Home Audio & Video Cable Storage Tips

Although the number of wireless devices is rapidly increasing, our lives are still full of cables earbuds, charger cords, USB cables, audio cards, phone cables, ethernet network cables and more. Is your workspace an unsightly tangle of cords? How do you deal with all of the cables? Here are some simple and affordable cable storage solutions.

Start by organizing your cables. Crawling under the desk to rearrange the power cords is enough of a hassle without having to guess which plug belongs to each gadget. Even more annoying is unplugging the wrong gadget. Identify your plugs with labels. Stow your cables inside and pull the ends out through the slit. Store unused extension cords in a cardboard paper towel tube. Mount peripherals and their cords to a piece of pegboard using wire or cable ties. Then stow under your desk.

Do the ends of your cords keep falling off the desk when not in use (think laptops and chargers)? Use a simple black binder-clip to keep cords on the desk. Simply release the wire clamp, run the plug through, and clip to the edge of the desk.

Hide tangles of cables with foam pipe insulation. Cut the insulation to size and slice down the length. Or shorten lengthy cables with do-it-yourself wrappers like the CableClip. Available from thinkgeek.com, CableClips will bring order to your otherwise tangled life. CableClips are quick to fasten and hold cables in a convenient and compact bundle. When you need the cable, it can be partially extended loop by loop or released completely. The CableClip allows you to easily shorten a cable while in use, which will make your workspace more manageable.

To use the CableClip, simply wrap the cord around the clip. To store smaller cords, such as earbuds, wrap the cord around your hand or fist to make loops. Insert the cords on each end of the CableClip and the unruly cord will stay in one place, ready when needed. The CableClip provides a storage solution to make your work space neater. The clip is available in three sizes; small for short or thin cords, medium for small power cords and phone cables, and large for thick or long power cords and ethernet network cables. For just $9.99, you can purchase three green and three dark grey small clips, two orange and two dark grey medium clips, or one light grey and one dark grey large clip.