As long as I’ve lived life, I’ve been messy. I say this with neutrality. After years of therapy and self-reflection, I know that being messy is not a character flaw or a moral failing. And frankly, it’s not even something I particularly wish to change about myself. I don’t have the desire to transform into a “clean person.” Yet, I do desire to live in a safe, functional and welcoming home. So, I am continually figuring out ways to adapt to my sheer inability to put things back where they belong after I’ve used them.There are lots of reasons that cleaning can be hard, whether your limitations are physical, mental or emotional — or you just fucking hate it. And while you can, Sisyphus-style, try to force yourself to clean in the way your mother taught you, in the way you see on TikTok, or however you think you’re “supposed to,” I wager that you’ll get a lot further by finding creative hacks that work for you. If you already struggle with cleaning, feeling more shame is probably not going to get the clothes off the floor, the dishes out of the sink or the papers off the table. Yet simple accommodations — like adding more hampers, swapping to a heavy-duty soap or making a system for incoming mail — can start you off on the right foot.You don’t need to magically learn to “clean as you go,” nor do you need to develop an affinity for folding things or vacuuming. You just need to know yourself and create systems that work for you. Here are some of my favorite tips that I hope resonate with you.AmazonGet a standing dustpanFirst things first: Get a standing dustpan. I've written before about how it's made sweeping easier on my back, and I highly recommend it for anyone who hates sweeping. It practically sweeps on its own, requiring minimal effort on my end to pick up gross stuff. I have this pink one, which is so cute that I don't mind leaving it out. The dustpan is super easy to empty.AmazonEmbrace the '90s-mom dish brushI know the trendy kitchens of TikTok are all about those aesthetically pleasing bamboo dish brushes, but my goodness, just get into these Scotch-Brite brushes. I distinctly remember my family having one of these when I was growing up, and I started using them a few years ago in my own adult home. If you hate doing dishes, one of these will make it so much easier. Since the soap is already in the handle, you don't have to put your hand on the gross sponge. And the handle gives you extra leverage.AmazonGet a cordless vacuum (that doesn’t break the bank)I'm a late adopter of the cordless vacuum. As you now know, I don't like cleaning, so I never thought it would be a worthwhile purchase. I recently got one from Bissell, because I trust the brand name and it cost under $200. I have been blown away by how easy the cordless model makes vacuuming, and do find myself doing it a hell of a lot more than I ever did before. Not to sound like a mommy blogger, but I really do find it so easy to give the home a quick swipe and to get dust and dander off the floor.The one I have isn’t available online, but this ReadyClean model is similar and has some very cool features — it can even convert into a handheld vacuum.AmazonSet a nice vibe, even when it's messyCleaning — at least when you're struggling to do it — is a "fake it till you make it" game. I find that a nice room spray, like this one from Mrs. Meyer's, can get me in the mood to tidy up a little bit. It makes my space feel homey and nice, even if it looks like a bomb went off. Smell is such a powerful sense, and giving your space a good scent can get you into a cleaning mood and make your space more enjoyable as you're knee-deep in piles of stuff.AmazonOpt for extra powerful dish soapI have a stack of dishes in my sink at all times, and that really is just what it is. I don't have a dishwasher and I really struggle to consistently do my dishes after I cook. I swear by this spray from Dawn that works powerfully even for caked-on and dried-up food. I find that by spraying a plate down and letting it sit for 30 seconds, this soap almost cleans it for you.AmazonGrab a high-reaching dusterAnother pretty simple hack: Get an extending duster. This option from Swiffer can extend up to 3 feet in length and help you get dirt and other nastiness off of your fans, baseboards, walls, ceilings and everything else. I find that I'm more likely to clean if I can just lazily stand in one place and dust all around me without too much moving, and this lets you do just that.AmazonEmbrace the paper towel life (but don't skimp on quality)I know many people have sworn off paper towels, but I truly could not live without them. Bounty paper towels are essential for me, as I don't need to further clean them after using them. I do use rags in the kitchen, but having to clean a rag after using the rag to clean a spill? Give me a break. I love paper towels for cleaning the toilet, sinks and tables, as well as spills and really any other gross mess.I keep rolls