Optimisation
Cleaning up WordPress for more speed and security
7 June 2026 · 6 min read
Just like a computer that becomes slower over time, a WordPress website degrades gradually. Plugin providers stop updating, themes become outdated, and the database grows with unused data. Without regular maintenance you fall behind unnoticed — and your website becomes slower and more vulnerable.
At WP Maintainer we perform extensive cleanup work monthly for all our clients. With our 20+ years of experience in web development we know exactly where the hidden performance killers are. In this article we share our approach in 5 concrete steps.
Step 1: Plugin audit
Start with a thorough plugin audit. Ask yourself: do I really use this plugin? Is there a lighter alternative? When was it last updated?
Plugins that have not been updated for more than 6 months pose a potential security risk. We recommend limiting the number of plugins to a maximum of 10-15 essential plugins. Replace multifunctional "all-in-one" plugins with specialised, lighter alternatives.
Step 2: Database optimisation
A bloated database is one of the biggest performance killers. After months or years of use, your database contains: - Hundreds of post revisions (sometimes per page) - Thousands of spam comments - Orphaned transient data - Unused terms and tags - Deleted posts in the trash
With tools like WP-Optimize you can easily clean this up. WP Maintainer does this monthly as part of our extensive maintenance plan, including thorough database optimisation.
Step 3: Optimise images
Check your media library. Remove unused images that only take up space. Optimise existing images by converting them to WebP format — this yields 25-35% smaller files without quality loss.
Step 4: Clean up theme and code
Remove inactive themes. Keep a maximum of one active theme. Check whether your theme is still maintained by the developer. Outdated themes pose a major security risk and can cause compatibility problems.
Step 5: Strengthen security
After cleaning up, it is time to strengthen security: - Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) - Configure a firewall (Wordfence or Sucuri) - Limit login attempts to 3 per IP - Change the default login URL (/wp-admin) - Set file permissions correctly (644 for files, 755 for folders)
Leave it to the professionals
With more than 20 years of experience in web development and WordPress specialisation, WP Maintainer knows exactly where to look. Our maintenance plan includes monthly optimisation: from database cleanup to security audits. This keeps your website always fast, secure and up to date. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation.