Decluttering like Dana K White
Dana K White is the decluttering queen but if you want to know her basics without reading her book or listening to hours of her podcast, you are in the right place.
After reading several of her books and listening to her podcasts I know this works! Decluttering is necessary and can really work for us messy moms. Hands up if you are not naturally tidy.
I can’t maintain organized, but I CAN maintain less.
Dana K White, A Slob Comes Clean
Where Should I Start to Declutter?
First, we need to pick an area to work in. Dana K White recommends starting at the first place guests would see that needs it. In my home, my entry, dining room, and then living room are the main areas they can see. Thankfully I do not have a lot of clutter out in those areas. From there, she says to move into other areas or rooms as they are used. Closets and drawers are decluttered AFTER rooms have been decluttered. Today I am working in an upstairs closet but I have been systematically decluttering this house for three years since I married and moved in.
What do I Declutter First?
According to her book, A Slob Comes Clean, we will need to grab a trash bag and a donation box. Start off by grabbing any and all obvious trash. What is obvious trash? Wrappers, old notes, receipts, empty boxes, and even broken things.
Once the trash is out of the way, we can see things so much easier. Now, Dana K White says to grab anything that belongs in another space. This is the easy stuff because there is no debate or struggle with feelings. Did you toss the winter coats in the spare bedroom instead of putting them back into the coat closet? Let’s grab anything that already has a designated place in the house and take it back.
What is “No Mess” Decluttering?
The thing that makes Dana K White’s decluttering process different from the others is that she promotes a “no mess” decluttering method. You do not make piles. As soon as you pick something up that belongs in another room, get up and take it there immediately. This keeps things from getting worse as you declutter.
I will be honest, my decluttering method looks like a disaster zone with piles and piles of things. Before Dana K White, I would empty the closet or desk or whatever I was working on and the room would look a thousand times worse. Now, the room looks the same but each time I take something and put it away is progress.
Progress only progress.
Dana k white
The downside to decluttering like Dana K White is that you are going to get some exercise! I decluttered my upstairs spare bedroom closet which had not been opened since I married and moved in. Basically, I had no idea what was in there or who it belonged to. Decluttering a space that you didn’t clutter up is a special kind of love. It takes kid gloves and a lot of patience because what I see as trash or clutter could be super valuable to the kids or my husband. This means every item had to be reviewed by someone in the house before I could get rid of it. Up and down those steps. Again and again!
What are Dah Donations?
That brings us to the Dah Donations. The Dah Donations are the obvious things that you no longer want or need. I found a ton of old pillows and bedding that we had replaced. However, when we replaced them we tossed the old ones in the closet “just in case”. We should have tossed them in the trash! No, the reality is that in three years we’ve never looked for them or needed them so they can be donated. Older clothes and shoes that have gradually moved to another closet and been forgotten are a great place to start.
Have you found things that people gave you that you never even opened? I found so many “cute” things that just are not my aesthetic but I had guilt about not using them. After years, I am finally letting things go. They are not serving me or my family. In fact, they are stealing our space and peace which is not what the gift was meant to do! Goodbye, random stuff.
- Trash
- Return Used Items
- Dah Donations
- Ask Questions for things I want to keep
Dana K White has a few key questions to ask when you hit the hard stuff. First of all, where would I look for this if I needed it? If it is a dish, does it belong in a closet? No! Secondly, ask yourself if I needed this, would I remember I had it? Random screws or parts would 100% be a no for me. However, that gravy boat might be a yes. So she says to take the dish to the kitchen or dining room to the place it should go. Now, make it fit. If it does not fit in the space you have to decide what needs to come out in order for this to fit in.
What is the Container Concept?
This is her famous container concept. YOU do not need to decide how much to keep. Let the container decide. If I want to keep the gravy boat it needs to fit in my china hutch. If the hutch is full, then I need to look for things I do not need as much and let them go to make room for the gravy dish. This is the true magic and fork in the road. If you start to see things as belonging to a place (a container), then you have a set limit for how much you can have and still live a happy healthy life. Conversely, if you decide to keep more than your assigned container, you are overflowing stuff into other areas of your house and taking away more and more of your freedom.
Is it Ever TOO Late to Declutter?
I am not going to lie, I feel certain my grandmother was a hoarder and that tendency is strong in our family. My mother seems to be the only one who got away. I have seen firsthand the destructive nature stuff can have. Too much stuff causes anxiety and stress, isolates you from others, causes depression and so much more. I say this because I may not be as sentimental as most of you. I have dealt with a lot of loss and trauma in my life and instead of holding on to things, I now try to create amazing experiences.
My grandmother did not welcome people into her home. I never saw a guest outside of family there. Things worsened and her home got more and more filled it spilled into campers, sheds, garages, carports, and the yard. Piles and piles of things they planned to use but I never ever saw them able to find what they were looking for to use. Too much stuff boxed them in and gradually limited every part of their life. If things broke, it did not get fixed because they 1. could not get to it or did not realize it broke and 2. they could not let people in to fix it. They were amazing, loving, and kind people. Bad things happened and they tried to hold on to the things instead of moving on. I know this is a disease and I truly wish I could be there to help!
Why is Decluttering so Hard?
Breathe Momma. If you are here, it is ok. I will NEVER tell you it’s all gotta go. It represents a lot of emotions and loss and decluttering is therapy. Go at your own pace! Deal with the easy stuff first and celebrate that victory. As you see more progress and more space, you will fall in love with that feeling of freedom.
This is why Dana K White works. She isn’t pushing you to clear it out. She is saying everything needs a place and you decide where it belongs. You have a clutter threshold that is personal to you. Your clutter threshold is the point that things feel too much. Decluttering like Dana K White is a way to peal away the excess that is too much and get you back to your personal happy place, under your clutter threshold.
If you want even more motivation to get decluttering or get cleaning, please check me out on YouTube or join our accountability Facebook group. This journey is just that…a journey. You are not going to get there overnight. It takes intention and consistency but the view will be worth the work. Looking up at a mountain is always intimidating, but slow and steady pacing will get you to the peak, and along the way there are so many lessons about who you are! Happy decluttering!!
