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Sun 2/9/2025, 03:05 pm (PT)
Coffee shops have the dirtiest public toilets in Singapore, while those in shopping centers are the cleanest, a recent study has found.
A coffee shop. Illustration photo by Pixabay
Coffee shop toilet cleanliness has not improved in nearly a decade, according to a study on public restrooms by the Singapore Management University (SMU).
The study, conducted by Rosie Ching, SMU’s Principal Lecturer of Statistics, and her 222 undergraduates between August and September last year, covered 2,602 public toilets across 1,428 coffee shops, hawker centers, mass rapid transit (MRT) stations, and shopping malls in the city-state.
The team interviewed 4,905 people, including 510 employees and 4,395 customers, about the conditions of these toilets, and assessed them based on criteria such as toilet bowl and sink hygiene and the availability of soap and toilet paper.
Those at coffee shops received the lowest score of 46.26 out of 100, while those in shopping malls ranked the highest at 77.01. Hawker center restrooms scored 66.28 and MRT stations 75.97.
The study found that 14 of the 17 evaluated criteria fell below acceptable standards and the most common issues reported were wet or greasy floors, clogged sinks, unclean toilet bowls, inadequate ventilation, and absent or overflowing bins.
Cleaning schedules were either outdated or missing, and only taps, sinks, and soap met satisfactory standards.
Ching also raised concerns about the placement of restrooms near cooking areas in coffee shops and hawker centers, noting to The Straits Times that such restrooms often ranked the lowest for cleanliness.
The restroom score at coffee shops has remained mostly consistent in every year the study was conducted, namely 2016, 2020, 2023, and 2024.
"It’s been nearly a decade since I launched this project in 2015, yet we still find ourselves dealing with dirty public toilets in coffee shops," Ching said.
In response to the study findings, Singaporeans on social media have expressed their disappointment about coffee shops’ dirty toilets, according to The Independent Singapore.
"It’s infuriating knowing that the operator earns tons from the drinks sale but not spending enough to at least clean the toilet properly," one Reddit user said.
Others on the site also echoed the view, pointing out the recent hike in drink prices at coffee shops in the city-state and suggesting that some of the profits should be used to maintain clean restrooms.
Coffee shops have the dirtiest public toilets in Singapore: study
By Minh HieuSun 2/9/2025, 03:05 pm (PT)
Coffee shops have the dirtiest public toilets in Singapore, while those in shopping centers are the cleanest, a recent study has found.
Coffee shop toilet cleanliness has not improved in nearly a decade, according to a study on public restrooms by the Singapore Management University (SMU).
The study, conducted by Rosie Ching, SMU’s Principal Lecturer of Statistics, and her 222 undergraduates between August and September last year, covered 2,602 public toilets across 1,428 coffee shops, hawker centers, mass rapid transit (MRT) stations, and shopping malls in the city-state.
The team interviewed 4,905 people, including 510 employees and 4,395 customers, about the conditions of these toilets, and assessed them based on criteria such as toilet bowl and sink hygiene and the availability of soap and toilet paper.
Those at coffee shops received the lowest score of 46.26 out of 100, while those in shopping malls ranked the highest at 77.01. Hawker center restrooms scored 66.28 and MRT stations 75.97.
The study found that 14 of the 17 evaluated criteria fell below acceptable standards and the most common issues reported were wet or greasy floors, clogged sinks, unclean toilet bowls, inadequate ventilation, and absent or overflowing bins.
Cleaning schedules were either outdated or missing, and only taps, sinks, and soap met satisfactory standards.
Ching also raised concerns about the placement of restrooms near cooking areas in coffee shops and hawker centers, noting to The Straits Times that such restrooms often ranked the lowest for cleanliness.
The restroom score at coffee shops has remained mostly consistent in every year the study was conducted, namely 2016, 2020, 2023, and 2024.
"It’s been nearly a decade since I launched this project in 2015, yet we still find ourselves dealing with dirty public toilets in coffee shops," Ching said.
In response to the study findings, Singaporeans on social media have expressed their disappointment about coffee shops’ dirty toilets, according to The Independent Singapore.
"It’s infuriating knowing that the operator earns tons from the drinks sale but not spending enough to at least clean the toilet properly," one Reddit user said.
Others on the site also echoed the view, pointing out the recent hike in drink prices at coffee shops in the city-state and suggesting that some of the profits should be used to maintain clean restrooms.
