The Simple Way To Prevent Long Kitchen Appliance Cords From Getting In The Way

Everybody loves a small kitchen appliance when they're doing some air frying (which can save you money). When they're not in use, however, these tools can create a lot of countertop clutter. The most stubbornly annoying contributor to the mess is unwieldy cords, which seem to dangle around everywhere when you're trying to do some meal prep. Long cords can also be a safety hazard, so it's helpful to find a way to corral all the cords to keep the kitchen tidy and your work space free and clear. The easiest fix, thankfully, is a pretty inexpensive hack: Just stick a removable strip-style hook to the back of each appliance and use it to wind up the cord.

Command products, for those who are not already initiated into the fan club, are plastic hooks that come with strong adhesive strips that won't damage surfaces. They were originally created for jobs like hanging pictures without using nails in walls (perfect for renters), but people have come up with all kinds of crafty ways to use them around the house, like this hack for hanging bags of chips in the pantry. In fact, so many people have used these hooks for organizing appliance cords that you can now buy kits specifically for the job.

The nice thing about adhesive strips is that they won't damage the paint on the surface of your appliance, so your designer-color Kitchen Aid stand mixer is safe even if you decide to remove the hook. The only drawback, however, is that some of the adhesives will melt if you stick the clips to a surface that gets hot, like a toaster or certain panels on an air fryer. Depending on the piece of equipment and the thickness of the cord, you might want to mix and match different sizes and styles of adhesive hooks.

The most important factor in choosing a stick-on cord bundler is to choose the one that's appropriate for the size of the appliance. Smaller machines and miniature kitchen tools (which, yes, you absolutely need) with narrow cords, like blenders and hand mixers, can be tamed with smaller bundlers like this set from Command, which can hold up to 2 pounds. Larger pieces, like stand mixers, have thicker cords and are better served with winding-style organizers like these models from Lander. For appliances that get hot, go for a heat-resistant style like this one from The Cord Wrapper Store. Most models only cost a few dollars apiece, so if you find that one style isn't working, just peel it off and stick another hook in its place.