Working from home has so many advantages, but the home office lifestyle has its challenges, too. Cable management is one factor that many remote workers have to deal with — and at home, there’s no IT person to help you sort it all out.
There’s good news, though: It’s not too hard to tame the jungle if you know a few key tips. If your desktop is starting to resemble squid ink pasta, check out these cable management strategies that will put the power of organization in your hands.
- Go wireless wherever you can.
Cable management is a lot easier when there are fewer cables to manage! That’s why so many people now prefer wireless computer keyboards, mice, and other peripherals. For the average remote worker, a wireless mouse or keyboard works just as well as a wired one, and switching to wireless is a great way to cut your office’s cable clutter. The rise of wireless charging means you may not even need a cable to charge your devices, only a wireless charging mat, headphone stand, or similar device.
- Label your cables if you have a lot of them.
Labeling can be a true game-changer if your home office has a lot of cables, and it’s especially important if you have mission-critical gear that you don’t want to unplug by accident. There are tons of different ways to do this. Self-stick adhesive labels are often all you need, while serious home IT installations might require a more durable method like labeled cable ties or heat-shrink labels. Whatever you choose, keep your cable labeling system consistent, and use a key if you’re using symbols or color-coding on your labels.
- Create an organized way to store cables you’re not using.
We all need to keep a few spare cables around, but don’t let yours languish in a box of tangled cords in the closet. At a minimum, coil your cables before storing them, and wrap them with cable ties that will prevent them from becoming tangled with each other. (This is also a good time to apply labels, especially if you have a lot of cables that are different but look similar.) If you can, find a place to hang them, like a pegboard on the wall. It might seem excessive, but you’ll congratulate your past self for being a genius when you’re searching for your spare HDMI.
- Bundle and sleeve your cables to save space and stay neat.
When you have multiple cables running to the same destination, consider bundling them together and protecting them with a cable sleeve or raceway. This will make your cables much neater and more manageable, and it’ll prevent them from getting tangled into knots that take forever to sort out. The bundling itself is easy to accomplish with some hook and loop ties, and adding a sleeve or raceway allows you to direct your cables’ path along your preferred route and keep them protected and firmly in place.
- Separate your power and data cables wherever possible.
Power cables carry the electrical current that makes your devices work — but they have a dark side, too. When placed too close to a data cable, like an Ethernet or coax cable, your power cables may generate electromagnetic interference that affects the performance of your data cables. While this is most common in offices with high numbers of power cords or powerful high-draw equipment, it’s still smart to route these cables separately whenever you can — or consider options like shielded Ethernet cables.
- Get an all-in-one surge protector with plenty of outlets.
A good surge protector is ideal for cable management because it allows you to terminate all of your power cords in one spot rather than spreading them out all across the room. What’s more, many of today’s office power strips provide a place to plug in devices with USB chargers, making them an all-in-one solution for the office overflowing with cables. Just remember that plugging power strips into each other is a fire hazard, since it can increase the current draw above safe levels.
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- Use an under-desk cable management tray if you’ve got tons of cables.
Got tons of cables around your desk that you can’t consolidate or do away with? An under-desk tray is a popular way to get them under control. These low-profile plastic or metal trays attach to the bottom of your desk and hold your cables together, keeping them neat and out of your way. Some even offer multiple channels that make it easy to route different cable bundles where you need them with minimal fuss and mess.
- Be careful with zip ties.
Plenty of people successfully use zip ties for cable management, but they demand a cautious approach. First, beware of cinching them too tight, as they can damage a cable’s internal components. Second, remember that you’ll often have to take them off at some point, and most zip ties have to be cut off with a sharp tool like a knife, scissors, or wire cutters. If the zip tie is attached too tightly, it can be tough to remove without damaging the cable. Our recommendation: either pay careful attention to how tightly you cinch your zip ties or use removable hook and loop ties instead.
- Make cable management an ongoing task.
Cable management isn’t a one-time act. Most of us know how cables seem to multiply, so it’s important to regularly check up on your cable management to make sure it’s still getting the job done. Fortunately, once you’ve gotten into a form you’re happy with, your future cable management sessions will probably be more like short adjustments and less of something you have to spend an afternoon on.
Cable management is one of those small but crucial quality-of-life improvements that can make a big difference. With a few cable ties, labels, raceways, or power strips, your home office can become a much easier and more pleasant place to get work done. So why not take a little time now and see how much cable clutter you can knock out?
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