Slouch is back with all the tricks and tips you need to understand exactly how to organise cables on your desk to get the loose wires in your office under control.
As the creators of ergonomically and aesthetically excellent home office desks, it only makes sense that we’re here with advice on how to get the best from your office space in every way.
After all, it’s not just a good idea for keeping your workplace looking spic and span – it can also prevent accidents from tripping over loose wiring. We’ll get into some of the best desk cable management ideas you can implement as well as all of the dos and don’ts to create a tidy office environment.
Why organise your desk cables?
Listen, it’s none of our business how you like your home office to look. But if you’re here and still reading, chances are that you’re looking for some inspiration for how to organise cables to get your office looking clutter free and neat. After all, as the old saying goes, a tidy desk equals a tidy mind.
A tidy office is psychologically proven to help you maintain what’s known as ‘good mental hygiene’, in other words, a happy, productive and stable state of mind. Where else could this be more important than in the environment you work in?
So, without further ado, let’s get organising.
How to organise cables
Tackle your cable organisation in two steps: identification and cable management systems. We’ll have those pesky wires under control in no time.
Untangle, identify and declutter your cables
How many cables do you have hanging around your home office even though you aren’t sure what they’re for? In this first step, get all of your cables together, untangled and figure out what they do. If you don’t know what a wire does and haven’t done for years, don’t let it be a source of visual clutter in your working environment any more.
How to responsibly dispose of cables – The best way to get rid of unwanted wires responsibly is to take them to a nearby recycling centre where there’s a designated electrical waste drop off point. In some cases, electronics shops will also take back old wires from you to prevent them being put into landfills.
Invest in a cable management system that works for you
The main issue with cables is that when they’re not in use, they don’t tend to have a permanent home. There are several good ways to organise cables on your desks neatly and efficiently, along with your other office desk essentials. We’ll take you through the best desk cable management ideas below.
Desk cable management ideas
1. Use cable ties or velcro straps
Now that you have your cables ready and waiting to be organised, resist the temptation to stick them into a desk draw loose. The next time you encounter them you’ll have a ball of wires to contend with! Avoid this by using cable ties or velcro straps to bundle wires up neatly. You’ll save space and avoid tangling.
You can also use these methods to wrap excess wiring up and out of the way when it’s hanging under your desk.
2. Consider a cable management box, tray or hanging rack
What to do with all of the cables that you need to keep but don’t need on your desk on a daily basis? There are lots of handy ways to organise them. A specific cable management box or tray is a handy way to keep them together before stowing them away in a storage cabinet or desks drawer.
You can even invest in a hanging rack, like a hanging fabric or plastic shoe rack, to keep them in individual pockets. This might be a good choice if you own a lot of tech equipment with different cabling.
3. Invest in cable management sleeves
Wondering how to organise cables that hang down the back of your desk and plug into ports full time?
For some devices, you’ll need them to be plugged at your desk full time – like monitors and routers, for instance. For those cables that are intended to be a permanent fixture on your desk, group them together neatly with a cable management sleeve. This will gather all of your unruly wires into one neat sheath.
4. Label your cables
If you’re stowing cables away, it’s not enough to simply put them away neatly in the cable storage solution of your choice if you won’t remember what they’re all for the next time you see them.
Solve this future headache by labelling your cables while you’re organising them. A label maker will produce neat labelled stickers in uniform typeface, but a Sharpie marker written on masking tape or electrical tape will work perfectly well too.
5. Fasten loose cables to walls
In the event that you need to trail a length of wiring along a wall – for a floor lamp perhaps – consider fastening it to the wall it’s next to. Loose wires can be an annoyance as well as a potential trip hazard.
C-shaped cable wire clips keep cables running neatly with the correct amount of tension along a wall. They’re also cheap to buy from DIY shops and simple to screw in. There are even versions which require no screwing and simply stick on using a command strip.
Cable organisation don’ts
As we’re giving you tips on how to organise cables, we’d be remiss if we didn’t warn you about the dangers involved in handling electrical wires.
Here are the clear don’ts to keep in mind while you reorganising your electrical wires:
- Don’t put electrical wires under too much stress. For instance, if you’re planning on using wire clips, ensure the tension is not too loose or strong.
- Don’t leave cables lying loose on the floor where you walk – this is a big trip hazard.
- Don’t run cabling under carpets as this can cause a fire risk.
- Don’t overload plug sockets with extension cords or extension plugs, as you risk shorting your fuse box.
If you keep these principles in mind, you can organise your cables without setting up any easily avoidable accidents waiting to happen.
Perfect your office setup with a contemporary Slouch desk
Keep the Spring clean going by finding out how to clean an office chair properly or figuring out the perfect desk feng shui.
Or if you’re looking to really amp up your working environment, we’ve spent years perfecting the ultimate aesthetically pleasing home office chairs and desks that also happen to be uber ergonomic. The ultimate combination of style and substance.
To learn more about how we create our office furniture, or ask any questions, get in touch via email at [email protected].
