Last year my husband gave me our tax return money. Of course I first thought I can now buy some cabinets to put above my washer and dryer instead of the single shelf that I had. Well of course I had to declutter and organize the towering choas that was piled up there. After getting everything down and sorted and mostly thrown out because it was trash. At the bottom of the pile I found the four organizing bins I had been using to begin with. After all that what I didn't need new cabinets because the shelf had plenty of space. So I opted for a wallpaper and now I have a beautiful space for a fraction of the cost. I spent the money on fixing up the back patio.😊

5:42 "Accepting the reality of the space that I have. The space I have is the space I have, that's how the container concept works".

"That's harder than it looks on TV." Story of my life right there...

Dana's concepts on decluttering have totally changed my life. I love blaming the space for getting rid of stuff. It really does make it easier.

How does Dana not have 1+ million subscribers????

Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind! Wise words of Dr Suess!

"we try to only invite nice people into our house" while filming for the entire Internet 😂 you're the best. Having a shallow shelf is way better than no shelf and nothing is getting lost at the back

"It's like science or something!" 😂😂😂

Dana, that corner that remains is RIGHT at your eye level! Please be careful leaning over and into the washer. At the very least, see if you can take your jigsaw and round the corner.

Embracing space you have?: Awesome!; Saving the Rest of Shelf? BRILLIANT 👏🏻 😂🎉❤

Has me thinking about accepting the reality of my time and my energy too. Thank you!

Your Methods have Permanently Worked for me. I Thank you from my heart. ❤

"We try to only invite nice people to our home anyway." I love it!!!!

We're 3 people in a 2BR apartment. I toss at least 20 items every day. Some recycling, some is trash. Tina, Al's wife

I can't tell you how much it helps when you show your real actual clutter like a real actual person. Like what is that at 8:10 - a lobster in a Halloween costume? I don't know, but the same thing could happen in my laundry room too.

"Yep! Haaaah!" I love your sense of humor- so very funny!!!

I was thinking to myself that i would probably just cut out a notch from the shelf, and then you did it. Lol

Hi there from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹. Your strategies have been life changing altered the way i forever look at stuff and even relationships. Thank you so much

I am so glad you are on the internet. Our brains think very much the same way. So, I am so thankful to have found you! Our home is much better off after having listened to your content. ❤

I love your videos so much, i was decluttering and i needed to get rid of a stool and then i thought " i cant get rid of that stool bc then where will the pillows sitting on it go" and it hit me. I need to declutter the pillows too 😊 ive learned so much after watching you for the past years ❤

The container concept is the alpha and omega of satisfaction. We have been striving to practice this now for over 3 years when we moved from our prior home with umpty-ump storage closets and built-ins and shelving up the wazoo. The reason we opted for our now-forever home with a fifth the storage space is the soul-stirring view we now have. We realized at once that all of the crap we had accumulated for 16 years in our old home was there without any thought or even desire. We contained what our vast container would hold and there was no real happiness in it, or inspiration. We did it mindlessly because we could, and nothing pushed us to evaluate doing so. So when we had the chance to move, we had the most marathon sudden decluttering session of ever, and now, the container our current home is, definitely causes us to use our imaginations (our washer and dryer are in the kitchen pantry and we use wire shelving in the kitchen for our canned goods). The point is, we love living here and love having so much less and love brainstorming on how to keep it free and inviting. Having way less storage space now feels like a blessing and lets us get right to the heart of what counts. I really admire today's video.

I have heard you talk about the container concept many many times and yet I still come back for your lovely face and your humour. You never seem to tire of bringing the messages in a fun and fresh way. ❤ U Dana

This made my morning!!!!!! And that’s why we love you Dana. Congrats on the DIYish fix to the problem! I love “we only invite nice people to our house”

“We try to only invite nice people to our house” 😂 omg , I love it!!! Learning so much from your books and videos!!!

I never tire of your "realness" Dana, love it so much.

This changed everything for me. Its the space, not the stuff.

At the end of 5 minutes, I was like, surely she's going to tell us why that shelf is still there 😆

Trimming the shelf is a great idea! A support bracket under that cut edge of the shelf will be needed if any heavier items are placed on the shelf. Installing a shelf bracket is easy peasy.

