It’s hard to believe there was a time when entire families would live under one roof, literally. Not terribly long ago in American history, it was common for entire families with multiple children to live under the roof of a single room home. And in many cases, families shared a single mattress and even shared bath water! That gives another meaning to the old saying “sharing is caring”. Needless to say, things have clearly changed for the better, but unfortunately not all’s well that ends well. While it’s extremely uncommon for American families to share single room home anymore, the amount of material possessions that each member of a typical American family has is much, much more. And with so much stuff, clutter is bound to happen.

Regardless of how large or small a space is, clutter can have a huge impact. This can be problematic for families. Not only is clutter unsightly, but it can also be a physical threat by increasing the risk of a slip or fall. This can be potentially dangerous for everyone, but especially elderly family members. On top of that, clutter also makes everything more difficult to find, which can be frustrating in its own right. Furthermore, several research studies have confirmed that clutter can increase a person’s stress levels, making them irritable and less productive at work. That’s because clutter bombards the brain with constant visual stimuli, making it harder to process information.

Since so many families have a ton of gizmos, gadgets and other tech that requires the use of cables, today’s American homes are more cluttered then ever when it comes to wires! Whether it’s USB cables, high-speed HDMI cables, 100ft HDMI cables or fiber optic cables, today’s homes are literally tangled up in 100ft HDMI cables! Not only is this a potential safety hazard, but it doesn’t look that great either. In addition, it makes the simple task of finding a 100ft HDMI cable into an impossible task.

Here are some ways that homeowners can organize their 100ft HDMI cables and other cables to reduce clutter.

Put it in Writing

Have you ever gone to find a cable in the attic or wherever you store excess cables only to forget what it was supposed to look like? Not only that, but you have to fight with a ball of tangled wires just to get to the one you might need? You can avoid this hassle and stress simply by taking a moment to label each wire properly before storing it. Even if you don’t organize them, at least each of the wires will be clearly labeled with their name and use, making the task of finding the right cable a lot easier. It doesn’t matter if you use a fancy label maker or a marker and some tape, the point is to just do it!

Recycle Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Tubes

Not only are toilet paper and paper towel tubes great toys for pets, they’re also great for organizing cables and wires, especially longer ones such as 100ft HDMI cables. It might sound a bit odd at first, but try it and it’s easy to see why it makes perfect sense! One of the best parts is that this method is extremely low-cost and very environmentally sustainable.

Repurpose Foam Pipe Insulation

Not many people like the look of cables and wires under their desks, in their living rooms, or anywhere else where a computer, television or gaming system is used. It makes a room appear messy, even if it’s perfectly clean and organized otherwise. A great low-cost way to combat this is to use foam pipe insulation to conceal the mess of cables around a power strip. This super affordable and easy to do hack is a great way to prevent a tangle of cluttered wires from forming, while minimizing their visual impact on the overall aesthetics of a room.