I love the cord turtles - I use ones in colors that best blend in - mostly on lamp and appliance type cords. Loose cords or ones that are folded on themselves with twist ties/similar collect dust bunnies!

Wow, somehow I have never seen cord turtles. Thank you, @Virginia Grayson! Beats my current method of bundling excess cords with painter's tape.

Ditto! My method has been to tape them together and then hide them behind the back of something with... more tape! Which, while functional (and invisible, for the most part), does make me feel kind of silly. Cord turtles look like a huge improvement.

I was really happy over November, though, when I finally got around to mounting a nice-looking three-outlet-and-USB-plugs extender to the underside edge of my desk via 3M and a short black outlet extender. The outlet extender? Taped to the bottom of my desk. Sigh. (But it works! No more crawling around to plug in the laptop etc. And the cords /are/ invisible. Unlike the mess on my Expedit desk.)

I'm now three or four days behind! Graaaad schoool...

I attached a power strip to the underside of my desk. This way all the computer power cords are never seen. Plus all my charging cords for phones and devices are hidden in the desk drawer. No cables along the floor. Most power strip have screw holes so its easy to attach them.

Whew! So glad today's assignment is so light. With only 5 outlets in my apartment (one each in kitchen, living room and bath and 2 in the bedroom), I've had to be pretty careful about overloading and have a good system that keeps corded items stored until needed, thus cutting down on cord clutter ... except for that one outlet in the living room. Stereo, tv, dvd player, vcr, roku box ... Yeah, that one needs some attention.

Also glad yesterday's assignment was something I'm already on top of. I mistakenly assumed our "weekend" homework was for the long weekend, and really needed the extra day to work on my bedroom. I still have some work to do in there, but the changes I've made so far are fabulous: the beat-down old shelves crammed with crap that I've been staring at every day and feeling embarrassed to have friends see when they come over? GONE! Took me almost the whole of yesterday to sort through all the mess, but so worth it to wake up and see that gorgeously empty corner!

Now I need to get to work on my project ...

It's always good to label cords too! If it's your entertainment center and you have a cable box, DVD player, gaming consoles, power cords, etc. etc. it's good to know which one you're pulling out in case it's the wrong one. Same with computer/printer/phone cords. I've always used just a piece of masking tape stuck to itself and labeled with a Sharpie.

Not an issue around here...I can't stand the sight of cords and strive to hide every square inch (lots of them lurk behind pictures or are tucked into the baseboards) and just the other day put together a basket for all misc. electronic stuff the kids use...feelin' good!!

In my 322 sq feet I went wireless on music and toothbrush.. with big jawbone and oral b. I do all charging at my landing strip (chargers have their own box so stay hidden when not in use). I also used twisties to make the three cords for lamps plugged in, not such an eye sore. I look forward to investigating some more options!

Oh .. since I am travelling and committed to completing my cure homework, I just emailed a contractor to paint my bathroom white while I am away for ten days. woo hoo!!

Dotz cord identifiers seem like a great and fun solution.

http://www.cordotz.com/products/identify/cord-identifier

http://www.dotzshop.com/index.php/cord-management-products.html

Cords are the bane of my existence. Even though my apartment is only 15 years old and has a reasonable number of power sockets, most of them are in the wrong place and I have extension cords snaking everywhere.

The permanently located device cords are reasonably contained. Except when I need to say charge my phone in the living room instead of the bedroom and then have to unplug, etc to do that. Bring on wireless charging.

i can't believe this is today's assignment, i'm a day ahead! i got so sick of sweeping around the knot of cords last night in my cleaning fury i decided to undo the whole thing and start from scratch. why i would need 20+ feet of cable for a studio apartment with 2 outlets is beyond me...i had been using twisty ties and rubber bands to contain the beast but cord turtles are now on the short list.