I would either add a support brace under the bottom shelf, or better yet, remove that whole 1st board. Your shelf currently isn't supported well enough to bear much weight. Also, you can just paint that raw edge and it'll be white again. I'm glad your washer lid opens now!

I listened to this during my plan time today and it helped me get unstuck to tidy my classroom.

This concept is the most deliciously simple, liberating idea! I also feel like it helps "gamify" decluttering because there is a very black and white goal that you meet or don't meet based on decisions to get rid of crap, relocate crap, etc.

Great lesson in creative thinking to make life work. Thank you. Also I confess, I was decluttering while I watched this and ended up making piles rather then taking it there now so I could keep watching😮. And that is why you need to keep teaching us these things over and over😂😅.

I'm glad that you removed enough of the shelf that you still had a portion of it if you needed it. Now you can open your washer lid all the way. WIN WIN There is no doubt: Reid and Dana and the rest of the family ARE SOUL MATES

Reid changed the end credits! I like the larger font- it works well on my phone. 😊

Isn't it weird how much time and brain energy we let little annoying things like that consume? Usually the solution is such a simple thing -- like sawing your shelf. LOVE IT!!

I love that you are so real.

I love you😁. You are so fun and very helpful 😁😁

I love that you not only explain the container concept, but also explain how if you are CHANGING a space (eliminating it), you STILL use the decluttering question "If I needed this item ---and this is no longer available --- where would I look for it first. Simple change to the question, and poof! You still declutter!

Our minds think so much alike. I love and appreciate you so much. Thank you for being you!

You are so RIGHT!!! Oh my! I love this video!!! This is just what I needed to hear! Thank you so much!! I have thought about, read about, watched videos and have not grasped this important concept-- the space you have is the space you have!!!!! Accept the reality! Thank you for saying this so CLEARLY. I love how you are so REAL and transparent!!! DIY story was so funny because I can so relate!! I'm glad it worked out so well!!!

How wonderful! You actually solved one problem twice and got double the rewards.

Lol ! Within the first 3 minutes, I thought, OMG - this is a DIY situation. Love it.

The concept for me in intellectually easy and I still see my future with a spare "bedroom" wall lined with with stacked Rubbermaid totes. And even that leaves however many totes to my son to add to a dumpster one day.

I do that....wait until i cant stand it any longer. My hubby always asks why it took so long for me to get to that point. I just remind him that at least i finally did it. Forward motion. Thanks for this.

I can’t quit laughing…this is my most favorite diy channel 😂😂😂

KonMari also had like one sentence in her book that basically said the exact same thing. Then my mind went….wait! If you add more boxes you have more stuff you can hide, you don’t have less you actually have more because you can add more later. This realization made me get rid of SEVERAL organizing totes, containers boxes ect. Since I couldn’t hide it I had to throw away, donate, declutter. Now my kitchen, bathroom, both living rooms feel like they can finally breathe.

Sometimes you can have a really big space and think your space is unlimited, but just unorganized. Then suddenly you realize your cup or container spillith over.

Your last comments, typed at the end made me laugh out loud. Enjoyed the video and the story.

Thanks for explaining “The container concept” to newb who stayed til the end and enjoyed the credits very much. (From a fellow diyer who has No purpose doing diy either). 🙂

WooHOOOO!!! Fantastic job, and you did it all by yourself!!!! Now you can put your lightbulbs back in their original home! 👏👏👏👏👏

I just discovered your content and my husband and I just LOL because you describe my mindsets that I’ve been stuck in for two decades if homemakership. So refreshing , incredibly helpful and I love your sense of humor too. Thanks and God bless the work you’re doing!!

Great video Dana! I’m SO happy for you and your shelf-washing machine lid hack! It’s a winner! I love things done perfectly, but being a working woman, I now tell myself, It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done! 😄.

Now you can put your light bulbs back in there! You know, since that is where you would look for them. 😅

Woo-hoo!! The Container Concept...otherwise known as EMBRACE THE SPACE! I love it! What a positive mindset shift that is, Dana! Thank you ❤ And your diy is genius, by the way. 👏😄

A fake ending!! And a wonderful comedy performance 😀You're the best, Dana! You'd feel right at home around some of my DIY projects 🥸👍

Ingenuity! We have a thought ocassionaly don't we?

