Minimalist mom reveals tips to decluttering your home

By Emily Phillips

A minimalist who only owns two cups says throwing away 70 percent of her items while decluttering her home was "freeing," but trolls say it's "like a prison."

Mom-of-two Audrey Barton, 35, was sick of stuffing clutter in drawers when she decided to overhaul her home and get rid of anything that no longer served her family in 2017.

She started by “chucking stuff” and went on to throw away or donate 70 per cent of her possessions - including things like sentimental items owned by her grandparents.

Audrey describes herself as "minimal-ish" - as she's "more relaxed" than a strict minimalist - and says before she overhauled her home she felt like she was "living in the Truman show" while cleaning up the same items daily.

Audrey shares her decluttering techniques on social media - and urges people to “ask yourself, ‘Can I live without it?’”, tossing clutter into a basket in the corner of a room, and throwing away any item you have not used for 60 days.

Audrey now has two sets of dinnerware and cutlery, with just two of every item per family member.

Despite trolls online saying her home is "like a prison" Audrey insists "it's a way of life".

When going shopping, Audrey employs a strict “one in, one out” rule, throwing one item away for every new item she buys.

Audrey confesses she “shops a lot” but is committed to donating a lot of her items too.

She gives family and friends a list of what her children need for birthdays and Christmas, and advises people who are given gifts “it’s up to their discretion” what they choose to do with it.

Audrey, a content creator, from Hannibal, Missouri, US, said: "I was working full-time, and my husband, Luke, 35, works away.

"I felt like I was picking up the same crap all the time.

"I thought 'maybe that's the problem’.

"It was a real lightbulb moment for me.

"It felt like I was on the Truman Show.

“I didn’t have much time in the evenings, I only had less than an hour, so I was looking for something that was going to take me less than 10 minutes max.

"So much of your temper, bad mood and depression comes from feeling overwhelmed by stuff.

"I have two set of plates - so eight in total. I have two coffee cups.

“In today’s day and age there is no need to be so attached to things because everything is so easily replicated”.

Audrey keeps her home spick and span by keeping everything to a minimum - including her clothing.

She said: "I have about 30 pieces myself – with underwear and bags separate.

"Find four t-shirts you like, four pairs of pants you can wear night and day.

“I have five handbags, they’re all the exact same handbag I just have one in every colour.

“Buying in packs is really helpful”.

Audrey owns one five-pack of underwear that she bins and re-buys where needed, following the same rule with socks.

Audrey will even throw away a pair of earrings every time she buys a new pair.

It took Audrey a year to clear her home - so they now just have the essentials after she drove her items to the local donation centre.

After clearing her home of clutter, Audrey still felt she could not stick to a proper cleaning schedule, and instead made her own.

She said: "It's called the daily six and it's really focused on maximum results with minimum effort.

"It involves making your bed, wiping countertops, cleaning your sink, vacuuming your floors, doing a load of laundry and doing your dishes.

"Those are the things that have the biggest impact on a house mentally and visually."

Audrey does monthly clear outs and often uses her self-termed 'SUM' – space, utilisation and maintain - method when clearing out rooms.

She said: "SUM is - do I have space for it? Will I use the item? Can I maintain it?

"If I answered yes to all three, I keep it, if not I throw it.

"I have shower caddies in my bathroom for each person in the house – you can have whatever fits in there but no more.

“For mine I have shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, an exfoliating sponge and a scalp brush.

"I also use the basket method, which is where you have baskets all over the house.

"Grab the basket and toss everything in.

"It's tricking your brain into thinking you are clutter free because it's removing the visual clutter.

“On the weekends you can put everything away where it actually belongs.”

Audrey added: "One of the most dangerous phrases is 'what if?'

"'What if there's a tornado or a snowstorm?'

"The goal is always having a mental inventory of what you have.

"If you can't remember, you have too much stuff."

Audrey has been sharing her tips and tricks online.

She said: "I get negative comments all the time.

"The problem is people don't realise the emotional attachment things have and they will take it out on me.

"I have a beautiful home now, but I haven't always.

"They [commenters] always say it's like a prison or the rules are so rigid it's like a prison.

"They're not rigid, and it's not rules, it's a way of life.

"You don't feel restricted at all when you’re living in it, but you don’t realize how much you don't miss stuff."

Audrey’s top tips for decluttering:

1. Ask yourself, ‘Can I live without it?’ not ‘Do I need it?’
2. Have a basket all the time sitting out in the corner of a room and move throughout the day tossing items in the basket – the ‘as you go’ approach
3. If you haven’t used an item in 60 days, you don’t need it