No matter how much care is taken, it is almost inevitable that the cables of mobile phones are damaged.

But while it can’t be prevented from breaking down in the end, there are a few tips or tricks to prolong its life and avoid having to buy a new one.

BBC Mundo explains four useful tricks.

1. Homemade trick

A very popular and simple option is to strengthen the cable with a pencil spring.

This is done by wrapping the spring around the ends of the wire.

In this way, the cable is prevented from being bent and thus peeling or being affected by its continuous use.

If you don’t have a wire, you can use a straw that is inserted into the end and melted with a lighter to provide an extra layer of protection.

You can also use a sheet of paper and tape.

A piece of paper is cut, placed on the end and taped.

2. Reinforced cable

If you don’t want to basically strengthen your cable, you can buy an already reinforced cable.

These cables come with a kind of wrap that prevents them from bending and eventually breaking.

3. Wind the cable properly

Often times the cables are damaged by the user not winding them properly.

A very common practice is to fold it up and tie it at its end for storage.

This is not recommended as its components may be affected by the pressure they are subjected to when compressed and bent into stretched circles or ovals.

The best thing to do in this case is to make the circles without the slightest stress.

4. Do not stretch

Another of the moments when cables are most exposed is when they are connected as the device tends to move and stretch the cable at both ends.

This will damage the part of the cable closest to the plug.

Therefore, it is important to avoid stretching the cable to the maximum extent and placing it in a walkway, as a walking person could bump into it and cause damage with a jolt.