These Cable Organizing Hacks Declutter Your Desk Once and for All
It’s time to hone in on your inner Marie Kondo and rid your desk and home of cable clutter. A well-organized desk can do wonders for productivity, plus, it makes your workspace look far more professional. But decluttering your desk is more than stuffing loose wires and cables in a “junk drawer” or kicking them behind your desk where nobody can see. That’s going to create a bigger mess. We’re here to help you gain back control of your workspace. Here we’ll cover the following decluttering topics:
- Organizing Your Workspace
- The best products for single cables (charging cables, headphones, etc.)
- Helpful home organization hacks
Organizing Your Workspace
Keeping your desk decluttered and cables organized can help you be more productive and relieve anxiety. This really begins with cable management. Even though you may have a massive rat’s nest of cables behind your desk, don’t let that discourage you. With a little time, effort, and a few helpful cable organization items, you can have a clean, professional workspace in no-time.
If you need a little assistance getting started with managing your cables, you can check out this helpful video for some tips. After you’ve prepped to gain control of those loose cables, you’ll find everything you need below:
1. OHill Cable Clips
These little cable clips can do wonders in organizing wires and keep them from dangling from the back of your desk. And the process is simple: peel off the adhesive, stick firmly to the surface and run the cable through the little notches. Who knew this 16 pack for $9 could help you take back your desk from wire clutter one and for all.
Buy: OHill Cable Clips
2. Cord Cover Raceway Kit
If you’re serious about getting wires out from hanging everywhere, especially if you have a standing desk, you’re going to need a cord raceway. This cord cover raceway kit is highly rated on Amazon and has a wide tunnel to run a handful of wires through. And it’s not only great for sticking under your desk, but you can also use it to hide cables running up to your wall-mounted TV or hide lamp cables against the wall.
Buy: Cord Cover Raceway Kit $17.99
3. PASOW 50pcs Cable Ties
Desktop computers can be an absolute nightmare when it comes to cable management. The keyboard, mouse, displays and additional wires can turn into a rat’s nest quickly without a little supervision. These Pasow cable ties are thick enough to bundle all of those cables together in one braid. Then you can use a Raceway to run that entire bundle under your desk without anyone seeing.
Buy: PASOW 50pcs Cable Ties $7.99
4. DMoose Cable Management Box
We’ve talked plenty about managing cables, but what about that ugly surge protector sitting under the desk. The DMoose Cable Management Box can turn that eyesore into home decor, and even a footrest under your desk. Its wooded print with white walls makes it look stylish, and has discrete openings to run a single cable out from the box. Who said cord organization can’t be stylish?
Buy: DMoose Cable Management Box $29.99
5. Zip Ties
Zip ties can be an essential tool in the quest for cable organization. And the great thing is you can buy 100 of them for just $6. You can use them to bundle multiple cables together into a big braid and then separate them individually within that braid. Either way, if you are getting serious about cleaning up desk clutter, you’re going to want a bag of zip ties handy.
Buy: Zip Ties $6.29
THE BEST SINGLE-CABLE ORGANIZERS
Cable organization isn’t just about decluttering your desk. Is there anything more frustrating than looking for a specific cable in your “junk drawer.” Or pulling your headphones out of your bag only to find they are tangled beyond recognition with your charging cables. Below you’ll find helpful, inexpensive items to relieve you from the mind-numbing frustration of tangled cables:
1. Nite Ize Gear Ties
When you want to keep all of your charging cables and headphones organized in your bag, the Nite Ize Gear Ties can do wonders. These flexible little ties wrap around your wound cable and can either twist together or be folded down around your cables. Either way, your cables won’t unwind and get tangled with other cables. They’re inexpensive and a nifty little way to keep your personal cables in order.
2. Command Gray Cord Bundlers
These cord bundlers can keep your dangling cords looking wound and organized. They can stick on walls and behind appliances where you can wind up your cables and use the hooks to manage dangling wires. The adhesive is nondamaging too, so you don’t have to worry about peeling off paint when it’s time to remove them.
Buy: Command Gray Cord Bundlers $3.98
3. Velcro Brand One Wrap
Like zip ties for decluttering a desk, Velcro One Wraps can be incredibly useful when it comes to single-cord management. These thin wraps can keep extension cords, instrument cables and even headphone wires bundled up and organized nicely. We’re telling you, once you’ve dealt with a rats nest of cables, you’ll do everything you can to not go back.
Buy: Velcro Brand One Wrap $12.49
4. iGotTech Cable Clips
These cable clips are great for organizing mouse cords, chargers and computer cables. Their size makes them ideal for the office, and you can stick them anywhere and easily remove them when you leave.
Buy: iGotTech Cable Clips $8.99
5. Bluelounge Cableyoyo
Headphones just get tangled — there are no two ways around it. This silicone Cableyoyo by Bluelounge keeps them neat and tidy in your bag, pocket or drawer with a spool set-up and magnetic center to keep the buds in place.
Buy: Bluelounge Cableyoyo $9.95
6. Akwox Wooden Cable Organizer
Another area that tends to be plagued by messy cords and cables is desks. Wrangle all your device chargers with a discreet organizer like this one, and say goodbye to dropping cords on the floor or crawling under your desk looking for the right charger.
Buy: Akwox Wooden Cable Organizer $10.99
7. Envisioned Cable Organizer
Envisioned took a different approach to desktop charger/cable organizers by making it weighted instead of stick-on. We think it’s a much smarter solution because sticky backs can sometimes leave residue or marks, and the weighted system is much easier to move around. It also includes four reusable cable ties to organize cords behind the TV or under your desk.
Buy: Envisioned Cable Organizer $16.87
Helpful Home Organization Hacks
To this point, we’ve discussed a number of helpful and inexpensive items that will help you get a handle on your wire clutter problem. But there are a handful of things you can do to keep your stuff organized with items you already have in your home. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can use and do to keep your cables organized.
Turn used toilet paper rolls into cable holders: Wind up your cables and slide them inside of used toilet paper cylinders. You can then label the side of the cylinder and keep them organized inside of a small storage bin. This will keep them from tangling.
Pen springs and magnets: Remove the spring inside of a pen and wrap it around the end of your charging cable. Then take a little fridge magnet and glue it to the side of your desk. The metal from the spring will hold your cables in place on the edge of your desk for easy access and organization.
Use binder clips for your cables: Wind your cables up and use binder clips to hold individual cables together. This will keep them from unwinding and getting tangled with other cables.
Use binder clips on the edge of your desk: You can clip them to the edge of your desk and run your wire through the clamps to keep them organized.
