How to: Roll Up an Extension Cord Like a Pro

I use extension cords on nearly all of my projects: powering tools in my outlet-starved basement workshops, plugging in task lights for fine handwork like cutting stencils or sewing, or snaking it through my kitchen to use outside for extra messy projects. And the rest of the time, my extension cords sit in a hopelessly bundled and tangled lump in a corner of my shop.   Not surprisingly, contractors – who use extension cords everyday to set up portable job sites – have come up with a better-than-wrapping-it-around-your-elbow trick to keep them tangle free and ready to go. Wires are not rope…don’t treat them the same.

I’ma memorize this trick this afternoon, and put it into practice immediately. I hope it’ll also work for stiff and twist-prone air hoses.