I have several devices with charging cords so I made sure they were all clearly labelled then put up several hooks inside my computer armoire to hang the cords on when not being used. If a device is "retired" the cord is packed up with it. Several devices use the exact same USB cord so I keep just one out to use for all of those. I also replaced individual AC charging cords for some of the devices that also use USB with a simple AC to USB plug. The unneeded cords are still labelled and stored in another spot. Any that only use special cords with specific voltages and polarised tips are still kept but most of the newer items seem to be USB capable. The only annoying cord issue right now is a hanging lamp with a black cord against a light coloured wall that drives me nuts. Not quite enough to replace the lamp. Yet. If I can't find something easy to cover the cord I might try covering it with white tape.

I've got this one. With a bunny that runs around the living room, we can't have any unprotected cluttery cords around in there. The rest of the house is okay too as far as that goes. Which means maybe I can do yesterday's assignment today. And I still haven't cleaned my room and don't know when I will have the energy to do so. Sigh.

Wanted to recommend this cute (and cheap) cable drops from Poppin - a set of 6 is only $10. I use them on my desk to keep my laptop and phone chargers organized and ready to charge. Otherwise the cords end up falling behind my desk and end up in a mess on the floor! They also sell some cable organizers which look like a good option, though I haven't tried those. I have a Belkin power strip under my desk that has enough outlets for all my devices and has a slim, sleek design.

http://www.poppin.com/White-Cable-Drops.html

http://www.poppin.com/Cable-Organizers/

Our cords are already under control, for the most part, and something I look to my honey to manage. However, I am thinking right now about two cords in our family room that we use to plug a laptop to the TV (for watching Hulu shows not available for streaming to our TV). My mom gave us some little cord holders that you can stick somewhere and I am going to use 1-2 of them to keep those two cords more easily accessible. (i.e. not laying behind the entertainment center.)

i am working on this one. I have lot of wires visible. Nice that you mentioned to look on them

Cord turtles are a great idea, but I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed when I looked them up. I thought they would be turtle-shaped. That would be infinitely cooler.

My day job is IT work. Cable management is a huge issue. Hook and loop (i.e. Velcro) straps have been a saviour. They're popular in pro audio as well.

I want to get those cable drops for my desk at work. I have the box cable organizers and they work well to keep dust from getting all over your power strips.

I desperately need to get the cords behind our TV in order. I bought a blue lounge cable organizer ages ago to help corral them and haven't put it to use yet. Will see if I can convince the boyfriend to let me turn the TV off and unplug everything for a little while tonight.

I also need to find things to help run cords down furniture or along walls.

Any good solutions for how to hide cords that run acroos the top and down the side of my fireplace mantel from a flat screen to DVD player, Roku, outlet etc. etc? It's a mess, and I cannot think of anything but going through the wall and back out again. :(

I definitely need to clean up the cord mess behind my TV, so this is a useful post!

I really like the cure so far, even though it's often hard to keep up while taking care of my VERY active toddler ;) Try deep cleaning a room while a 2 yo is clinging onto your legs and whining because you're not playing with her!
And since we live in a tiny apartment, I can't make noise while she naps or sleeps, otherwise, she wakes up... But, so far so good, I feel I achieved far more with the cure than when trying to do this on my own.

For me, what's really working is that there is a different chore everyday and that makes me more relaxed about the whole thing. I now see it as a process and I know everything will get done, as long as I follow the instructions.
Before, when I was trying to do something like this on my own, I would get stuck thinking of everything I have to do, not knowing where to start and trying to do too many things at once!

So, thanks AT!

I use Command hooks for cord control. They're fairly priced and work very well, but it depends on your wall space too. I also went wireless for anything I can. Labeling helps (I suggest labeling the cords before unplugging to re-arrange, that way you know what goes to what). So, I pretty much have this one under control. I'm still working on my bedroom/closet. lol

Have got a jump start on this when I moved my office from living room to spare bedroom.I have a wonderful desk I gleaned from our university with grooves on the underside.My problem is that I have my desk facing into the room and have a cable box and a couple of routers that don't stretch very far. Am off to the local future shop this am to ask the guys for advice. I am wireless so my desk is pristine. Have put a file cabinet with printer on top and various papers inside and on the other side I have a night table with my bill basket on it and pens and charging cords in the drawer.I have a small coil desk calendar and a notebook beside the computer.

