If you were to take a look at your living room, how many wires would you say you have in that room alone? Taking into account that living rooms ordinarily have a television, lamps, phones, video games, and DVD players plugged in, that’s a lot of cords. Not to mention, there are usually empty outlets to plug in a laptop or charge a cell phone. If that’s what your living room entails, then that’s a significant amount of wires situated in one location.

In an effort to keep items plugged in and functioning, many homeowners utilize a multi outlet plug. But, because the size of the wires of the devices vary, keeping all the cords plugged it can be difficult. A television wire can especially take up a significant amount of space. Also, wires may fall out, making it a nuisance to keep items plugged in. In addition, an accidental spill of a liquid substance on wires can cause damage. So, what do you do to keep wires secure and out of harms way?

Fortunately, with the use of heat shrink tubing, ensuring wires are plugged in and protected is simple. A heat shrink is a plastic tube that literally shrinks around wires when heat is applied in order to protect the wires. The tubes are made from of a range of thermoplastics, but nylon and polyolefin are very common. Heat shrinks are covered with a thick layer of plastic on the outside, which helps keep wires secure and intact. Also, the wires are protected from point to point from physical damage such as breaks, cuts and chemical spills. In addition, heat shrinks also help repair wires and they actually extend the life of wires, so you can avoid having to buy new ones.  And, the tubes fit the wires perfectly so you don’t have to worry about size being an issue.

The tubes come in various diameters, depending upon the length of the wire you want to cover. Typically, tubes come in 36-inch straight pieces, but you can find them as small as 1/16 of an inch. The size of the tube needed will depend upon the length of the wire you want to protect. Because sizes and prices vary, you should shop online to find tube size that fits your wires and at an affordable price. Also, if you have several wires in a location, you may want to color coordinate the tubes to allow for easy identification.

Don’t let wires leave you in a knot. Instead, purchase heat shrink tubing and keep everything organized and safe.

Jillian Johnson is a professional content writer with an interest in writing about technology and gadgets. Follow her @JillianLJ87.