Your desk is a clutter, cables are tangled everywhere and you're wondering how it got to this point. Don't worry, with the magic of cable management, you can surely clean up the mess and end up with a respectable and organized workstation. 

1. Find out Which Cables are Needed

A prime cause of cable clutter is having an overabundance of them. Figure out which cables you truly need and which ones were placed there half a year ago, never to be used again. Taking the time to simply unplug and sort through the clutter will yield you surprising results.

2. Sort your cables

The best way to keep your cables organized for a long period of time is to sort them so they do not interfere with each others paths. Generally, cables can be sorted into the following categories. Are the cables staying on the same level, are they switching between levels, and are they often used. Power cables and display cables can be stored away in a corner, however cables for commonly used items like keyboards and mice should be separated as they will constantly move and tangle with other stationary wires. If you own a wireless setup then congratulations, you just made the cleanup process much much easier. The best tool to group these cables together is a simple cable tie. QualGear offers multiple cable management options from multi-colored nylon cable ties to reusable self gripping cable ties.

Any product here would be acceptable, just make sure it is long enough to wrap around the circumference of your wires. Once the grouped wires have been put together, store them so that they are separate and channeled together. Grouping the cables together allows for less tangling and intermingling between the cables and a more distinct path for each cable. 

3. Route stationary cables down stationary objects

After grouping up and separating all of the cables by group, now is the time to put each cable out of sight. Run longer cables down edges of your desk to hide them and make sure wires are being attached to something to stabilize them. Nothing is worse visually than a wire just hanging loosely. Use cable clips to attach cables to walls and route them through. Just make sure that you are only securing the cables that are not often used, we will be dealing the the often used ones later. 

4. Buy some wire holders

While cable clips are useful when securing cables down tightly, cables for items such as mice or headphones need to be more loosely secured so the can move more freely. Leaving the wires just sitting on the table is an option, albeit a poor one and you would be much better off purchasing some wire routing tools, like wire holders, to separate the cables. Placing the wire holders in several strategic locations on your desk allows for a more organized and angled appearance. 

 5. Don't stop organizing

After organizing all of your cables and hopefully clearing up the mess, you should be left with a relatively organized workstation. Be sure to maintain the cleanly ways and don't simply throw around new cables like before. Routing cables is always a better idea and will lead to an overall cleaner environment.