Messy cables can be an eyesore. On top of this, a lack of cable organization can make it hard to find the right lead when you need it, as well as resulting in time wasted having to untangle masses of cords. But just how should you deal with messy cables? Can you wrap them – or will this damage them? And is mounting them on the wall a good idea? This post explains all.

Wrap Them

Yes, you can wrap cables. But you need to be careful of how you wrap them. It’s important to not let knots form as they will not only be a pain to undo but can damage the wire. Wrapping cables into a loop or a simple bundle can keep them organized, but you should avoid knotting them at the end – instead keep them together with a cable tie. Cable drums such as this product at https://www.singularsound.com/products/cabli-instrument-cable-management can also help keep cables neatly wrapped.

Mount Them to the Wall

When it comes to fixed cables, it’s often worth mounting them to a wall. Having cables trailing along the carpet can be a trip hazard, on top of looking messy. By attaching cables to the wall, you can keep them out of the way. There are stick-on cable clips that you can buy to run cables through as listed here https://www.gadgetreview.com/best-cable-clips. Alternatively, you can hide cables completely by using cable trunks.

Hide Them

Speaking of hiding cables, there are many ways to keep cables out of sight. On top of wrapping cables like chargers, it’s often worth having a drawer or a chest for them so that you can store them away. Meanwhile, when it comes to running long permanent leads around a building, there are other alternatives you can use to trunking such as running cables under carpets or floorboards, or even hiding them in walls (just bear in mind that feeding cables through walls isn’t always easy to do). 

Color-Code Them

Got lots of identical looking cables leading to the same place? Trying to work out which one to unplug without following each cable to its source can be challenging. One way to make it easy to trace cables back to their origin is to label them – or even better color code them. Different colored duct tape can be an easy way to color code cables. You can also buy cable clips in different colors. 

Go Wireless

Nowadays, many gadgets don’t need to be permanently plugged in or linked via cables. Examples include wireless phone headsets, wireless speakers, wireless printers, wireless keyboards and wireless mice. Of course, wireless tech does still need to be periodically charged, which could mean that you accumulate more chargers. However, some chargers may be interchangeable, allowing you to get rid of any chargers you don’t need, providing that you don’t need to charge all your devices at the same time.