Day 59: Controlling the Cords

What: Cords

Why: Thoughts of using the wet/dry vacuum or weed whacker can be daunting when you have to think about finding or untangling an electrical cord to get the job done. Trying to follow your computer cords to make sure you unplug the right one can be a frustrating task when you unplug the wrong cord and turn off your whole computer as you try to navigate the maze. Electronics would be a whole lot more manageable if it wasn’t for the cords, right? Unfortunately electronics aren’t electronic without the cord – so how do you deal with the cord mess?

How:
1. Find the “hot spots” where you have a tangled mess of cords.

2. Decide:

• Whether or not you need all of those cords plugged into that same location.
• Do you use all of the cords that are plugged in? Or could you unplug them and store them elsewhere?
• Do you know what each cord is for? If you cannot find the source, throw it away or donate it.

3. Identify what each cord is for. Unplug those that are not used daily and store them either in a box, bin, or a door shoe organizer.

4. Label each cord so that you know what each is for. This prevents unplugging the wrong item at the wrong time. If you are using a shoe organizer, label each section with the appropriate cord. This makes finding the right cord much easier.

5. Use zip ties, wire twisties, or velcro to keep cords under wraps.

6. Use a surge protector for those outlets that have multiple plug ins. This also aids in saving electricity because you can turn them off each night before you go to bed. No reason to provide electricity to something you are not even using!

Confession of the Day: We used to have cords in a storage bin that we had no clue what they were for. After finding everything that used a cord, we got rid of the ones we did not use or need. Keeping cords under control keeps a potential mess organized. Living with less means getting rid of the things we have no idea what they go to – like cords. Why keep something that we have no idea what it is used for?

How do you keep your cords under control?