all over my home, so I can always reach for one when I need it. I've learned the hard way that it's better to splurge on a more heavyweight towel — just one sheet can often do the trick (as opposed to a whole roll of a cheapie brand).AmazonGroup cleaning supplies togetherAnother great cleaning hack for me has been buying multiples of supplies — so I don't need to cart individual bottles from room to room — and setting up little cleaning caddies so I have everything at hand. I have a caddy like this under my kitchen sink and under my bathroom sink, each full of the products I need to clean the area. That makes it so easy to just pull a caddy out and have all of my sprays and cleaners together.AmazonCreate spaces for like itemsOutside of my job, I read and write a lot. This means I have an assortment of notebooks and books everywhere at all times. I love having good-looking crates, like this trio of wooden ones, around my home that can I designate for such items. When I'm cleaning, I just throw every book and notebook into the crate, clearing up table space, the couch and my bed. Later, when I'm looking for a certain book or notebook, there's a great chance it's in one of the crates.Don't get it twisted: I certainly do not return the book to the crate after reading it. No, no — I put the six books I've taken out all in the crate when I want to sit on my book-covered couch. Obviously, these can be used for any item you have a lot of, or as a general grab-bag situation. But the point is, creating spaces for certain stuff lets you easily move it when you're cleaning.AmazonA good-looking tray is your friendDirty dishes around my home are another consistent problem for me. At any given moment, there are 12 dirty cups in my bedroom. Similar to crates, I've gotten into really cute trays, creating a set spot for food and dishes to go. When I notice the cups are starting to stack up, I can put them all on a tray, making them easy to carry back to the kitchen.AmazonKeep some 'needs to go up' and 'needs to go down' baskets on the stairs.I have stairs in my apartment, which just become completely covered in things that need to go upstairs or downstairs. For the last year or so, I've started a sorting system with these hard-sided grocery bags. One sits on the top step for things that need to go downstairs, and one rests on the bottom step for things that need to go up. I find that having these designated spaces for crap helps ensure my stairs are clear and safe. When I notice that the stairs are getting full of stuff and I'm in a rush, I can throw it all in a basket, get it out of the way and know that I need to sort it later. (As with any basket system, this runs the risk of just becoming a basket overflowing with random items. But the trade-off is worth it to keep my stairs safe, and each basket is easy to carry around and then sort.)AmazonAlso, put trash cans everywhereTrash cans are your friend. So much of me not putting things where they go is because the “spot” for the thing is in another room and I'm too engrossed in what I'm doing to move. This can totally be the case for trash — seltzer cans, junk mail, food wrappers. An easy fix for this is just having more trash cans in my space. When every room and hallway has a trash can, it's a lot easier to actually dispose of things. Then when trash day comes around, I just have to stop by the cans instead of picking up single pieces of trash from all over. I love this set of four compact, neutral trash cans that will blend into any space.AmazonSkip the cutesy hamper; go for a basket that's nice-looking.Clothes have been the bane of my cleaning existence and are always my most clutter-causing items. I have tried all sorts of clothing management systems, and I've found that ditching hampers and just keeping a bunch of good-looking laundry baskets around my home works best for me. So when I'm inevitably taking something off the minute I walk through the door, I can throw it directly into a basket. And when the basket is full, I can bring it down to my washer. It's not about trying to force myself to put dirty clothes from my body into the hamper — that's just never going to happen. It's about having a basket ready when I notice that I can't see the floor anymore because it's covered in clothes.AmazonPrep your front doorThe front door is another zone that so easily gets out of control and can really hinder your home cleaning. I love having a front door station with a spot for my keys, my sunglasses and anything that's outgoing, like mail or items I need to give to people. It gives all of these things a designated spot, meaning there's less cleaning up for you.AmazonGet into ant trapsI know it's gross to talk about bugs and ants, but it is what it is and sometimes they happen. I recently was dealing with a gnarly ant situation, and these Hot Shot traps have been great for controlling that.The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.