Organize Cords, for Safety’s Sake

The typical desk or entertainment center houses a tangle of wires and cables. These rats nests not only look unsightly but also create obstacles. You can never tell which device connects to which socket—increasing the odds of unplugging the wrong cord. Organizing your cords not only makes your space look tidy but also keeps everything working efficiently and safely.

Besides creating a tripping hazard, a mess of electrical cords could lead to a fire if they’re all plugged into the same overloaded power strip. Here’s how to organize your cords—for safety’s sake:

Unplug everything—your computer, extra monitors, scanner, phone charger, TV, speakers and printer. In the process, you might find cords that are no longer attached to anything. Weed out those unneeded cords. A great way to store unneeded cords and cables is in a hanging shoe rack with pockets. Each pouch is the perfect size for a cord, and you can label the pockets for easy retrieval.

Remove all extension cords. They’re not designed for permanent use.

Dust the remaining cords and vacuum the floor and wall around the outlet.

More than one power strip plugged into a single outlet can overload a circuit and create a fire hazard. Move the extras to other outlets. If you don’t have enough outlets, call a licensed electrician to add more.

Invest in inexpensive cable ties. Bunch the remaining cords together and wrap the tie around the bundle to keep them neatly together. Options for bundling wires include hook and loop fasteners, zip ties, clips, painters tape, and even empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls.

Label your cords for easy identification later. You can use a label maker to type out a description then add spaces to leave enough tape for it to fold over on itself over a cord. Or try one of these DIY solutions: painters tape or bread tags.

Drill a hole into the back of your computer table or TV cabinet big enough for all of the cords to pass through. That will keep them together and off the floor.

While organizing, keep electrical safety in mind. Don’t bundle cables too tightly, risking a kink in the wire that could cause a fire. Never run cords under carpets or rugs where they run the risk of being trampled.