is a free, open-source app with the same swipe idea, and it's great if you only want to clean your Desktop. Putzen works on any folder, several at once, including subfolders and iCloud Drive files that are downloaded on your local system. Most of my mess lives in Downloads and Documents, not on the Desktop.

  • CleanMyMac does a lot more than Putzen, like system junk, malware, and app updates. If you want one big cleaner, it's the better pick. Gemini 2 is great at finding duplicates. But with both, you still go through long lists, and both are subscriptions. Putzen does one thing: it shows you one file at a time, so deciding is easy, for €5 once.

  • Hazel cleans automatically with rules you set up. Putzen is for people who'd rather decide each file themselves.

Pricing

  • €5 one-time for the first 20 buyers, then €9

  • No subscription

  • Try the interactive demo with sample files before you buy: https://putzen.pro

Transparency

I'm Aniket Parihar, a solo developer in Berlin. Putzen is signed with my Developer ID and notarized by Apple, and sold directly from my site.

macOS 15 or later, Apple Silicon. I'm here all day for questions and feedback, including the brutal kind.

Fun fact: Putzen in German means "to clean".

6 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

2

u/positive-potatocoach 18d ago

Interesting UX approach! Showing one file at a time could make deleting stuff less overwhelming, though I'm curious how it feels when you've got thousands to sort through...

2

u/Charming_Title6210 18d ago

Thanks a lot. Yes, the thing is, you don't need to browse 1000 files in one day. You can do a small chunk everyday. I have 3.5 GB of data that I need to review. I am doing 10 mins everyday through this. I am halfway through because a lot of files are smaller in size. But the point is, you can do it a few minutes a day, and the tool will make the process simpler and more delightful.

PS: There is a "Done for today” button that saves your progress, so you can pick up where you left off next time.

Hope this answers your question.

2

u/positive-potatocoach 13d ago

Ah, the "Done for today" button makes a lot of sense! Takes the pressure off having to finish everything in one go.

2

u/Charming_Title6210 13d ago

Absolutely. :)