If you don’t take care of cables, then the appliances that they are connected to could eventually break down. It’s also worth noting that if you have cables everywhere and young children or pets in the house, then they could injure or even kill themselves. Electrocution is no laughing matter, and it’s a lot more common than you might think.
Proper cable management will keep your appliances, children, and pets safe. It’s also really easy to do, so there’s no excuse for leaving your cables in a state of disarray.
This post will offer a few tips for ensuring proper cable management.
Outlet Covers
Outlet covers are a must-have if you have children or pets at home. According to the specialists over at Sleek Socket, outlet covers can protect young children and animals from electrical hazards. They do this by preventing children from being able to poke objects inside sockets and stopping pets from being able to get close enough to them to hurt themselves.
It’s also worth noting that outlet covers tend to only have a single wire running from the cover down to the extension that the appliances are plugged into, which will make your home look a lot tidier.
Banding Cables
If you aren’t going to use an outlet cover, then make sure that you tie cables together with elastic bands or plastic wiring. Never use metal to tie cables together, because metal conducts electricity. If there is a break in any of your cables and you touch metal wiring that’s tying them together, then you could easily electrocute yourself. Ensure that cables are completely straight when you tie them together. Also, make sure that they are not tied too tightly because this could lead to internal breakdowns and circuit failures.
Wireless Devices
Try to reduce your use of cables by as much as you possibly can. The more cables you use, the more risk there is to pets and animals. It is possible to buy wireless devices, like speakers, stereos, and even game consoles.
However, it should be noted that wireless devices do need to be charged. Charging them will involve plugging them into a socket, and therefore, will involve the use of cables. Alternatively, you could buy devices that don’t need cables to be charged (as in devices that have detachable batteries that can plug directly into a wall socket or extension cord).
Out of Sight
As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. If you do have to use a lot of cables at home, tuck them behind furniture and keep them out of the way. Keeping cables out of the way will prevent your children or pets from being exposed to them. It’ll also make them less of a trip hazard.
If you are going to keep covers behind furniture, then again, make sure they are straight, tidy, and banded together. If possible, then you should also put protective covers over them, to stop them from being damaged.
Everybody uses cables. It’s the way that you manage your home’s cables that makes them either dangerous or safe. If you follow this post’s guidance and incorporate the tips given here into your home’s cable management, then you’ll never have to worry about dangerous cables ever again.
