Cable clutter can be annoying to workers in the office environment. Today i’m going to show you how you can organize the cables under your office desk.
Tangled cables are the scourge of the modern office table.
Sure, you may try to use cordless devices as much as possible, but there are still a lot of cables snaking around our desks. Let’s organize it once and for all.
To start with, computer clutter is synonymous with a desktop computer than a laptop. having said that, if you’re using laptop for office work, you’ll still have quite a few cables connected to your PC.
Cables such as a power cord, a USB cord for additional ports, and so on; and then the charger for your phone and other little things.
You need to address the issue in few steps
Hide the power strip and plugs.
Collect and tie the cables together.
Shorten the cable length.
Keep unused cables in place.
Identify cables.
Hide the Power Strip and Plugs
A power strip is designed for functionality, not to look good.
Yes, you should be using a surge protector, but the resulting clutter is annoying. This is the first place you can start cable clutter management.
- DIY Shoebox power strip
The simplest solution for this is to create a DIY box for the power strip from a shoebox, says Techpally.
When you’re happy with a simple box, just cut holes on both sides so that the power strip cord and attached plug cords can come out from either side.
- Cable box and cable box mini
Instead of doing it yourself, you can even grab one off the shelf.
I would recommend the BlueLounge Cable Box ($ 30) or the Cable Box Mini ($ 30) depending on the size of your surge protector.
It looks sharp and comes in a wide variety of colors. The Mini also has surge protectors so you don’t have to buy your own.
Gather and tie Cables together
Now that the power strip is no longer obstructing the way, let’s deal with the myriad of loose cables.
First, identify the cables that will stay there permanently or for a long time.
Gather them together and bundle them together. There are two ways to do this.
- Cable Ties
A package of 100 zip ties is only $ 5 on Amazon, so get one for yourself and start screwing the cables around the house.
Make sure your cables are neatly separated first, then hold them together and use a zip tie to tighten them.
It is advisable to attach zippers in several places so that they stay tidy from the multiple sockets to the desk or PC.
Once you secure a tie, use scissors to cut off the end. Cable ties are also great for organizing cables in computers to protect the PC from overheating.
Cable ties have some advantages and disadvantages. Taking a cable out of a zip tie means cutting them all and attaching new ones.
Because zip ties are cheap, you can create multiple bundles of cables so you can remove and secure a number of cables at the same time. And there’s always the option to spend a little extra on reusable zip ties.
- Cable Sleeves
I prefer zip ties to pull zip ties for the simple reason that you can add semi-permanent cables here too.
A zippered cable sleeve ($ 15) holds all the cables together, and you can easily remove or add cables.
And maybe it’s a personal choice, but I think it looks a lot better than zip ties as it gives you a uniform color.
If cost is a factor, I’d say cable shells are better at hiding computer cables
Shorten the cable length
The cable clutter is hidden under the desk with the power strip box and the cable sleeves or cable ties.
But the cables on the desk are still a problem. You need them there, but you don’t need that much space. The solution is to temporarily shorten their length.
- cable ties
The free DIY solution is the Cablebone from Instructables. You will need a rubber mat, felt pen, cutter, glue, and a drill – Techpally.
Draw small bone shapes on a rubber mat, cut them out, and glue two together. You need the resulting rubber bone to be about a quarter of an inch thick.
Drill a hole on both ends of the bone, and lightly cut it so a string can go one. Now wrap the cord from one end to the other and wrap it around the bone to make it as short as you need to. Clean and simple!
- Quirky cordlets
Quirky’s Cordlets are nifty accessories for organizing your desk
Tape them somewhere on your desk and run the cable through them.
The cordlet has a plus-sign-like recess so that the cord can be wound through these grooves or around the entire cordlet.
Spool as much as you want to shorten the cord. Manufacturer Quirky has officially discontinued the product, but you can still find it on Amazon or other stores.
