A Garage Relic from the Good Old Days
September 1, 2025
Source: Reddit
In the back corner of many older garages sits an object that signifies a simpler time: the garage cord spool (usually bright orange or red, plastic, and hard). These spools were once a valuable invention. They allowed us to keep those clunky cords, hoses, and other tangled messes organized.
The Cord Spool Was Just Genius
Before retractable reels and storage carts, the garage cord spool was the accepted way to keep everything clean, organized, and manageable. It managed items like a garden hose, outdoor/indoor extension cords, or string lights. The cord spool was little more than a flat round frame, a hub in the middle for winding, and a small handle for carrying.
Those round holes weren’t just decorative; they were there to make the frame lighter. They also provided some geometry when winding. Some spools rotated on a peg or mount to make winding quicker and easier.
Wall Mount Usage
Homeowners typically mounted most cord spools directly to the garage wall to keep the cord or hose off the floor and ready for use. Some spools had a hole drilled through the center for permanent wall mounting. Others used two brackets for variable mounting to allow for rotation in the winding process.
But of course, they were made of plastic, so they don’t always hold up. After years of banging around in the garage (and in varying climates), many cord spools cracked or broke. In many garages today, you can still find just one half of the original spool hanging on the wall, left where someone last used it.
Symbol of Simple DIY
The garage cord spool represents a time when DIY home maintenance relied on simple, inexpensive, minimal tools. Almost every hardware store stocked the cord spool as a practical tool. It was passed on to sons repeatedly, piece by piece, from dad. The cord spool was a recognized part of family life in many, many homes for generations.
Assembling a cord or winding it back after mowing the lawn or completing a DIY project was a simple task. Nevertheless, it was a task recognized and accepted within the home. It represented the completion of a part of our home-related productivity and became part of our home-care habits.
So Where Did They Go?
Retractable systems or more compact storage solutions have mostly replaced cord spools. Their demise in garages likely reflects our tendency to move toward convenience and automation. But for everyone who continues to see them buried in a corner—cracked, faded, and partially forgotten—they provide a quiet reminder of once-important routines.
Just a Nod to the Past
It might seem a little pointless now. A broken garage cord spool nailed to the wall was once a story. It represented practical history from a time when people liked to keep organized. People used little pieces of nothing like this to stay organized with whatever they had.
Sometimes, nostalgia does not include a past filled with happy, colorful memories. Sometimes, you find fondness for those common everyday objects that we relied upon.