How many times have you needed to plug in new electronics and reached behind your entertainment system to discover a nightmare of tangled cords? You likely spend way longer than you care to admit following each individual cord to its corresponding device, only to plug in your new DVD player and leave the mess like you found it.

We’ve all done it, but 2014 is your year to take action!

1. Label your cords – You can go the fancy route and use special cord labels, but I’ve found that tape works just as well to label the cord and let you know which device or appliance it belongs to. Bread tags work well too!

2. Secure extra cord length – If you don’t need the entire length of a cord, wrap the leftover cord together and secure it with a twist tie.

3. Keep everything together – In staying with the twist tie theme, keep all of your hidden cords together with a twist tie. You’ll be amazed by the space you’ll save with a little organization.

4. Hide your cords from view – Most of our cord messes are behind entertainment units or desks, but if yours is right out in the open, use a cord wrap or cord channel to hide them from view. A cord channel is essentially a plastic tube that you run your cords through. It’s available in black and white or can be painted to match the colour of your wall.

5. Go wireless – Some of our most annoying cords, like phone cables, can be replaced by a wireless alternative. Eliminate phone cables by installing a wireless phone jack system you can find at most major big box stores for around $50.

6. Organize and store unused cords – If during your cord exploration, you came across cords that didn’t actually attach to anything, pull those out, wrap them up, and store them neatly away to save confusion and mess.

7. GO BIG! – If you want the perfect cord organizational system, call us! We can run cables behind your wall if you have a mounted television and make the cord tangle disappear.

If I could offer one extra tip before I sign off, it would be to take a good look at your cords as you organize them. Watch for signs of damage from age (or pets!) and make sure to replace any that are in poor condition. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or leave a comment below.

Picture from: Randomgoodstuff.com