How To: Neatly Wrap Cords and Hoses

While we've got all of our indoor extension cords neatly stored away, storing the 50ft length of medium gauge outdoor extension cord isn't going to work with our DIY solution. Fine Homebuilding's Tucker Windover (what a great name) has come to our rescue with some step-by-step instructions of how to keep a medium-gauge electrical cord in good condition and to avoid coiling with some fancy wrapping techniques that not only preserve your cords and hoses, but also look darn nice...

Some important notes Tucker points out about storing cords, cables and hoses:

"...coiling cords too tightly introduces twists and kinks and should be avoided."
"For heavy-gauge electrical cords that are too bulky to drape and bundle, I weave a daisy chain, which then can be folded into a manageable size for transportation and storage."
"...hang cords on 2x blocks of wood fixed to the wall."
Use Velcro: "Color-coding cords and tools for different job sites, equipment owners, or cord gauges is a smart way to stay organized."

Watch Tucker demonstrate all three techniques he uses to wrap various lengths of cords and hoses here and get started at organizing that mess in your utility room or garage.

[via Core77]

Comments (5)

ummmmmmm, looping daisy chains? what about when you want to use that cable? You have to undo it all.... that's not fun. Just loop a figure-eight on the floor with the cable over and over and then fold it in half so you have one giant (and usually very heavy) circle.

and the reverse coil also applies to any cabling that's not electrical, or cable that's carrying a signal (i.e. audio and video cables).

posted by sparkle on November 13th 2008 at 9:41pm
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I was always taught the one with the first green hose or cord, for heavy outdoor extension cords and hoses, and I use it for anything about the size of a vacuum cleaner cord. Cords have a natural "loop" by whatever stiffness they are and tangle less. Hang them on a board or some kind of heavy duty hook with a stop edge like a pair of these:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1NXR6?diversity=Y
It's quicker to wind it up if you aren't "fastidious" forcing it into a loop the length of your forearm, and it will unwind easier. And if you are fastidious, good news, the loops tend to wind in a uniform size.

posted by K T G on November 13th 2008 at 10:04pm
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@sparkle I'm assuming that you are talking about the yellow cable. My dad was a carpenter for years and always ties his cables like that and all it takes is one tug and the whole thing will unravel fairly easily. In fact, I've found that by tying them up like that it drags out easier and doesn't knot up as opposed to coiling them.

posted by girlonthem00n on November 14th 2008 at 12:18am
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The only proper technique is the over under. This allows the cable to follow it's natural coil. This is the technique used by all electrics on film sets.

posted by Noah on November 14th 2008 at 10:13am
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I'm glad to see other people are commenting on natural loop. I worked in a Theater scene shop for years and our boss would make people spend hours re-looping the extension cords so they were perfect. Also we had velcro loops at the plug end that would bind everything once it was wrapped. PERFECT!

posted by marlamischief1 on November 14th 2008 at 12:31pm
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