If your closet is a looming black hole that seemingly eats up all of your clothes, it's time to get organized. The clothes closet is one of the most cluttered spaces in all of the house. The clothes pile high into the ceiling and you haven't seen the floor in ages. Have you ever considered just dumping the whole pile to the salvation army? If you are sick and tired of forcing your closet door to close then here are some tips to get that pile into usable clothes again.

Figure out the space you are working with

Begin by taking measurements of your closet. The best way to maximize closet space is by using two rods on top of the other. With your measurements you can now go to the store and buy rods and hangers.

Choose your hangers

There are wires, wood and plastic hangers. Choose the cheap but sturdy plastic ones. Buy a starter set of 30 hangers. If you are sharing the closet with someone else buy 60 hangers. You should also get a some skirt and pants hangers.

Clean out that hell mouth

That's right empty that overstuffed closet. You probably don't even use more than 50 % of the clothes in your closet.

Group your clothes together

Separate your clothes into those that are outdated, ripped or stained, doesn't fit, or those that you wonder why you ever bought in the first place. You should have a separate pile for the clothes that you love and wear every time. Place clothes that need some repair in a separate pile.

Dump it

This is the part where you have to be strong. Dump the clothes that are outdated, doesn't fit and you never wear. Bring it to your local charity. You may feel the need to hang on to one or two of these clothes but really when are you ever going to wear those clothes again? It's useless clutter. That kind of pack rat mindset has kept you from having a clean and well-organized closet. It's time to change that. So dump the clothes already.

Repair it

You should set a deadline for yourself when it comes to repairing the clothes from the to be repaired pile. If you haven't taken the time to repair those clothes then they're probably nothing more than clutter. And what happens to clutter in our super efficient clean-up? They head for the discard pile. Eliminate the source of clutter before it takes over your closet again. We're trying to clean it not to build another black hole.

Organize your keepers

When you've finally decided on the clothes that you'll keep then you should start organizing them by clothing category. Hang your clothes by category. Arrange your skirts and pants on one side and your blouses and shirts on the other.

Shoes

Buying an adjustable shoe rack will eliminate your shoe getting separated from its partner. Besides shoes scattered on the floor look cluttered. When buying a shoe rack, avoid those that are slightly pointed.

Don't over stuff

If you've been successful in eliminating the clutter in your closet then you should have no problem getting an item in or out. Your closet should have quality clothes not several pairs of jeans that look horrendous on you. Don't buy something you know you'll only wear once.

You may be overwhelmed at the start at the sheer volume of clothes you have to organize. Start by breaking your task into smaller parts. You can conquer each part without much trouble and you'll soon find that you've already finished the job. The important thing is that you have to start somewhere because that disaster area you call a closet won't clean itself up.