'I have been spoiled': American says Singapore has better public bathrooms than US and Europe

Ever complained about the state of a public bathroom in Singapore? 

We may actually have it better than some other places. 

Jenna, an American who has lived in Singapore before moving to the Netherlands, shared her two cent in a TikTok video last Thursday (April 25). 

She's been in public restrooms in different parts of the US, the Netherlands and Singapore, and has had different experiences in all of them. 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@yay4jenna/video/7361510034557177131?_r=1&_t=8lvV33uSCsz[/embed]

"Private bathrooms are pretty much the same country to country. However, public bathrooms are where the three places really differ," she said. 

Jenna explained that in the US, public restrooms are "generally free" and, in her opinion, usually "poorly maintained". 

"Because they're free, you see a lot of bathroom 'abuse' and if you're in a big city, you would absolutely avoid a public bathroom at all costs unless you were in an emergency situation," Jenna said bluntly. 

She added that even if someone needed to use a bathroom urgently, they'd probably rather pay to use one at a nearby Starbucks. 

On the other hand, in Singapore, one could use a public bathroom for free at an MRT station or mall. 

Jenna pointed out that the bathrooms in MRT stations are "usually clean". But because they're subterranean, they tend to have bugs. 

"So I personally avoid MRT bathrooms," she admitted. 

Instead, she recommends those in malls, which are usually nearby an MRT station. 

"If you speak to native Singaporeans, they would tell you that in the heartlands, outside of the tourist-y areas of Singapore, mall bathrooms aren't that great. 

"But they haven't been to the US. They don't understand what a bad bathroom looks like. Their idea of 'not great is' like what you would hope for in the US," Jenna shared based off personal experience. 

She added that she would take a Singapore heartland mall bathroom over any other bathroom in the US any day. 

It's no better in Europe

Jenna hasn't had the most fantastic experience with public restrooms in Europe either. 

She explained that, generally speaking, based off what she's seen in Western Europe, users have to pay to use the bathrooms. 

One would think that these restrooms would be a bit more promising, especially since you have to fork out money to use them. 

But that isn't the case, at least according to her. 

"I would expect that if I am paying a euro (S$1.50) to use the restroom, there would be toilet paper, functioning lights, hopefully it would be clean, and then there would be soap to use to wash your hands afterwards," said Jenna. 

"But I don't always get that." 

She said that usually, these bathrooms smell like urine, are covered in graffiti and may not have soap. 

"Sometimes, the lights don't work even," lamented Jenna. 

"So to go from Singapore, where I have been spoiled by the public bathrooms there, to then having the indignity of paying to use the restroom in the dark. It just blows my mind." 

Differing views on Singapore's public restrooms 

While Jenna truly appreciates Singapore's public restrooms, not everyone here feels the same way, it seems. 

A nationwide study by Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2023 found that public toilets in coffee shops "are as dirty as in 2020", while hawker centres have seen "some improvements" in public hygiene standards. 

Those who conducted the survey visited more than 1,000 public toilets across Singapore's coffee shops and hawker centres. 

They also spoke to a total of 9,411 people, comprising 460 employees and 8,951 customers, for their views on the state of these toilets.

"Despite improvements in the state of public hygiene at hawker centres compared to 2020, Singaporeans hope that more can be done to improve the toilet sanitation at coffee shops," the report revealed. 

"Customers think worse of these toilets than the employees do, with a quarter of those interviewed saying they would not answer the call of nature at these facilities."

The dirtiest toilets were located at Pioneer, Ubi and Singapore River, while Marina South topped the list again for having the cleanest public toilets.

The Year of Public Hygiene

It would seem timely then that 2024 has been designated the Year of Public Hygiene by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, with measures to improve the state of public toilets (among other objectives), said a press release in March.

A Public Toilets Taskforce has even been set up to find ways to improve the cleanliness of these restrooms, in particular those at coffeeshops and hawker centres.

ALSO READ: Where's the worst loo? JC student spends hours reviewing 159 public toilets for project

melissateo@asiaone.com