Many Arch Linux users face frustrating slowdowns from maxed-out RAM and CPU. The solution isn't blindly running cleaner apps, but diagnosing the actual resource hogs. Start with htop to identify which processes are consuming the most resources. Common culprits include memory leaks in desktop environments like KDE Plasma or GNOME, and browser tabs that act as RAM vampires.

Before cleaning files, you must find the active problem. Background services like baloo_file or tracker-miner indexing services can drain resources. System logs (journalctl) may also grow uncontrollably. The critical insight: freeing disk space won't fix a runaway process eating 4GB of RAM. You need to target the specific application or service causing the bottleneck.

Once identified, address the culprit directly. Restart a leaking desktop environment, reduce browser tabs, or disable unnecessary background services. For long-term maintenance, automate cache cleaning with paccache and limit journal size. The goal is a lean, understood system, not a superficially cleaned one. True performance comes from managing active processes, not just deleting old files.