5 Best Ways to Manage Wires and Cables in a Home Office

Dealing with all the messy connectors on your home office equipment is often an afterthought … but it shouldn’t be. Cable clutter can easily get out of hand unless it’s part of an overall office space planning strategy.

Here are 5 do-it-yourself ways to corral even a rat’s nest of cables and wires:

1. Tie Them Up

Group cables together and wrap them up with a simple plastic twist tie. Many electronics are packed with twist ties, so you can easily save them and recycle them this way. You can also use this method to pull in and secure extra cable slack.

2. Label Cables

Cables can easily be grouped together and labeled using colored masking tape and a permanent marker. There is also a wide variety of products made specifically to label cables.

3. Charging Station

Charging stations are a great way to simultaneously charge smaller gadgets like phones, mp3 players and tablets. Adding a charging station to your desktop reduces multiple plug-ins, thus fewer cords.

4. Go Shorter

Some electronics come with power cords and cables that are much longer than they need to be. Replace them with shorter lengths of cables, available at computer stores and various retailers.

5. Go Wireless

Many updated keyboards, mice and various peripherals are now wireless. If you’re having a hard time taming your cable jungle, consider making a few hardware upgrades.