How do I untangle cables, chains and knots?

Every tangle is a series of individual crossings. Pulling tightens all of them at once; loosening and undoing them one at a time takes them apart in order. The technique is the same for headphone cables, necklaces and garden twine.

What you'll need

• Flat surface (optional)
• Pins or needles (optional)
• Talc or oil for chains (optional)

Step by step

1. Lay it flat and loosen the whole thing first.Spread it out and make every loop as loose as possible before untangling anything. This is the step that makes the rest work.
2. Never pull on the ends.It tightens every knot in the tangle simultaneously. If you find yourself pulling, stop and loosen instead.
3. Find one end and follow it.Trace it into the tangle and work it back out through each crossing in turn, in reverse order.
4. Work one crossing at a time.Undo the outermost crossing, then the next. Trying to see the whole solution at once is why tangles feel impossible.
5. For fine chains, use two pins on a flat surface.Lay the chain on a hard surface and work the knot open with pin points. Fingers are too blunt for fine links.
6. Add a drop of oil or a dusting of talc to a tight chain knot.Baby oil or talcum powder lets the links slide against each other and loosens a knot that will not open dry.
7. Take a break if you are getting frustrated.Tangles get worse when you rush. Five minutes away genuinely helps, and the frustration is what causes pulling.
8. Store things so it does not recur.Cables coiled loosely and secured with a tie, chains hung individually or clasped and laid flat, twine on a spool.

Tips

• Coil cables in loose loops the way they naturally want to lie, rather than wrapping them tightly round a hand — tight wrapping is what creates the memory that causes tangles.
• A drinking straw threaded onto a fine chain before clasping it keeps it from knotting in a drawer.
• For cables that live in a bag, a simple velcro tie prevents nearly all tangling and costs almost nothing.

Common mistakes

• Pulling the ends to test whether it will come free — It tightens every crossing at once and converts a loose tangle into several tight knots.
• Trying to solve the whole tangle at once — Tangles come apart one crossing at a time. Looking for the overall solution is what makes it feel hopeless.
• Wrapping cables tightly around your hand — It builds a twist into the cable that causes both tangling and eventual internal breakage.

Questions people ask