Between work-from-home computer set-ups, personal hand-held devices and laptops, televisions, gaming consoles, lamps, and anything else with an attached wire can breed chaos, and make the task of organizing them appear impossible.
In this Redfin article, expert organizers, IT professionals, and cable solution providers offer advice to help you transform the clutter beneath a desk or media stand into a sorted space. Upon conquering the challenge, you’ll feel refreshed and your newly acquired organizational skills will be highly requested. Let’s get started!
1. String wires through repurposed bins and baskets
Turning ordinary household items into multifunctional objects can be convenient and affordable when organizing wires and cords.
Melissa Foster, professional organizer for Happy Home Organizing in Fort Collins, Colorado, suggests taking baskets or bins with handles and placing them at the side of your desk or media console. By stringing the cord through one handle, you can tightly wrap and set them at the bottom of the basket, with the cords and wires exiting through the other handle.
2. Bundle wires and cords with zip ties and Velcro
Using zip ties and Velcro is the most common method for organizing wires. By bunching them up and tying them together, you quickly remove them from tangling and flowing in multiple directions.
Orlando, network engineer for Santa Barbara IT Solutions, suggests that using “zip ties for items you are not planning to move around or relocate, such as power cords. However, using velcro for HDMI, data, coaxial, and USB cables is better.”
Additionally, Mikayla Moulton, marketing manager for trueCABLE, warns that “too much pressure on your cables can damage cable jackets and degrade performance.” Proceeding with zip ties is fine, but instill good practice by leaving room for movement.
3. Add labels to each wire and cord
It can be frustrating when you go to unplug one of your devices, but you’re battling several wires and can’t seem to follow its trail. To avoid unplugging the wrong device and restarting your items, such as your Wi-Fi router, label each cord.
Orlando suggests that “even if you only install a few items, labeling all cords is always good practice.” This will help you seamlessly manage all your devices if you upgrade or add new ones in the future, or even move to a new place.
4. Use cord hiders for wires and cords that hang
Cord hiders are beneficial if you aren’t planning to snake your wires through a wall. Rather than having dangling cords from mounted televisions or beneath your desk, cord hiders can effectively create a cleaner look where your bundled cords are out of sight.
There is, of course, going to be the cord hider on display. However, Orlando reminds us that “nothing is perfect, and cables are a natural part of devices.”
5. Create an IT storage closet
If the sight of cords is an absolute non-negotiable, and you have it in your budget, creating an IT storage closet can be a great way to hide your cables and even place security monitoring devices. This method involves snaking wires through your walls to one central location.
A convenient location to place an IT closet would be behind your main entertainment space, where your television, Wi-Fi, gaming console, and other devices and wires can be placed.
Final thoughts on organizing wires and cords:
Creating a space free of nuisances, such as cords, can offer an added layer of comfort and cleanliness. There’s a design technique for everyone, from budget-friendly solutions such as repurposing bins and baskets to higher-priced solutions such as closet additions and snaking wires through walls.
But remember, wires are an integral part of our device’s operation, so if you still see them, it’s nothing to worry about.
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