Just realized I've been storing my extension cords all wrong for years

Three years ago in my old garage in Tacoma, I started coiling every cord over my elbow like everyone says to do. Last month, I found three cords with kinks that wouldn't straighten out, and my buddy said it's from that tight coil method. Has anyone else had cords get ruined from the 'proper' way to wrap them?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy6741mo ago

Remember my neighbor swearing by the elbow wrap for his power tools. He had this one heavy duty cord for his miter saw that he coiled up perfectly every time. After a couple seasons, it developed these permanent bends right where he always started the coil. We tried laying it in the sun, even hanging it with a weight, but it never fully straightened. He ended up having to replace it because the kinks made it a pain to pull across the driveway.

faith_lopez481mo ago

Saw my buddy's extension cord do the same thing last summer. He always wrapped it tight around his arm from elbow to hand after using his pressure washer. The middle section got so stiff it wouldn't lay flat on the ground anymore. He tried soaking it in warm water with no luck.