Man's viral sanding videos helped turn life around

Danny Stenhouse's videos have been watched millions of times on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram

From cats and cucumbers to pimple popping and unboxings, the internet is awash with a vast array of videos to send people into a social media wormhole.

But for millions the latest content catnip is the simple sight of a man sanding wooden floors.

Danny Stenhouse - better known to his followers as Danny Sandhouse - is setting TikTok and YouTube alight with viral clips of his work restoring floors. One video has attracted more than eight million views.

As well as bringing pleasure to others, he said sharing the videos had also helped give him the focus he needed.

Mr Stenhouse, who has ADHD and Asperger's syndrome, started working as a floor sander around ten years ago.

"I started sanding after a guy came to sand our floors at home and, having ADHD, I was hooked by the immediate satisfaction of seeing the sander strip and that hyper-focus the sander could have on one thing, and I thought that's what I want to do," he said.

Once he had built up a popular business he decided to try sharing videos on social media to give him a new outlet.

"I'd found lockdown really hard and was making some bad choices, ending up drinking more so I thought I needed to focus on things I could do to improve my life, so I tried making a video," he said.

From a first couple of attempts, trying different camera angles and voiceovers, it did not take long before his videos were reaching millions of people.

'Hyper-focused'

To date, Mr Stenhouse has more than 180,000 followers on Instagram, more than 33,000 followers on TikTok and more than 90,000 subscribers on YouTube, with his videos showing him sanding historic floors or giving tips to anyone who might want to try it themselves.

"I feel people like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Justin Bieber get millions of likes, not people like me," he said.

His videos have hit such high numbers he is also able to earn money for them.

"Everything has happened so fast, but to be able to earn this extra is amazing and I love receiving questions from people about all their sanding queries and helping them.

"When I was at school, having ADHD, I couldn't focus, couldn't sit down and I found it hard but now when I get stuck into something I'm hyper-focused and have to be the best at it and with the sanding, I never get bored of it," he said.

He said he also hopes to inspire other young people who may have had tough past experiences.

"I had a really difficult start in life on Bell Farm in York with a single parent, but everything can be turned into a strength," he said.

"I got bullied as a kid, but now the world is saying, 'Danny, you're cool' and I just want people to know it's a long old life and you are not your past or your trauma, just believe in yourself."