Ugh, I love this assignment but I don't know how I'm going to complete it. My husband has hooked up our entertainment center in some weird way that we have too many cords (we have cable plus satellite)! Plus we rent, plus we have cheap IKEA furniture that would be impossible to drill. I tried to put a cover over the stand so I can't see the cords when in front of the TV but they still scream at me when I walk by. I don't know what to do......

I was born in New England, to a Scot...... and I've have a perpetual fossil fuel log ticking away in my head since I was a kid in the '60s. That said, I use what I have and I've use for years the double sided velcro that binds up heads of lettuce from the market. It works perfectly for neatly binding any size bunch of cords together and leaves just that much more plastic out of my life and that much more money in the couch fund. For those gardeners out there they are also fantastic for tying up plants in the garden come summer!

I made a Thing to hide cords under my desk. I have two shelves under my desk and I created a 3 sided screen that just slips in front of the mess of cords. It's made of 1x8s - a longer front piece and 2 shorter side pieces - just nailed and glued and painted the color of the bookcase and woodwork in the room. Because it is only 3 sided, it comes off easily. It works really well.

And velcro strips work well for our tv/home theater/dvd etc set up.

However, I have a little charging station that's always a mess of cords: Kindle, iphones,a couple of nanos, an ipad, cordless earphones, etc. Plus it's where my glasses/ reading/sun etc. end up. Nothing I do seems to work, and I've tried a lot of things. I'm reading these comments carefully to figure out something new to try.

Has anyone tried those wall outlets with usb plugs built in? I don't know if I can install one myself or if I need to have an electrician do it.

Clear or black ponytail holders are a little more durable and better looking than rubber bands for holding together excess slack in cords, and still cheap too.

@MissNicoleAlyss

Thanks for Poppin links! What a great resource! I love that you can shop by color. Look who's getting an orange stapler ...

We actually just did this when we got a new tv and DVD player. The solution was:

- buy a multi-functioning cord for the two devices (tech is not my strong suit)
- put the DVD, modem, and other devices in a stack on a bookcase and drill a hole through the back, thus keeping the cords in one place
- use zip ties to secure the rest. You just clip the ends, and they're really quite unnoticeable. I had ones from the dollar store already, but I've seen ones at HD that are black and gray, which would work better.

Best and cheapest way to keep cord ends handy and organized is here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/final-frame-organizing-compute-111983 ... and it is a prior AT post!

There's quire a mess of cords in front of my TV as both my husband and I plug our phone chargers in there. So I've moved a little used extension cord from the spare bedroom and plugged it in behind the bookcase. Its not perfect but it has made things look a lot tidier.

Funny, I don't mind the cords. It used to bug me, but since I started playing music, I got used to the site of thick black cables snaking around everywhere.

Already done this one. I have my DVD player, & its 'monitor' (I don't watch TV otherwise), plus my wireless whatjamacallit ona 50's metal kitchen cart. I ran the cords inside its 3/4 round metal legs & secured them with cable ties. I had the same problem of excess cords collecting large dust bunnies, & providing temptation to teething puppies, so I gathered them up & stuffed them into small fabric bags that my sheets had come in, hanging off the back of the cart on the middle shelf. They're almost the same color as the wall, & while not invisble, are not obtrusive. Sometimes you can use what you've already got.

toliet paper tubes! I bundle the cords up and slide them over the bundle. I have several hanging under the back edge of my desk for all the computer bits, very invisable!

I just bought a blue lounge cable organizer and it really helps. I have a small kitchen desk with an outlet slightly above the desk. The "cable box" hides my surge protector and all the extra cords, and makes a small shelf for my iPhone when charging. Love it. I also use the hook and loop (velcro) strips and they're great.

I use Fixa cord management from IKEA http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60169251/

I use the zip ties for cords I can't cut to shorten. There are 2 sizes of sticky things that you can anchor the zip ties (or cords themselves) to, to keep them in line. It also has a few cable anchors with nail for the wall. I use the velcro wraps to manage the bundle of HDMI and component cables behind my TV. And it's only $5!

