Island Tidiness: Understanding the Cleanup Request in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The cleanup request feature in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) is a fantastic tool designed to alleviate the tedium of picking up scattered items. Essentially, when you use the cleanup service, it triggers a system where a group of diligent cleanup servers will gather any loose items lying on the ground around your character and send them directly to the recycling box located within Resident Services. This feature is incredibly helpful when your pockets are full, or you simply want to avoid the manual labor of picking up each individual item. It’s a quick way to tidy up your island, making it a more organized and visually pleasing place to live.

How Does the Cleanup Feature Work?

When you request a cleanup, the game scans the immediate area surrounding your character for any dropped items. This includes anything that hasn’t been placed, such as:

• Fruits
• Weeds
• Shells
• Branches
• Fossils (that haven’t been dug up)
• Crafting materials like wood and stone
• Bells (dropped coins)
• DIY Recipes (that are on the ground rather than in your inventory)

The cleanup servers then collect these items and send them to the recycling box inside the Resident Services building. You can then retrieve these items from the box at your convenience. It’s important to note that the cleanup servers won’t pick up placed items, like furniture, fences, or items specifically dropped on a table. They only focus on loose items lying directly on the ground.

Why Is the Cleanup Request Useful?

The primary benefit of the cleanup feature is saving time and effort. Instead of spending precious minutes picking up every stray fruit, you can trigger the cleanup process and have all items collected in seconds. This is especially useful in areas where many items tend to accumulate, such as:

• Areas where you harvest resources like wood, stone, and weeds.
• Areas where you shake fruit trees.
• Beaches where shells wash ashore.
• Any area where you frequently craft and drop materials temporarily.

Additionally, the cleanup service is a great tool to prevent clutter build-up, and is perfect for those who prefer an aesthetically pleasing and well-maintained island. It ensures that you are not wasting valuable in-game space with discarded items.

Things to Keep in Mind

While the cleanup request is very helpful, it does have some limitations:

• Recycle Bin Limitations: The recycling bin does have a storage limit. If the bin is full, you may lose items if more are added during the cleanup. Therefore, it’s important to periodically empty the recycle box.
• No Sorting: The cleanup service gathers all loose items indiscriminately. It does not sort different types of items.
• Limited Radius: The cleanup service is not island-wide. It only picks up items in your immediate vicinity.
• Temporary Storage: The recycle bin is essentially a temporary storage location. There is no guarantee that items will remain there indefinitely.

Related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions about the cleanup feature, as well as other related island management concepts, for a comprehensive understanding of how to maintain your island.

1. How do I unlock the Island Designer app?

You unlock the Island Designer app by progressing through the game’s main storyline, which involves bringing K.K. Slider to perform on your island. After he performs, Tom Nook will give you the app. You’ll need to reach a three-star island rating as well.

2. How do I use the Island Designer app to shape my island?

The Island Designer app allows you to construct and demolish cliffs and alter waterways. Once you obtain the cliff construction permit and waterscaping permit (both from the Nook Stop), you can reshape your island to your liking. Simply open the app and select the desired tool.

3. Can I make my island bigger?

No, the physical size of your island is fixed. You cannot make it any larger. However, you can change its verticality by creating cliffs and waterways.

4. How do I change the rivers on my island?

Using the waterscaping permit obtained with the Island Designer app, you can create new river paths, widen existing ones, or fill in areas to remove rivers or ponds. This is done by using the waterscaping tool found in the Island Designer app.

5. How do I get rid of cliffs quickly?

You can remove cliffs by standing in front of them and pressing A. You must do this layer by layer, removing the highest layer first, and repeating the process until the cliff is gone.

6. How do I get a 3-star island rating?

To get a three-star rating, you need to attract at least seven villagers to your island, place various outdoor furniture items, and build fences. You must also build bridges and inclines. Tom Nook will give you the Island Designer app once you hit three stars.

7. How do I unlock paths?

You unlock the ability to place paths by helping Tom Nook with his tasks and getting a 3-star rating for your island. After receiving the Island Designer app, you’ll be able to purchase the path construction permit at the Nook Stop.

8. Can you kick villagers out of your island?

You cannot directly kick villagers out of your island. However, there are methods to influence them to move, such as ignoring them to lower friendship levels or by utilizing amiibo cards and camping villagers to prompt the villagers you wish to leave to do so.

9. Will a villager move into an empty plot automatically?

Yes, a villager will move into an empty plot automatically after a certain amount of time has passed, unless the space is reserved for a specific villager you wish to move in. This can occur naturally or through random encounters and invited villagers.

10. What is the maximum number of villagers I can have on my island?

The maximum number of villagers that can live on your island is 10. This limit does not include player characters.

11. How do I unlock the Happy Home Paradise DLC?

The Happy Home Paradise DLC can be purchased from the Nintendo eShop. If you have the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, you can access it for free while your subscription is active. You will also need to update your game software.

12. How do I unlock the school in Happy Home Paradise?

To unlock the school, you must have designed at least four villager homes, then speak to Lottie outside the empty building to the left of the Happy Home office. After this you must design two more homes, after which, Lottie will unlock the school.

13. How do I dive in Animal Crossing?

Once you have the appropriate wetsuit, you can dive while swimming by pressing Y. This lets you explore underwater and find sea creatures.

14. What are those things swimming in the river?

The things swimming on the surface of rivers are most likely diving beetles, which are seasonal bugs that appear in the summer months. They can be caught with a net.

15. What is the rarest item in Animal Crossing?

While item rarity varies, the Royal Crown is often considered one of the rarest and most expensive items in the game, followed by other rare furniture items, such as the Wedding Pipe Organ and certain Zodiac items.

Conclusion

The cleanup request is a simple yet crucial feature in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It helps maintain an organized island by quickly picking up scattered items and depositing them in the recycling bin. While there are a few limitations, it is an invaluable time-saver for all island residents. By understanding how this feature works, along with the mechanics of island customization, you can ensure your island remains a beautiful and enjoyable place to live.