> ## Content Index
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> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Automating Mac Maintenance
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/automating-mac-maintenance/
- Published: 2026-10-26T20:10:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-26T20:09:59.000Z
- Description: Claude Code quickly helped me take another manual task off my plate.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Claude, GitHub, AI, Automation, Macs, Apple, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft

Try driving your car daily for four years without changing the oil or aligning the tires. I'm no mechanic, but you'll experience a slew of problems. I could draw the same analogy with a dentist or a doctor, but you get my drift.

By the same token, it's essential to perform regular maintenance on your computer. Yes, I have just stated the obvious, but I routinely meet folks oblivious to basic tech upkeep. (My favorite line: “I didn't know that they made viruses for Apple devices.”)

After more than 40 years using a computer pretty much every day, I know how to properly care for my MacBook Pro. This means: 

- Properly installing and removing software.
- [Regularly updating it](https://www.philsimon.com/keep-your-mac-apps-up-to-date/),
- Clearing caches.
- And the like.

Against this backdrop, I was shocked the other day when [Mole](https://github.com/tw93/mole?ref=philsimon.com) returned the following information: 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2026/10/mole_log.jpeg)

Mole Output, October 19, 2026 | Click on the image to enlarge it.

In a word, *ick*. 

I eschew the *current* version of Microsoft Teams, never mind its antecedent. In a different era, I would set a reminder to manually run this cleanup job every week. The better, more contemporary approach involves creating a simple `launchd` job that runs early in the morning every Monday. 

> Lots of wasted space on programs that I no longer use.

Thanks to [my bestie Claude Code](https://www.philsimon.com/why-im-all-in-on-claude/), I was able to do just that. 

## Have at It

I'm releasing this little time-saver as a public repo on GitHub. 

[GET THE REPO](https://github.com/philsimon/mole-maintenance?ref=philsimon.com)

[The AI Assistant Apple Should Have ShippedAs it turns out, a better, more reliable Siri already exists.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/icon/300br-1-37e1f3fd-8599-4962-822a-ee9ed213793b.png)Phil SimonPhil Simon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/thumbnail/a_chatbot_conversation_with_a_person-025ba760-4f1b-4352-9edf-1ac8d7b23696.jpg)](https://www.philsimon.com/the-ai-assistant-apple-should-have-shipped/)

## Simon Says

If you can think it these days, you're probably able to build it. What a fantastic time to be a citizen developer.