I am working on decluttering a container, aka a small space in my home that houses the laundry, plus a TON of crap and appliances I don't use etc etc. I gave myself the month of October to clear out and then reset the space so it actually works for me. I've been using my timer to work on it in 15 minute increments as it was seriously overwhelming at first. It got more and more exciting as the container started to emerge and I could actually start to plan on how I want to embrace the space I have as the space I have with what I have (no shopping!!) That's my first huge thank you to you, Dana. Yesterday I got to the hardest boxes which were holiday stuff and sentimental stuff and I absolutely froze, closed the door, and gave up for the day (or maybe longer...). Last night I was thinking about how to move through that froze, and remembered (1) where would I look for this first, and (2) your video with that weird first hair of your son's that went into the trash. And, huge thank you #2, I saw my way forward and couldn't wait to get back at it this morning. That stuff is now all decluttered and either put where I'd look for it first or gone with great relief into the trash. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all of your videos and how they've gotten into my brain and HELPED me with a major project I've procrastinated on for years. THANK YOU! Next up, the "spare" room -- is there still a bed and a desk in there?? ;-)

Great job. Thumbs up that you only invite nice people to your home. If you ever accidentally get a non-nice person, that cannot hold their peace, you just make them hold their pee. LOL

New. Still here. Shared with my sister. Thank you.😊

I am getting this !! I have a charity pick up on Friday because I plan on moving to a smaller place soon .

15 minutes to fix something that has been bugging you for a year, LOL! 😂Believe me, I've gone far longer than one year before realizing that I'd been living with a situation that was totally ridiculous and unnecessary. Stuff that I hadn't touched or needed for literally years... until the realization hits: What the H-E-double hockeysticks am I keeping THIS for?!

You might want to take a bit of the board that you took out and make a verticle support between the two shelves. OR be very sure only to pur lightweight things on the remaining bit of the bottom shelf.

I just realized I need to use the container concept on my fridge 🤦‍♀️ it is so stuffed full I can't find things and it's a pain. Plus I'm probably wasting food.

Entirely off topic here, but I have adhd and I’m distracted!! But that shirt you are wearing is absolute perfection! It fits you immaculately, the sleeves fall exactly where they should! Stunning. Ok, back to organizing!! 🫣🖤

I am considering a move which is also - yet another - downsize for me . Downsizing is the way to go for me @ this time in my life. I’m looking at the new space, & it’s clear that a significant amount of furniture must GO to make the new place comfortable & peaceful, and not look like a crowded warehouse. Dining room table : has to go. There’s a breakfast bar in new place that works great for all meals. Large dresser, kitchen roll cart, dining room hutch, & big comfy living room chair … all gotta GO ! Maybe a pretty wooden storage chest, too. Couch stays. My indulgence : my 2 largish bookshelves ( with books !) will stay. I’ve had this furniture for 24 - 27 years. Am I a lil attached ? Yes but itz okay. Container concept ! And I’ll be traveling light ! Some clothes, linens & kitchen items … & SOME books, will go, too !

That half opening top loader is still 💯 better than the rubbish front loaders we normally have in the Uk due to smaller houses.

Embracing the space is a constant issue for me. My husband is a Pastor, and since his first parish, we have lived in parsonages. No all personages are created equal in terms of space, storage, size, etc. Often, what looks like an easy transition is more difficult just because of the layout. Our current home does not have a coat closet, laundry room or convenient storage for mop and broom or vacuum. So everything goes in our third bedroom. (It is a real challenge when we have guests, which while not as frequent as we would like, is still frequent enough.) I'm working on it.

I love your washing-machine-lid-hole! Great work with the jigsaw!!

I listen to your podcast every night. I decluttered my camping stuff and have it all in one space now. While on my last campout, my granddaughter heard your podcast on dishes math and we had a good conversation.

I live in a house of under 600 square feet with my husband and baby. I struggle with the container concept because I don't have a ton of stuff but it's still too much for this house. We have minimalist tendencies but I think you have to be genuinely minimalist for 3 people to live in a house this small together.

That’s genius! Aren’t you proud?! I love your container concept! I use it all the time now.

