5 Ways to Organize Your Home Electronics
Always losing your phone charger? Tired of digging for that missing DVD? Try these ideas for managing your favorite home gadgets
Most homes have quite the stockpile of electronics. Between cellphones, computers, laptops, DVD players, game consoles, tablets and music accessories, keeping everything organized can be tricky. And then there are the cords, chargers and instruction manuals that come with each item. Instead of scrambling around searching for the TV remote or rummaging in the garage for long-lost paperwork, try following these basic tips to keep everything neat and organized.
More: How to Hide Those Messy Wires!
More: How to Hide Those Messy Wires!
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1. Manage office equipment. When you're setting up your home office, make sure to keep computers, printers, fax machines and other equipment up off the floor. Machines sitting directly on the floor (especially on carpet) can be a fire hazard and are more likely to get tipped over and damaged.
This office has a custom solution with pullout shelving underneath the desk. You can try this same concept with a store-bought cabinet with a shelf or big, deep drawers.
This office has a custom solution with pullout shelving underneath the desk. You can try this same concept with a store-bought cabinet with a shelf or big, deep drawers.
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| 2. Get rid of cord clutter. Few things make a space look more messy than a pile of tangled wires on the floor. Control cord clutter at a desk like this by drilling a few well-placed holes. Either drill a small hole into the top of the desk to thread the cords through, or drill a hole into a nearby cabinet and tuck the cords and a power strip inside. The little nook for the printer in this space is great too — the printer is small enough that it can be easily pulled in and out of its storage space as needed. |
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Clean up the mess under a desk by bundling the cords together with a wire wrap and strapping it with Velcro to the inside of a table leg. From the front and side, the wires won't be visible. From there, you can run the cords from the bottom of the table leg to a power strip, using more Velcro to keep them together. In this desk, the powerstrip was attached to the bottom of the desktop.
If you come across a ball of tangled wires, take the time to untangle them and store them properly. Label each cord with masking tape and a permanent marker so that you always know what it belongs to.
If you come across a ball of tangled wires, take the time to untangle them and store them properly. Label each cord with masking tape and a permanent marker so that you always know what it belongs to.
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3. Set up a charging station. By placing every small item that needs to be charged — such as phones, mp3 players and tablets — in one place, you'll always know where they are. Keeping everything in one spot also helps keep other rooms from looking cluttered.
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You can also try purchasing a multi-device charging station to keep cords untangled and tucked out of the way.
Keep smaller cords and chargers and things like USB drives stored in clear zippered pouches near the charging station. It'll keep them neat and tidy, and you'll be able to find what you need at a moment's notice.
Keep smaller cords and chargers and things like USB drives stored in clear zippered pouches near the charging station. It'll keep them neat and tidy, and you'll be able to find what you need at a moment's notice.
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| 4. Use boxes and binders to keep things organized. DVDs, CDs and paperwork for electronics can quickly become a big mess. Stop shoving manuals into the back of drawers and piling DVDs on the coffee table, and invest in a few affordable storage containers instead. Binders are great for manuals and warranties. Assign clear plastic sleeves for each electronic item in your house and give it a clear label. Purchase a few CD and DVD binder sheets and start storing your collection in a compact space. |
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| If your collection of CDs and DVDs is still pretty small, a few boxes will do the trick. Mark each box with the type of media inside, and store the discs in their cases, label-side up. If you still have cassettes and VHS tapes, you can transfer them to CDs and DVDs. Online companies such as Audiomover offer these services. And if you need ideas for what to do with your old tapes, check out this ideabook. |
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| 5. Consolidate items according to purpose. Create separate storage areas for gaming, videos and music. Encourage family members to keep each area clean by installing an organization system for all of the bits and pieces. Labeled boxes and bins or hanging wall organizers will help keep the space tidy and make it easy to find that frequently-disappearing remote. This hidden niche was designed by a contractor to tuck away the components for a wall-mounted TV. Read the full post here to get the scoop on the best way to do this. Keeping home electronics organized is really just like organizing any other part of the house. Take the time to label and clean everything, and you'll save yourself time and frustration later on. More: Well-Styled Electronics How to Hide Plugs and Switches Home Tech: Getting Rid of Wires Without Sacrificing Sound Home Tech: Speakers Matter (and Can Look Good, Too) |
Ideabook published on Jan. 10, 2012.
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