Coffeeshop toilet… The most dreaded place for most Singaporeans. Most people would shun coffeeshop toilets unless they have no choice.

This is hardly surprising. The results of the Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Survey 2021 conducted by the Singapore Management University showed that Singaporeans are least satisfied with coffeeshop toilets with many citing bad odour, dirty and stained toilet seats and urinals, and lack of toilet paper as the main reasons.

 

Public toilets are essential amenities. If they are dirty, viruses and germs could breed. This is especially critical during a pandemic. It is not only the patrons that would be affected, but also the coffeeshop workers handling our food and drinks. They should be given access to clean toilets.

 

While coffeeshop operators need to step up their toilet cleanliness regime and provide clean toilets for their workers and patrons, users also have an important role to play in maintaining the cleanliness at coffeeshop toilets. Even with robust cleaning, all we need is just one inconsiderate user to make it dirty.

 

This World Toilet Day, the Public Hygiene Council (PHC) conducted a series of outreach activation at selected coffeeshops islandwide. Volunteers from our R.I.S.E Champions Network partners were deployed to the coffeeshops to recognise, thank and celebrate patrons who displayed good toilet etiquette. Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Amy Khor was also present to augment the message of keeping public toilets clean.

Many patrons were pleasantly surprised that their small little actions like keeping the toilet floors dry and binning trash properly were commended. It shows that most of us know that keeping public toilets clean is the right thing to do. 

 

Singapore is known to be clean and green city. We were also lauded for our pandemic response. We must not let public toilets be the gap that breaches our management of the Covid-19 outbreak. 

 

We must not let our guard down. When public toilets are kept clean, everyone feels safer. All it takes is for us to keep our public toilets clean just like we do at home. 

 

Make our public toilets clean. Make someone’s day.