Simple Labels Can Reduce Wire Confusion

How many times has this happened? You reach down to pull out the plug to your PC from a chockfull power strip and have to follow it back through a tangle of wires to the computer so you don't pull out the wrong plug? Substitute that, of course, with any peripheral, light, stereo component, etc., whose plug shares a spot on a crowded strip of power, and you know of what I speak.

Of course, you can label wires and cables with durable tape and a Sharpie pen, as Robin Raskin has advised. But I came across a simple, neat solution on Uber Review: ID Pilot Wire Identification Labels. The small vinyl labels have drawings of the many devices in our life that require plugs.

For $6 you get either an Office, Electronics, or Household set of stickers. (All three sets for $15). The Office sets has 22 computer and office equipment labels. The Electronics labels include stickers for 16 computer-related items, 16 audio/video labels, and eight charger labels for wireless devices.

I suppose you could do the same with some small pieces of masking tape and a Sharpie pen, but these stickers are just the right size and the icons make it easy to identify which plug belongs to which device. I can't see a huge need for household items other than electronics, but if they could quickly solve the where-does-this plug-lead mystery beneath our office desk, then I'm a fan.

How do you keep track which plugs, wires, and cables belong to which devices? Share your best DIY solutions. 

Related:

Label Those Cables!
Keeping Cables Under Control