The bird’s nest of wires and cables under your desk is an unsolved mystery. If you have an assortment of computer wires, speaker wires and telephone wires, you might be at a loss how to handle the mess. The wires get tangled up with each other, and become a crazy jungle of different thicknesses, colours, materials and lengths. However, wire management is a quick-fix that helps you organise cables, and improve the overall look of your home. You might not want to go out and buy new wires, but you can always upgrade your existing wires to do the trick.
- Identify the problem areas
Take a good look behind your entertainment centre or under the work desk. Detach all the wires and lay them out on the floor. Then, take a look at what you haven’t used in more than six months, such as a DVD or CD player. Cleaning up and eliminating things you don’t need is the first step to organisation. Once you’re done with that, make sure to clean the space out of cobwebs and dust. Have a look at lamp cords, hanging light cords, the kitchen and the wires of your house where you plug in your laptop or cellphone.
- Use organisational tools
Get the right-sized cables for your devices, so that you don’t stretch your cables or let them drape down to your floor. Instead, shorten your longer wires with DIY wrappers. One step is to make a cable “shortener” using a rubber mat and pair of scissors. Cut your rubber mat into a tube with holes at the end. Push the cables through the mat and secure to the nearest plug. Alternatively, you can use a paper towel roll to secure less heavy-duty wires behind your work desk. Secure the wires to a plug point which helps to secure the wire. Thus, two short and simple ways to make your own cable shortener.
- Wrap similar cables together
The second step to organisation is to group similar cables together. Buy yourself a good HDMI port that will help you free up ports on your television, use fewer cables and declutter the space behind your devices. Organise your power cables, audio and video cables into separate surge protectors. Surge protectors come with a number of plug points, are heavy-duty and has a long cable. Using a surge protector also saves energy and money. If you have a television or similar device that stands on standby mode, you can flip the switch off on the surge protector. Make different stations for your essential cables, and another for your laptop, cellphone or gaming console.
- Identification labels
It is a good to label wires and cables connected to your television, receiver, gaming consoles and DVD players. Plug your cables in one direction so that it looks tidy and organised. You can make small labels with coloured tape and stick them on wires, so that you don’t need to guess which cable belongs to which device. You don’t need to look at the connector, and will know which cable to replace. Alternatively, you can buy Pilot Wire Identification Labels, if you want to do it easy and simple.
Therefore, with these simple techniques, you would be able to prevent wire disarray behind your desk for a long time. They require little to no expenses, and can be made with things common at home. Organise your wires and cables in place, and enjoy the joy of working in a clutter-free area.
