‘We now need to dry our clothes at our corridor’: Man complains about new clothes rack after HIP

Improvements to one’s flat are supposed to make life better—easier and convenient—but the newly-built clothes rack hanging outside one HDB has reportedly left some HDB residents unsatisfied.

Netizen Anthony Wong posted photos of the clothes rack in a Saturday (Sept 17) post on the Complaint Singapore Facebook and wrote, “Recently we just got our HIP done.

But i have to comment that the committee who approve this clothes hanging rack did not do enough survey.

it is not user friendly at all.”

While Mr Wong said he does not normally post on public sites, he was doing so for the “HDB relevant department can take notice.”

He listed the issues that arose after the rack was installed

“1] Every time before we use it to sun our clean clothes, we need to wipe all the bars as it is expose to rain and dust.

2] the bar cannot hang bedsheet and big items. 

3] By just putting over the bar, the clothes cannot dry 100%.

4] when it rains, basically we do not have enough time to keep all the clothes as the racking system is not user friendly.”

He added that a number of his neighbours do not even use the new rack and that they “now need to dry our clothes at our corridor.”

And while some provided feedback regarding the problem that arose because of the rack, they have allegedly not gotten a response. 

“Dear brother and sisters, please help to share this post and hope HDB relevant department can read and notice this issue.

Hope they can do something about this.

Thank you very much,” Mr Wong added.

The heavily subsidized Home Improvement Programme (HIP) is part of the government’s endeavor to keep public flats in good condition. The HIP focuses on improvements within the flat and helps flat owners address common maintenance problems related to ageing flats in a systematic and comprehensive manner.

Many commenters on Mr Wong’s post said they felt the same way, with one writing “This rack irks me too. The person who designed and the person who approved this rack system definitely never did laundries ever in their lives before!”

Another joked that the drying rack actually has another purpose. 

Others, however, said that the rack is more convenient for older people.

/TISG

Man stuck in newly-renovated bathroom for hours, called out to his wife, but she couldn’t hear because she was watching TV