Great video...thank you for the giggles too!! ❤🤭🪚🧺💡

The container concept really makes you appreciate wherever you're living

It's awesome, if you paint that edge white, it becomes "custom". You are such an encouragement to me.

I always like listening to you Dana. You're so natural and funny. For some reason I dont like videos that look so scripted 😅

So many of us, well, certainly me, have struggled with something for a long time, then suddenly realized there's a simple solution that takes no time. We have 2 two drawer filing cabinets. I just realized we should be able to manage with one, and I intend to clean one out, purge, clean out the second, and combine contents. My husband is thrilled! It will soon be done!

Great job Dana, thinking outside of the box. Love that! Might I suggest getting that white tape edging to cover the brown edge that is showing and then no one would even notice it. You are so awesome. Love you❣

Nice DIY! It reminds me that I warn to add shelves over my washer and dryer and have to stop expecting perfection and just do it!!

I adore your sense of humor and your ideas! Superbly presented! I'm thrilled you can open your washing machine all the way!

I love Dana K White’s decluttering videos and I am so motivated! Thankfully it has changed my life and I feel like I can do this! I have made so much progress already, thank you Dana!❤️❤️❤️

I like the bar for hanging your hangers. Another option would have been to move the shelf up a couple of inches and kept the two shelves.

Love your realness. Love how well you explain this concept. My brain thinks like yours! ❤ and that bottom shelf would be a great place to put your folded and sorted/person clothes on as you fold them out of the dryer, until they're all folded and can be put away!

Oh that must feel sooo nice every time you do laundry!! Also Reid -give your mama some credit 😅

I love your container method. We are retired and I have been decluttering since travelling in our caravan for a few months. When we came back, I looked at all the junk I had that I didn't need and thought of all the time I spent looking after that junk and began to declutter. It was difficult for me to get rid of books. My husband, four children and I are all bookworms and we had books everywhere. My husband had built a bookcase at the end of the passage that leads to our bedrooms and one along one side of the passage. Both of these bookcases were from floor to ceiling. We also have built in bookcases in our living room. When caring for a sick friend, we had difficulty getting a wheelchair around because of a lot of furniture, etc. I decided the long passage bookcase had to go to make it easier if one of us needed walking aids or such. It took a while but I'm proud to say it is done. I told my family that I was using Dana's container method and that all the books we kept would have to fit in the existing shelves and they do!! Thank you so much for your inspiration.

LOL - Dana fervently INSISTING no one take any DIY or organizing advice from her. "I know nothing about that stuff. I DECLUTTER - YOU HEAR ME? I ONLY DECLUTTER! GO AWAY because I'm going to show you something clever I did to preserve some storage space." 🤣

Hi Dana, I just got an email from my Saint Joseph's University Alumni Association on your 4 week course on decluttering. Awesome! I forwarded it to some friends. I hope it is hugely successful for you and participants.

Dana, I love that you were so bold and tried this. I never would have and I'm so proud of you! It works beautifully! Way to go, girl! ❤

Best one ever…short and to the point..thank you.

I love that I am not the only one to get SO excited about random household things and "projects" like this! I'm happy for your recent diy success!

Necessity is the mother of invention or figuring out a different solution. Good for you!

I was lucky enough to had went online before purchasing our new washer/dryer set and seen the Lids are alot larger than the old style we had. Lucky for us because we have overhead built in cupboards.

Love your “Drift” Concept! Such a clever and polite way to describe the way stuff moves around (all by itself 😜) in our homes!

Thanks Dana for the refresher on the container concept. I always need to hear the basic concepts over and over again.

I love this!!! Not your typical Pinterest perfect DIY however, who cares? Problem solved!!! You go girl!

This was the absolute best. Crying I’m laughing so hard - just because it is SO absolutely relatable and what I could see myself doing 🤣. You’re the best.

Thank you for this video. Including the shelf fix. (I actually asked out loud, so what about opening the washer?😂

GENIUS!!! It's amazing to me how many different applications the Container Concept has.

Great job, Dana! You are thinking like an engineer!

Dana, I just love how real you are. This is totally how this project would have gone in my house! 😂

Omg…this made me laugh (with you, not at you.) I just found you. We think alike. I ordered your checklists ebook. Thank you. And I love that you only invite only nice people over.😊