Quick And Dirty Guide To Clean Cord Management

Perhaps you've heard the old saying "Give a man enough rope, and he'll hang himself." Well, that saying can be applied today in regard to the cornucopia of cables and cords that synch, power and connect all of our computers and communication devices. Although we aren't exactly hanging ourselves with our abundance of cords and cables, they certainly can get in the way fairly often.

Fortunately, there's a lot of gear, both cheap and more investment-worthy, on the market today that can help to restore order and safety to our cubicles and allow our cords to last longer by preventing over flexing. Let's take a look at some items you should have around your desk.

Some inexpensive basics

Here is an inexpensive and easy fix for all those small cords. These small hangers were picked up at a local Big Lots store for just a couple of dollars each. It's hanging in the back on the wall of the office entryway and has made a tremendous difference in our short cord management for our portable devices. Easy access, no tangles, and right up there where you can see which is what when you are on your way out the door.

Image by author

We're starting out with the rudimentary basics here, but as any semi-retired 80s-hair-band roadie knows, the simple cable tie is foundational to controlling and protecting cords.

Image by author

When you're working with office furniture and gear that's not going to move anytime soon, the standard plastic zip ties are fantastic. They are cheap and reliable. They can turn multiple cables into one strand that is easier to deal with.

Velcro ties are available in a huge range of sizes and colors and are useful if you plan to move things around rather often or need to furl and unfurl cables and cords. Plastic and Velcro ties can also be used to spool up and hold excess lengths of cables.

Binder clips can be a very creative way of affixing regularly used cords in one place. The cable is inserted through the clip wires and left there. When you need to use them, simply attach both ends where they go, then let them fall back when you are through.

Image by author

Deal with desks.

Desks, cords and cables tend to create three basic problems. First is the excess slack in cords.

Second is keeping all of the cords headed in the right direction. Third is ensuring that cords are available and in a convenient location rather than hiding under the desk when it is time to synch or charge a device.

Courtesy Rhonda Oglesby

Cable drops can help with some of these problems. Use cable drops when you have cables you need to regularly change out and cable ties would prevent you from doing so. They will keep your cords headed in the right direction and will prevent unused cables from sliding into office oblivion. Smaller cable clips are another option. Also on the market is a spin-off of the traditional paper weight. "Sumo" weight blocks will keep desktop cables going in the right direction.

Nifty gadgets by the score.

There are literally hundreds of cool new gadgets that not only help you manage your cords and cables, but are are pretty darn cute, too. You can find leaf shaped wraps for your "Green' friends who use just as much power as everyone else online; you can find robot wraps for your geeky friends who might have seen too many Star Wars shows - maybe; you can find pet themed gadgets for your friends of furry folk. Pretty much everyone is covered. Here is a small sampling, beginning with one for your no-nonsense type of friends:

Smart Wraps

Earbud Winder with a tail.

Great Balls of Wire

Box or bag them up.

Often our cables are all headed to the ubiquitous power strip, and the whole power strip area becomes a dust-collecting jumble of adapters and cords in the corner of the cubicle. There are cable boxes on the market that cleverly cover these contraptions, tidying up the area and making it easier to clean. Combined with either plastic or Velcro ties, they really work well.

Trush in Cable Bags

For cord-free charging!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke-G8wRjAvY

Shoot the tube.

Flexible plastic tubing into which you can stuff a multitude of cables is another option to organize your cords. The tubing is now available in various colors, so you can probably find something other than the standard industrial gray we used to be stuck with. If you have a pet that likes to chew cables, this might be a good option for you.

With all of these specialized items, the wires that snake around the furniture in your computer work area or media room can finally be tamed and brought under control.

Editor's Note: David Ching works with EQA Office Furniture providing businesses with Sync Benching Systems that will assist in organization, efficiency, and comfort.