A minimalist mum says her house is so empty after throwing 2,000 items away it takes just 10 minutes to clean - from top to bottom.<br /><br />Lauren Tyson, 30, decided to "hire a skip and go crazy" following a travelling trip.<br /><br />Having lived off just the contents of her backpack, she realised she didn't need loads of possessions.<br /><br />Lauren and her husband, from Suffolk, now keep as few items as possible in their home.<br /><br />She says she first became interested in minimalism two years ago - and quickly became "hooked".<br /><br />Lauren said: “My husband and I went backpacking for a year where we travelled to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and New Zealand. <br /><br />“It was such a chilled out and easy time - we didn’t have to think about what we wore or anything, and it was fine.<br /><br />“It made us think long and hard about whether we needed most of the stuff we owned in our lives.” <br /><br />“As soon as I became aware of the [minimalism] movement, I was hooked.<br /><br />“The pure amount of stuff that comes with owning a house is ridiculous. <br /><br />“It’s helps my mental state to have everything minimal. The less I can have the better. <br /><br />“Clutter and mess stresses me out, if I know I’m going out and it’s messy I can't control."<br /><br />Lauren, who used to have a job selling skincare products, and husband Roy Tyson, 36, an artist, previously lived in an old 1700s cottage in Suffolk, where they had accumulated a “mass of stuff.” <br /><br />They had two boys, Roman and Lennon, aged one and five, after their travelling trip.<br /><br />And it wasn't until 2021 that Lauren said she started reading up on minimalism. <br /><br />She said: “When we were moving, we just though let’s get rid of everything. We hired a skip and went crazy. <br /><br />“If we hadn’t used it in a while, found another home for it.<br /><br />Lauren tries to always rehome items rather than throw them away, and advocates for sustainable minimalism. <br /><br />She said: "I'm not a massively sentimental person.<br /><br />"We have one box in the garage of children's stuff which is special paintings and crafts they have done.<br /><br /> "Apart from that, I have an outfit they came home from hospital, but I have trained myself to not have sentimental attachment to items."<br /><br />Lauren says reaction to her minimalist living from friends and family is mainly positive. <br /><br />She said: "Lots of people say it’s lovely.<br /><br />"We had some comments of people saying ‘Oh have you just moved in?' Or 'Are you moving home?' But we don’t mind."<br /><br />Lauren says she has a list of 'rules' she now lives by.<br /><br />She said: “When you’re moving house, if you wouldn’t spent £1 to move the item, then you should get rid of it. <br /><br />“The other thing is holding onto clutter, we say if you can buy it for under £5 then you don't need to hold on to it when moving. <br /><br />“Everyone keeps everything thinking one day they’ll need it, but they never do. <br /><br />“We don’t have lots of furniture, our lounge is sparse. We don’t have cushions on the sofas. <br /><br />“We don’t have ornaments, they are just things you have to clean. <br /><br />“Lot’s of people think I love cleaning, but I don’t actually enjoy it. I do a full ‘house reset’ in ten minutes.” <br /><br />Lauren earns money from social media where she talks about adhering to a minimalist lifestyle. <br /><br />She can make a few hundred pounds from viral videos - but is wary of doing brand advertising. <br /><br />She said: “It would kind of be hypocritical if I was advertising loads of brand stuff, as I am all about not keeping lots of stuff.<br /><br />“It’s more of a hobby. I would earn more if I had a full-time job. It doesn’t really pay my mortgage.” <br /><br />But she says spending less money on stuff allows her and her family to continue their other passion of travel. <br /><br />Lauren’s top tips for decluttering your house are: <br /><br />- Start small, don't tackle a whole room at once <br /><br />- Start on your wardrobe and smaller things to de-clutter at first, rather than getting overwhelmed <br /><br />- Do five to ten minutes per day – you'll be surprised how much progress you can make <br /><br />- Donate the stuff you get rid of to refuges and charity shops, don’t just throw it in the bin <br /><br />- If you’re moving and you can buy a thing for under £5, then you don't need to hold on to it
