Deleted stuff became a backup in 'About This Mac'

Question

Hi all,
I deleted about 60GB worth of stuff off my laptop to free up some space. After deleting it I went back and had a look under 'about this mac', there wasn't any backups showing there before - as there shouldn't be - but now I have 109GB showing as a backup. Is this anything to do with deleting things? I have emptied trash so there's nothing there - I actually use 'Clean My Mac 2' as it's quicker.
So basically, can anyone suggest how to find these so called backups and free up some space? As I have less than when I started clearing things of my laptop.
My mac seems to be getting slower recently so I'm wondering whether to start again but I really didn't want to have to reformat it.
Any advice would be appreciated

Answer 1

Do not use any so-called "cleaning" programs to do anything in particular. Like many ill-conceived "cleaning" utilities, CleanMyMac is capable of corrupting a Mac to the point that erasing it completely is the only practicable means of recovery.
Cache files exist to increase performance and should not be deleted without justification.
I really didn't want to have to reformat it.
If you used CleanMyMac or similarly ill-conceived utility to alter your Mac's file system, that action may be required. Write back if you would like detailed recovery instructions.
... how do I get rid of crap on my macbook pro?
First, make no assumption that lack of available disk space is the cause of poor performance. Your Mac will work perfectly fine until the available space becomes almost literally zero. When the boot volume approaches capacity, OS X will inform the user with a descriptive dialog. If it appears, it should not be ignored.
To reclaim disk space read OS X Yosemite: Increase disk space.
If your Mac is still performing poorly, don't prematurely conclude the underlying cause. Describe what's happening and when. You may be able to use Console to correlate the slowdowns to actions caused by poorly implemented or incompatible software as well as certain hardware failures. To do that follow these instructions:
Launch the Console app - it is in your Utilities folder. You can find it by selecting Utilities from the Finder's Go menu.
If the log list column on the left is not already displayed, show the log list by selecting Show Log List from Console's View menu. Select Show Toolbar if it is not already shown.
Locate system.log in the list and select it. Many date and time-stamped entries will appear, hundreds of them, and you must find the entries relevant to your Mac's problem.
To do that click the Clear Display button in the Toolbar. All previously displayed log entries will be disappear.
Next: Perform whatever actions cause the Mac to exhibit the slow behavior. If the problem is caused by errors logged by the system, the Console window will show them being recorded in system.log.
One or more of them, along with their time stamps, may reveal the reason for the problem you describe.
Copy and paste those log entries in a reply. If hundreds of the same repetitive messages appear, please edit them before posting. There should be no need for more than a few log entries.
Most of the entries will be cryptic but will contain information you might consider personal such as your Mac's name. If you do not want that information to appear, delete or obscure it when posting your reply. Leave enough information so that the entries can be deciphered.