I bet you’ve thought of something like this before: if I leave my empty cardboard box in the lift, it’ll be gone by next morning.
And it will.
But not because HDB bought thousands of robot vacuums from Taobao.
It’s because of people like Mr Andari here:
HDB Cleaner Reveals How Inconsiderate People Are, Like Leaving Bulky Items Outside the Lifts
On 4 Aug 2020, the Public Hygienic Council (@keepsgclean) uploaded a video on their Instagram account.
It shows a 65-year-old HDB block cleaner, Mr Andari B Shor.
He is generally happy with what he’s doing now, helping to keep the HDB blocks in Singapore clean.
However, there are some areas which he thinks can be improved.
For one, he would like if all residents do not leave their food packets lying around either in the lift or at the lift lobby.
“It’s not hygienic.”
And it’s really not; if you have cockroaches or other pests running around at your block, one of the factors is probably the food.
Also, he added, when people are “moving house”, they’ll sometimes leave bulky items both within the without the lift.
And then, it’s up to him alone to clear these rubbish.
He also commented that when he starts work in the morning, he has to clear away the cigarette butts left by people who decided walking that extra 10-metres to a green bin is too much effort.
Singaporeans are now more educated so it’ll be good if they learn not to litter, he says.
Don’t Take Your Cleaners For Granted
It’s easy to just leave your stuff in the lift and see it gone the next day, but with every bulky item left at the lift lobbies or inside the lifts itself, your HDB cleaner will have to clear it up, often by himself.
If it’s a bulky item like a mattress, it’s even worse.
A writer in the office told me he’s seen a cleaner having to rip apart 3 to 4 mattresses to separate the metal springs from the cotton and cloth before they can be disposed of.
And that’s the message @keepsgclean is trying to tell Singaporeans with this video:
While we may have cleaners like Andari who work tirelessly to keep our communal areas clean, it doesn’t give us an excuse to take them for granted.
Good hygiene habits start with us. Keeping #SGClean is everyone’s responsibility. #ZeroLitterNation #DirtyLitterSecrets
Yes, if you’re one of the repeat offenders (of littering), it’s time to clean up your act. (geddit?)