The 5-Second Paper Towel Trick That'll Change How You Store Extension Cords

When extension cords are shoved into drawers or bins, they get jumbled up and stuck together. Every time you need to quickly grab a cord, it ends up being a hassle to pull it out and tell which cords are which. Surprisingly, a few empty paper towel tubes might be the best way to store and organize extension cords without the tangled mess. By using one of the thin cardboard tubes to hold each cord, you'll keep them neatly folded, separate, and organized. This hack is super simple, eco-friendly, and free, and it'll fix your frustrating knot of cords in just a moment. Since these paper towel tubes are made from cardboard, you can write on the outside to label your cords.

If you don't have enough paper towel tubes, toilet paper tubes are a great substitute, depending on the size of the extension cord you need to store. With very long or thick cords, you may need the longer paper towel tubes. Not only does this make storing extension cords a breeze, this nifty hack can also sort any type of spare cords. Whether you have jumbled chargers to different devices in your drawer or a mess of various cords behind your desk, a couple of paper towel tubes will instantly add organization to your space.

Before inserting your cords into the paper towel or toilet paper tubes, you'll need to carefully wrap each one to keep your extension cords organized and knot-free. Coil the cord around your hand so that it forms a neat bundle. Slide the end into the cardboard tube to prevent the cord from coming unfolded. Really thick cords may not fit well in the tube, but there's a quick fix for this. Simply cut one side of the cardboard lengthwise, allowing you to open and slip the tube over the folded cord. Once all of your extension cords are inside of their respective tubes, use a permanent marker to write the length or type of each cord on the paper towel holder.

After all of your cords have been wrapped up and placed inside their new DIY organizers, there are tons of ways to store them. You could dedicate a small shelf inside a closet to stack the tubes, or place them upright in your regular cord bin to really maximize your storage space. With shorter cords such as chargers, you can use a small container to sort your tubes and keep them neat inside a drawer. If the cords behind your desk become jumbled and unsightly, paper towel tubes can sort them, too. Cut a slit in a paper tube, slide it over the cords to hold them together, and tape it to your desk for hidden organization.