How to Organize Cables

Almost everyone has a drawer or box or basket full of cables. You know, the ones that you don’t use every day, but need from time to time.

It seems organized at first, too. But, over time, tossing all of your headphone wires, chargers, and other random cables into a single container can get pretty messy.

So, you want to know how to organize cables and keep your storage system as neat as possible. Here are our best tips.

1. Try Toilet Paper Rolls

Yes, you read that right. If you save up those empty cardboard rolls from your bathroom, you can create a simple yet effective cable organization system.

All you’ll do is wrap your cables and slide them into the middle of the cardboard cylinder. On the outside, write what each cable is for. No more rummaging through the drawer to find that one wire you need—you’ll just read the outside of the rolls until you pinpoint it.

2. Wrap Cords With Cable Ties

Another must-have in cable organization are cable ties. This article will familiarize you with all of the types of cable ties out there. Whichever ones you buy, though, you’ll have a great resource when it comes to cleaning up your drawer full of wires.

You can coil your wires and then wrap a cable tie around them so that they stay in place once they’re stored. You can even use zip ties to organize dangling cords—say, the ones that fall from your TV. Gather them up with a cable tie so you only have one visible wire, as opposed to several straggling from the back of your device.

3. …Or Use Velcro

Another great storage option is Velcro. The good thing about Velcro is that it’s a bit thicker than a cable tie. If you want, you can write on the outside of the Velcro to identify the cord that you’ve wrapped up and secured.

On that note, you can use Velcro just as you would a cable tie. You can use it to organize cables in a storage container or to keep them all together behind a TV or another electronic device.

4. Use Dividers

If you don’t want to wrap up and secure your cables, you could invest in a drawer organizer or a box with divided compartments. Either way, these little cubes of space would allow you to separate your cables from one another. You could label each box, too, so you know exactly which wire goes where.

Keeping your wires separated this way would make it easy for you to quickly choose the one you need. They wouldn’t tangle anymore, either—each wire would have its own separate compartment, after all.