How to get rid of spam? Effective ways to have a clean inbox

Does your email inbox resemble a trash can where it's hard to find important messages? Ads, newsletters you don't remember signing up for, "bargain" offers. Spam can make life miserable. Fortunately, there are simple methods to regain control. Here are 5 proven ways to have a clean inbox.

1. Stop giving out your main email address

This is the most effective preventive method. Every time you give your private email address to an online store, blog, or app, you put it at risk. The solution is an email alias, i.e., a relay.

How does it work in practice? Meet Kate's story:

Kate read an interesting article on a photography blog and wanted to subscribe to the newsletter. Instead of providing her main address, she generated a relay in the Hetman Relay app specifically for that blog. When, after a few weeks, the newsletter turned into a catalog of aggressive ads and its database was sold, Kate disabled the relay with one click. Her main inbox remained clean, and her real email address stayed safe.

Why does this work?

• It protects your real address from spam and data leaks
• It gives you full control - you can disable the relay at any time
• It prevents companies from tracking your online activity

2. Don't click "unsubscribe" links in suspicious messages

This might sound strange, but sometimes clicking "unsubscribe" in a spam message has the opposite effect.

Why?

• You confirm your address is active - this is valuable information for spammers who might sell your address further
• You might land on a malicious site - the link could lead to a phishing page

What to do instead?

• Mark the message as spam in your email client
• If the newsletter is from a legitimate source but you no longer want it, use the official unsubscribe form on their website (not the one in the email!)

3. Use filters and separate email accounts

Your email inbox has powerful tools you can use to fight spam.

Simple tricks:

• Create filters - automatically move emails from specific senders to separate folders (e.g., "Newsletters," "Orders")
• Use plus addressing - if your email provider supports it (e.g., your.mail+shop@domain.com), use it to track who is selling your address
• Create a separate mailbox for less important matters - site registrations, online shopping

4. Regularly report spam to your email provider

When you mark a message as spam, you not only protect yourself but also help improve protection systems for all users.

How does it work?

• Your email provider's algorithms (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) learn what kinds of messages users consider unwanted
• Over time, the system will automatically detect and block similar messages
• This is a collective defense against spam

5. Two paths to a clean inbox: whitelist vs relays

You have two proven ways to regain control of your email inbox. Both lead to the same goal - a clean inbox without spam.

Option 1: Create your own whitelist

• Create a new, private email address only for close contacts
• Gradually move contacts from family, friends, your bank to this address
• Create a "clean zone" - a mailbox that receives only important messages

Option 2: Trust relays (for the practical)
A quicker and simpler solution using Hetman Relay relays:

• Your main email address remains hidden from the world
• You use a unique relay for every registration
• You can disable any relay that starts spamming at any time

Which path to choose?

• The Whitelist requires more initial effort but gives a sense of total control
• Relays are simpler to use from the start and work immediately

You can actually combine both methods! Create a private address for your most important contacts, and use relays for everything else. This gives you double protection and you'll never wonder again how the next spam ended up in your inbox.

Try one of these methods for a month - you'll feel the difference after just a few days.

Summary: Regain control of your inbox

Fighting spam isn't just about reacting to unwanted messages, but primarily about prevention. The most effective method is to prevent spam from reaching your main inbox in the first place.

Just like Kasia from our story, you can start using Hetman Relay relays for all new registrations starting today. It's the simplest way to achieve spam protection and maintain a clean, organized email inbox. Create your first relay and see how pleasant checking email can be without tons of unwanted ads