When I was in college, I learned to wrap power cables so they stay put, take up little space, and don’t get tangled. I was working for Ithaca College’s IT department and one of my supervisors caught me in the act of tossing a cable in a crate with dozens of others that had gotten tangled with each other.

As a consequence, they assigned me to untangle and reorganize the cables. I reveled in the opportunity! Creatively, I designed a method to wrap the cables around themselves, each into its own knot and easily grabbed.

One could just as well hang a wrapped cable on a rack or stash it in their bag without fear of tangling. If you’ve hired me to help organize and consolidate your boxes of extraneous cables — and recycle those you don’t need, you might have witnessed my method.

Years later, faced with the hassle of untangling headphone cables, I learned a way to wrap them as well for similar purposes. Although I’ve switched to AirPods and rarely don wired earbuds, I continue to recommend this approach for others.

Client Notes

Recently, I upgraded Gerry’s Mac storage, performed a miracle for Kevin’s music syncing, and introduced Panna to a new world of synchronized email. I also helped Michael envision his next Mac and set Kim & Stephanie on a path to pay less for business email.

It’s been a jam-packed month with 54 client sessions in the 30 days before Thanksgiving! I learned some important lessons about my capacity and flexibility, including demonstrating to myself the value of spaciousness between meetings.

6-foot Power Cable

Wrap Device Cables

The cables I experimented with in college were mostly standard 6-foot desktop computer and printer power cords like the one pictured above, with a C13 connector (left) and a NEMA 5-15 plug (right). However, any cable of this length and similar thickness will do.

  1. Bring the two ends of the cable together
  2. Bring the two new ends of the folded cable together again
  3. Hold the two new ends, cross them, and put one end through the loop, tying a knot

This technique works consistently with a variety of types of cables. As long as the cord isn’t too thick, you’ll have no trouble with this wrap style.

For a longer cable (9–10 feet), instead of step 2, fold the cable in thirds and then tie a knot. For a shorter cable (3–4 feet), instead of steps 1 & 2, just fold the cable in thirds and then tie a knot.

Wrap EarPods

Wrap Wired Earbuds

It’s amazing how commonly earphone cables get tangled when stashed in a purse, backpack, or other bag. Imaginably, the vibrations of carrying the container jostle the cable just right and to this effect.

Of course, one way to avoid this hassle is to switch to wireless headphones, such as AirPods. Kimberley gifted me a pair for my birthday last year and they’ve been one of our best investments, both for my efficiency and to support my partial hearing loss.

However, for folks who still own wired earbuds, such as Apple EarPods, you can buy products like Quirky’s Wrapster. However, I recommend this method to wrap them before stowage (see photo montage above):

  1. Open one hand and place the end of the cord on your palm with earbuds hanging just below
  2. Wrap the cord around your hand repeatedly (about 4 times for EarPods), leaving at least 10 inches of extra cord hanging down toward the connector
  3. Grasp the top with the opposite hand and gently remove the bundle
  4. Holding the loop from opposite ends, twist once and grip the bundle just south of its midpoint, letting the connector hang
  5. Wrap the remaining cord several times around the midpoint in the direction of the twist (about 5 for EarPods with headphone connector; about 7 for EarPods with Lightning connector), leaving about 5 inches of cord down to the connector
  6. Tuck the connector through the loop opposite the earbuds

This technique works well for thin and light cables up to a certain length. (EarPods are about 4 feet long.)

Hosa Over Under Method for Audio Cables

Wrap Other Cables

A modified version of the earbud method also works with significantly longer power and data cables, such as extension cords. Instead of wrapping around your hand, you’re more likely to wrap the length of your forearm between your palm and elbow.

However, please avoid wrapping professional audio cables by any of these methods. It’s better to use the Over-Under Method, alternating direction with each loop. This respects the curvature of the wires inside and reduces strain, decreasing degradation and promoting longevity.

Please avoid wrapping professional audio cables by any of these methods. It’s better to use the Over-Under Method that respects the curvature of the wires inside, alternating direction with each loop to reduce strain.

How do you like to keep your cables neat and organized? What tangle prevention strategies have you invested in? Share your insights in the comments…