Moving is a lot easier when you streamline your packing. But many of us just toss our junk in boxes and say we'll figure it out when we get to the new place. On more than one occasion, I've ended up with a box of unidentifiable cords. An easy fix: simply label those cords.
Magnetic cable catchers like the MOS Organiser are great, but they're fdairly expensive considering it's just a block of magnets. If you'd prefer to make one for yourself, Makeuseof has a guide for doing it with repurposed materials.
Dear Lifehacker, I move my laptop around a lot, and the power cord often gets bent in every possible place. Over time the bends stick in this position, some ends fray, and I end up having to replace it. How can I take care of it so I'm not buying another one in six months? Thanks, Crazy Cables
If you wear glasses or sunglasses, you probably have more than a few unused cases lying around. Home-centric weblog Apartment Therapy recommends using them as compact cable storage.
We've recommended plenty of tactics for avoid tangled headphones, ranging from careful wrapping techniques to using binder clips. However, if you're like me, you don't always remember to do that properly, and you just want a set of headphones that don't go nuts when you shove them in a travel bag in a hurry. On the front, the O'Neill Stretch headphones from Philips do a fine job.
We've looked at creative ways to openly display your cables a few times, but you don't have to stop there. DIYer Palle Olsen picked up some cheap super glue and mounting tape to mount his PS3 and its four annoying cables to the wall.
At this point, we've all found our favourite headphone-wrapping method, and even if yours works, I can promise you it's not as clever or inventive as DIYer Papydom's earbud zipper case.
When you've got a lot of cords in one area, it's difficult to tell which ones belong to which appliances—especially behind your peripheral-heavy computer desk. Instead of buying paper or plastic labels, just use the plastic tabs from bread bags.
You know how your keyboard has little nubs on the j/f keys so its easy to find the home row without looking down? Reader pojken suggests doing something similar for your ever-present earbuds.
Wireless charging mats are a clever way to charge your gadgets without cords or power bricks, but a big black mat can easily stick out in any room. Instructables shows you how to make a more stylish wooden induction charger.
Headphones have a magic way of tangling themselves in inexplicably complicated knots. Many techniques for keeping headphones tangle-free work but they badly kink and over-tighten them in the process. Use an over-under wrap for easy and cord-friendly storage.
If you're constantly plugging and unplugging your laptop out of power strips at work and home, you'll eventually grab the wrong cable. Avoid yanking the plug on your desktop computer or charging station with this simple hack.
At your work station you can use a wire basket under your desk to stash cables or other containment strategies. What about for cables you take with you for laptops and portable devices?
We're all about creative cable management here at Lifehacker, so we were instantly drawn to reader Seandavid010's rain-gutter cable management setup.
We're already big fans of anything that corrals our cord clutter, but we can't help but appreciate the craftsmanship that went into this very clever DIY earbud owl.
We've featured tons of cord decluttering tips over the years, but cable lacing is a simple, classic method of cord management that we've somehow overlooked.
