How do I organise cables?

Cable chaos is self-reinforcing: because you can't tell which cable is which, you never unplug anything, so it never gets tidied. Labelling first breaks that cycle and is the step people skip.

What you'll need

• Reusable cable ties or velcro straps
• Labels or masking tape and a pen
• Cable tray or raceway (optional)
• Adhesive cable clips (optional)

Step by step

1. Unplug everything and pull it all out.Photograph the setup first if it's complicated. Partial tidying doesn't work — you can't route cables you haven't freed.
2. Label every cable at both ends before it goes back.This is the whole point. Masking tape and a pen is enough. Both ends, because you'll approach from either.
3. Discard or set aside cables you don't recognise or need.Old chargers, cables for devices you no longer own. Most drawers contain several.
4. Group cables by destination and bundle each group.All the monitor cables together, all the desk-power cables together. Reusable velcro straps, not one-use zip ties.
5. Mount a power strip off the floor, on the desk underside or the wall.Getting the strip off the floor is most of the visual improvement, and it keeps it out of dust and spills.
6. Route bundles along one path — a tray, a raceway or clips along an edge.One path rather than several is what makes it look deliberate.
7. Leave slack at each end so devices can still be moved.Cable management that prevents you moving a monitor gets cut apart within a month.
8. Store spare cables rolled individually in labelled bags or tubes.Toilet roll tubes in a box work well and cost nothing. A drawer of loose cables is unusable.

Tips

• Roll cables using the over-under technique rather than winding them around your hand — it prevents the twist that eventually damages the internal conductors.
• Colour-coded velcro straps let you identify a bundle at a glance without reading labels.
• Take a photo of the finished setup with everything labelled. It's invaluable when something has to be unplugged in a hurry.
• Keep one short cable of each common type in a 'go' bag rather than untangling the main store each time.

Common mistakes

• Not labelling before plugging back in — Within a week you're back to tracing cables by hand, which is why it got untidy in the first place.
• Using single-use zip ties — Every change means cutting and replacing them, so changes stop happening and the system decays.
• Bundling too tightly — Tight bundles stress the cable at the exit points and can cause failures over time.
• No slack at the ends — You can't move anything, so the management gets destroyed the first time you need to.

Questions people ask