I got a reader email shortly after the kickoff of LAMOB, the March bed-making challenge (it’s literally just “make your bed every day in March. Or don’t!”), with an amazing little testimonial:
I have a robot vacuum named Lil Sebastian that I have a complex relationship with. He’s great because I hate vacuuming and he loves it, but he also loves to eat my phone chargers, and I’ve gone through about a dozen in the last few years because they get all chewed up. Since starting LAMOB I’ve been tucking my phone charger end into my bed when I make it and voila - no more wrenching my precious charger from Lil Sebastian’s jaws every night. That’s money in the bank!
Love this! Also, if you’re taking part in LAMOB, please tell me how it’s going in the comments — it’s fun for me but also very professionally helpful to hear your own testimonials. But back to those cords: The testimonial prompted me to mention that I put easily removable adhesive hooks on the bed-side side of my bedside table (that broke my brain to write) from which I hang my phone charger and laptop cords when they’re not in use.
Command Clear Medium Hooks
This is what I use in my own home: I like the Command hooks because I can stick them right on the side of my (painted) bedside table without worrying that the adhesive will cause damage if/when I remove the hooks. The medium size is just right for draping 2-3 cords over the hook, and the fact that it’s clear means that the hook doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb stuck to the side of my furniture. Command hooks also come in white, or white with a wire hook, and in sizes from tiny up to huge.
Cable Clips Cord Organizer
One drawback of Command hooks for cord management is that shorter cords, especially (I’m looking at you, iPhone charger) can slip off the hook. These Blue Key World adhesive cord managers grab onto cords, ensuring they won’t come dislodged while not in use and end up littering the floor with their cord-y selves. The peel-and-stick adhesive is safe to use on drywall, plastic, wood, glass, metal or rubber, and the holder can accommodate thin cords (I’m still looking at you, iPhone charger!) as well as thicker cords like ethernet cables.
ELFRhino Cable Clips Cord Organizer
If you want something a little jauntier in appearance, maybe to brighten up a drab-looking desk, the ELFRhino cable clips are what you need in your life. They come in six colors — black, blue, green, pink, white and clear — and can be purchased in a set of three or a set of six. The ELFRhino cord holders are made of silicone, and have an adhesive backing that can stick to smooth flat or vertical surfaces like wood, glass, tile and marble, but that cannot be used on rough or uneven surfaces like painted walls.
Kootek Cable Management Sleeve
But let’s say you want to completely hide your cords and cables … in that case, a sleeve is what you need in your life. The Kootek sleeve is made of neoprene, so it’s flexible, and it’s reversible, so you can choose either the white or the black side depending on which will better suit your decor. The sleeve is 118" long, but it can be cut into smaller pieces using scissors, or used whole to obscure a longer stretch of cord or cords, making it especially good for computer cords and cables, as well as TV cords and cables.
D-Line Cable Raceway On-Wall Cord Cover
Another great option for managing cords that you want to store on the floor is to use a baseboard cover. The D-Line cover comes in five colors — beige, white, black, silver/gray and oak wood — so you can match them to most baseboards and, because they’re made of PVC, they can be painted to match more outré wall colors. The D-Line cord cover also comes in three sizes, so you can find one to accommodate whatever cluster of cables you want to hide, and has an adhesive backing so you can mount it to the floor, molding, baseboards or wall.