There are as many opportunities to manage cables within a home office as a commercial space. Having a smaller area makes it even more vital to maintain and organize wires, cables, and cords, because of the compact footprint. A home office’s aesthetics are improved with untangled cables, and give the space a more professional appearance. Keeping wires streamlined may additionally enhance personal productivity and lower stress. Proper cable management can reduce trip hazards to make a space safer. Protected cables have a lowered possibility of becoming damaged. Labeled and organized cables are easier to identify for maintenance and upgrades. Properly arranged cables take the strain off connectors, lengthening their lifespan. Organized cables improve workspace efficiency, and space utilization.
Now that you know some of the reasons cable management is important, what are the top 10 home office cable organization tips from CableOrganizer®?
1. MAINTAIN CABLES REGULARLY.
Unused and damaged cables and wires should be removed from your workspace. CableOrganizer® has an array of electrical testers and network testers to check cables for issues. Shop at CableOrganizer® for a range of cable types if replacements are necessary, including network and ethernet cables, USB cables, audio/video cables, and fiber optic cables.
2. USE WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY.
Eliminating wires helps to lessen cable clutter because fewer are in the mix. A desk outlet with standard and USB outlets, whether removable or built-in, keeps device plugs off the floor. Charging stations, like wireless chargers and USB hubs, remove wires snaking around a workstation.
3. INVEST IN A DESK GROMMET.
A desk grommet centralizes and organizes cables, wires, and cords through the top of a desk, protecting cable jackets from the surface’s jagged edge. Some grommets are camouflaged with a cover when not in use. Hole cutting for a grommet requires DIY savvy — if you are uncomfortable with this task, hire a professional. But if you are ready to take this on yourself, purchase hole cutters from CableOrganizer®.
4. DISGUISE THEM IN A CABLE BOX.
Desk cable management is essential in a small space, with a CableBox from BlueLounge® a simple and quick way to conceal cable jumbles. The regular box holds a standard power strip or surge protector, while the mini version includes its own power strip. Both types cover cables within a fire-retardant PVC box, without unplugging your electronics from the surge protector or power strip. The CableBox keeps the appearance of cables neat. It prevents dirt, dust, and debris from settling on cables — and entering the power strip or surge protector.
5. PROTECT CABLES WITH BRAIDED SLEEVING.
Expandable braided sleeving is a handy tool to organize office cables, wires, and cords, with various types suitable for home offices. Standard sleeving like Flexo® PET can expand 150% over bundles and oversized connectors. The high tensile strength polyethylene terephthalate offers moisture, cut, and abrasion resistance. Flexo® PET is useful for color coding, identification, and aesthetics. Standard wrap-around sleeving like Flexo® F6® covers existing cable runs, its split loom construction enabling breakouts. The 25% edge overlap provides generous coverage around connectors, inline plugs, and splices. Flexo® Anti-Stat combats electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI), and electrostatic discharge (ESD). It improves the clarity of data signals, and electrical application performance.
6. CHOOSE CURATED KITS.
Curated kits from CableOrganizer® were created to simplify the desk and office cable organization processes, with one of their benefits the cost savings in purchasing the group of products. Select from standard or professional office and desk organization kits. The Desk Cable Management Kit comes with a 24-inch cable tray containing a six outlet surge protector, Manta™ Desk Mount Power Strip and Charging Station, three-quarter inch adhesive cable clips, and 10-foot length of one-inch black F6® split braided sleeving. The Setupking Desk Management Kit includes self-adhesive rubber and acrylic hook and loop tape, a 10-pack of black adhesive cable clips, 8-inch black VELCRO® Ties, 10 feet of F6® woven wrap sleeving, and Humanscale® NeatLinks™ Under Desk Cable Manager. There are two types of curated office organization kits, with the Standard Single Office Organizing Kit containing all the essentials to organize cords on, under, and around your desk. The WireMate™ Cord Organizer, one-inch black F6® braided sleeving, 5-pack of 8-inch VELCRO® Ties, 6-pack of wire clips, and 10-pack of black adhesive cable clips, encompass this helpful standard kit. The Professional Single Office Organizing Kit contains everything in the standard kit but doubles the number of wire clips and VELCRO® wire wrap, then adds a 100-pack of nylon 6/6 cable ties.
7. CHANNEL CABLES IN RACEWAY OR TRAYS.
Bundles or individual wires can be routed under desks, along walls, or along the ceiling with cable raceway or cable trays. Cable raceway is a stealth option that encases a wire or bundle within a locking channel. Many types of raceway latch together, and then are adhered or attached to a surface with nails or screws. Raceway rolls are another alternative that dispense raceway from a coiled span. It can then be cut to the appropriate length. Cable trays are basket-style organizers that can route wires along walls, on cabinet tops, or from ceilings. Under desk cable tray baskets can be screwed into a desk horizontally or mounted vertically on a desk support or wall.
8. SECURE WIRES AND BUNDLES WITH HOOK AND LOOP FASTENERS.
Office cables tend to be movable because of the nature of their environment, with electronics often relocated within the room. For that reason, some of them are not well-matched to standard cable ties, which are one-time use. If nylon zip ties must be removed, it risks the possibility of snipping a wire jacket in the process. Hook and loop fasteners are cable ties that gently organize wires without being overly snug. They are effective at arranging cables under a desk to clear up cable slack. VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® General Purpose Cable Wrap is a reusable cable management solution that can be implemented for color coding desk cables too.
9. BUNDLE WITH CABLE CLIPS.
Handy cable clips come in various styles useful for different office setups. The Mag Daddy™ magnetic cable clip can route cables along metal surfaces, like a file cabinet. Animal clips are all-purpose cable holders that add whimsy to an office space, routing cables along a flat surface, like a computer monitor. Blue Lounge® CableDrop™ Cord Clips also attach to surfaces with a self-adhesive backing, with white, black, or a bright color assortment. See the full selection of cable wraps, clips, and clamps at CableOrganizer® here.
10. IDENTIFY WITH CABLE LABELS.
Labeling cables helps identify your office wires and cables, which assists in modifying your setup. If wires become accidentally disconnected or damaged, labels can aid in better detecting system issues. Various colors can work for color coding. Label printers are a way to tackle labeling with specialized label tapes and cartridges, like heat shrink. Plastic cable identification tags can be written on or have a printed label applied to them. Unitag is an easily visible solution behind desks or in server closets; they come in different colors and can be wrapped around any cable. The Kableflags® Cable Identification Tags computer cables pack organizes with reusable and adjustable tie straps.
Now that you know these cable organization tips, shop at CableOrganizer® to get your home office cables in order today.
