Keep Your Cables Under Control
Part of organizing your apartment is having your technology organized. When your cables are a mess, you risk injury and damage. You open yourself up to accidents such as stepping and tripping on your cords which can lead to your computer or TV getting pulled off the table or wall, which no one wants to experience. Keep your cables under control with the list below.
Trash Old Cables
Any old, unused cables need to get trashed. Most of the time, you won’t even realize you had cables you weren’t using until you specifically go out of your way to look for them. These cables are junk taking up precious space in your apartment. Once all unnecessary cables have been removed, consider acquiring a drawer divider to distinguish between your everyday cords and once-in-awhile cords. If you have more technology than the average joe, you may want to use clear containers to store your cords to make it easy to find what you’re looking for.
Electrical Hazards
Electricity comes with potential risks, so always practice caution with your cords. Stapling or nailing cords into the wall or baseboard is a huge fire-safety violation. Metal is an electrical conductor, which means if you don’t shock yourself when you staple or nail the cord to the wall, you may be responsible for an electrical fire later on. Likewise, carefully inspect your cords. If any cords are frayed or broken, this can also lead to shocks or fire. Lose wallpaper around an electrical outlet can be a fire hazard as well. Electrical tape can remedy frayed cords or cracked rubber, but should only be used for minor repairs. Any cords with large cracks or frays should be thrown away.
Find a Method to Label Cords
You’ll be more organized when all your cords are identified. There are many methods to do this, with the most common being color-coordinating. If you have a label maker, you can always make a sticker stating what the cord is and what it connects to. There are thousands of ways to label your cords, so find one that works for you or innovate your own way!
Keep Your Cords Tidy
If you have a bunch of cords winding around your desk and spilling onto the floor, use hooks or zip ties to tidy up a bit. Hooks can be hung on the wall or beneath your desk to keep them off the floor. If you have many cables running from your desk to a power strip, you can condense them by wrapping the cords together with Velcro straps or zip ties. When all your cords are neatly wrapped, not only will your workstation look better, but it will make navigating and cleaning around your workspace much easier.
For Work and Home
If your cords at work are under control, consider applying the same strategies for the cables in your apartment. The most common culprit of tangled cords is the entertainment center, as you TV, speakers, and gaming console all have cables that tend to end up in a tangled mess. Use any of the mentioned methods for your own organization or get creative and think up your own solutions. There are new cordless products getting released all the time, so you can rid your life of cords altogether to eliminate the need to tidy up cords at all!