Just took all the cords out of the power strip, untangled them and shoved the power strip back behind the tv cabinet. SOMEHOW the power strip flipped upside down and dumped out my Bose powerblock. It's all blinking orange now. Sigh. Can't win. Now I have to fish it out again.

Cords are not a big issue for me. I did mount the bedroom's surge protector strip to the wall next to the book case. Yes, it is visible, but more importantly, easily accessible. I used Command strips. Love those things since I live in a rental. My various charging cords (Nook, iPad, phone, camera) stay stashed in a vintage style leather "makeup case." The one problem area is my big project alcove. Finished painting it. Now I can tackle the glamorous cord issue. And continue the paper purge - a much bigger task. Thanks to everyone for all the brilliant suggestions.

@DodieGoldney - Yeah I can relate a bit there. There's something strangely comforting about a guitar cable running across the floor.

I just finished writing my post on doing today's assignment when I realized that I skipped two thirds of the cord control that we do! Good job, Gilit.

Eh, I'll insert is as an update

http://shoes-off-please.com/2013/01/22/ahead-of-the-cord-game/

There are a couple of good tips for organising your cables and cords here
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/01/50-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/

There is also a bunch of other useful ideas too, especially the nutella :)

I am less flummoxed by tech cables than lamp cords. We have several floating tables in our living room that force us to snake the cords to the outlets, either in the walls or in the floor. It makes me crazy. My room is great, the furniture is great and when I walk in, all I see is cords! Aaarrrggghhh..........

At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, I have to say: I recently bought the Blue Lounge CableBox and holy crap, what a change. I don't even have to think about the cords behind my TV any more. Amazing. I highly recommend. http://www.bluelounge.com/products/cablebox/

Where I live (Reno, NV), we have a great nonprofit called New 2 U Computers. http://new2ucomputers.org/
They accept old equipment for refurbishment and/or recycling, and give jobs to local people with disabilities. They accept old cords, which they either sell with their refurbished electronics or recycle.
I recently dropped off a load. They charge a $5 donation for recycling things like CRT monitors and televisions, I think. But that just covers their costs and seems to be less than taking the items to a recycling business.

I did indeed find two cords behind the tv that weren't actually plugged into anything and don't even belong to anything. The cords under the computer desk are hard to get to and a dust magnet. The cable box mentioned above is tempting.

@Maybe Someday: I know, right? It's like spaghetti. Black spaghetti. ;)

had some luck w application of some additional moldings to hide the cords, visit a local DIY store and get creative!

I love the idea of the blue lounge cable box, but I can't justify or afford to pay 25-30 bucks for one when I would need 4! That's over $100 to hide power strips in 4 separate locations in my apt! Anyone have a cheaper DIY solution for me?

Please I'm swimming in black spaghetti and dusty power strips!

I haven't been "doing" the cure but this one inspired me to sort out my tv/dvd area and desk area cords. They've been on the floor in a dusty muddle forever (well, 6ish years anyway). So in the tv area we are ditching the video player (yes, past time) and I've secured the other cords to the leg of the tv table and placed the power strip on the table so the floor is nice and clear.

In the desk area, there are 8 power leads! We have now mounted the 8-outlet power strip on the back inside of the desk, and tied/taped the leads out of sight, and labelled all of the plugs. It looks amazing! And cost nothing because I used garden wire (the sort you use to train a climbing plant) and duct tape that we already had, just located it all out of sight.

Thanks! (I keep looking under the desk now, loving how clean it is!!)

Hi there laclvt! Feel free to shoot me an email, I just might be able to help! hans(at)bluelounge(dot)com

If you have a CableBox, you don't even need to unplug anything first. Just pop the top offf, stuff, and BAM! You're done! If you're looking for something that will attach to furniture or walls, CableDrops are perfect! www.bluelounge.com/products/cabledrop

The post mentions special staples you can put in your staple gun to tack cords. I can't seem to find them online on my own...