Ideas

Sims ignore ash piles when using "Clean Up" interaction

Issue Description:
After a fire occurs on a residential lot, ash piles are left behind as debris. When a Sim is directed to "Clean Up" (via the "Clean" interaction on a trash pile or using the "Clean Up" autonomously), the Sim will pick up and dispose of regular trash piles but will completely ignore ash piles. The Sim may clean surrounding trash while leaving the ash piles untouched, requiring manual deleting in Build Mode or individual "Clean Up" clicks on each ash pile.

Expected Behavior:
Ash piles should be treated as cleanable debris, similar to regular trash piles. When a Sim is instructed to clean the area, the Sim should autonomously clean both regular trash piles and ash piles as part of the same cleanup routine.

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. On a residential lot, start a fire (e.g., by using a cheap stove or fireworks indoors).
  2. Allow the fire to burn and be extinguished (either by firefighters or by Sims).
  3. After the fire, several ash piles will be present on the lot where the fire occurred.
  4. Place some regular trash piles nearby (e.g., by leaving plates out or dragging garbage).
  5. Click on a trash pile and select "Clean Up" (or use the "Clean" interaction if available).
  6. Observe the Sim's behavior.

Actual Result:

  • The Sim will walk to and clean regular trash piles.
  • The Sim will ignore ash piles.
  • The Sim will complete the "Clean Up" routine while leaving ash piles untouched.
  • Ash piles must be dealt with manually by:
    • Clicking each ash pile individually and selecting "Clean Up"
    • Dragging the ash piles to a trash can in Build Mode

Additional Notes:

  • The 2018 forum thread also noted that "Playful Sims can PLAY in the ashes, but then they turn to garbage piles" — this suggests the game treats ash piles as distinct from trash piles in its object type classification .
  • Unlike standard trash piles that accumulate through normal gameplay (dirty dishes, spoiled food, etc.), ash piles are fire-specific debris objects that may lack the necessary tags to be recognized by the bulk "Clean Up" interactions.
  • This issue is distinct from general routing problems that prevent Sims from cleaning (such as blocked paths or inaccessible objects) . The bug is specific to ash piles not being targeted.
  • This issue affects all cleaning systems, not just direct "Clean Up" commands. The following methods also fail to clean ash piles:
    • Maids (hired via the service panel) will ignore ash piles during their scheduled visits.
    • Butlers will not clean ash piles as part of their regular duties.
    • Off-lot cleaning services (the feature where Sims who clean when the player is not on the active lot) will not address ash piles.
    • "Influence to Clean" (via the Research & Debate skill using the "Influence" interaction on another Sim) will not cause target Sims to clean ash piles.
    • The Simray (from the Scientist career in Get to Work) using the "Clean" or "Cleanse" function will not remove ash piles.
    • Other indirect cleaning methods likely also fail to target ash piles.

Impact:
Low to Moderate. The bug creates extra cleanup work for players after fires. Instead of using the convenient "Clean Up" interaction to clear all debris, players must manually click each ash pile individually or enter Build Mode to drag them to a trash can. This is especially frustrating after large fires that leave multiple ash piles across the lot. For players who enjoy realistic gameplay or who have firefighters/military Sims, the extra manual cleanup steps reduce immersion and add tedium.

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