As the average layman will undoubtedly testify to, coffee shop toilets aren’t the cleanest. Far from it, actually. With regulatory guidelines that seem to have stemmed from the ancient ages, coffee shop toilets are, as my mum so aptly puts it, only for emergency cases…
Namely, instances when your floodgates are about to open with a hefty bang.
Now I’ve to clarify something: it’s not really the quality of the toilet that puts people off. Sure, the usual unkempt and dirty confines of the toilet might not be the best decoration to look at while you go about your business, but as far as toilet business goes I doubt anyone has time to admire the view.
Rather, it’s the condition the toilet’s in. Because more often than not, it’s in a complete state of disarray: unflushed content, questionably wet spaces, brown goo layering the seat like a grand two-tier cake…
You get the idea.
And so, when it was announced that new guidelines will be launched to improve local coffee-shop toilets, I couldn’t help but be sceptical:
Does the real problem lie with the functionalities and technicalities of coffee-shop toilets…
Or does it lie with the functioning people that use the toilet instead?
New Guidelines Launched To Improve Coffeeshop Toilets But We All Know That’s Not The Real Problem
According to TODAYonline, a new “model” public toilet has been launched near a coffee shop in Bukit Panjang on Monday (20 Jan), as part of the Clean Toilets @ North West initiative by the North West Community Development Council (CDC). Equipped with features such as stainless steel grab bars and anti-mould tiles, the toilet was launched with two primary aims:
- To encourage better hygiene standards
- To improve toilet safety for the elderly
“Clean Toilets @ North West was conceptualised to target two main problems – public hygiene and an ageing population,” Mayor of North West District Teo Ho Pin said.
Statistically, the proportion of Singaporeans aged 65 years old and above has increased by 5.6 percent over the last ten years, having progressed from 8.8 per cent in 2009 to 14.4 per cent in 2019.
The initiative, Dr Teo said, will help make sure that all public toilets in the community are safe for the elderly to use.
It would also serve to quell the public’s dissatisfaction with public toilets.
In 2011, a survey done by Ngee Ann Polytechnic students with the Restroom Association (Singapore) revealed that out of 500 respondents, more than half of them were “very unhappy” or “unhappy” with the state of public toilets in coffee shops and hawker centres.
Respondents also cited dirty toilet cubicles, damaged locks and foul smells (due to poor ventilation) as the reasons behind their dissatisfaction.
Guidelines
According to the same report, the “model” toilet was structured after guidelines developed by the North West CDC (in conjunction with partners such as the National Environment Agency and the Singapore Kindness Movement). They were based off three primary outcomes for the toilets:
- Design
- Maintenance
- Usage
Firstly, the toilets should be designed to make them easier to clean, and elderly-friendly.
Stainless steel grating should be implemented on the floor to prevent flooding, and wall tiles should be coated with anti-fungal grout coat to prevent mould.
And to prevent any accidental slipping cases, toilets should have slip-resistant floor tiles, stainless steel grab bars and fans to help keep the floor dry.
To ensure proper maintenance of the toilets, a proposed cleaning schedule was included in the guidelines, which insinuates that the toilets should be cleaned five times a day, and that this should be performed during non-peak hours.
Cleaners are also urged to go through lessons on proper toilet cleaning procedures and the usage of cleaning equipment.
Everything Sounds Good… But What About The People?
In the introductory segment, I wrote on how the real problem might not lie with the quality of the toilet… but the people. And it seems that the bigger part has recognised the glaring flaw in their initiative as well.
To combat poor toilet etiquette, North West CDC has come up with posters to remind users of decent toilet behaviour.
The posters will be displayed in public toilets.
I’m not entirely convinced, but it’s surely a step in the right direction.
To end off, other aspects of the guideline will include:
- Design outcomes: design concept’s functional and robust, easy to clean and maintain and safe for the elderly
- Maintenance outcomes: toilets are clean and dry, fittings are consistently functional and toilet supplies are available 24/7
- Usage outcomes: users are able to take care of toilets, practice consideration towards cleaners and other users, and are socially-conscious by voicing out on defects and giving prompt feedback to the necessary people
As of right now, four other coffee shops in the North West district are pegged for a makeover, with renovation costs extending from $20,000 to $40,000.
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Dr Teo has also expressed hope that in doing so, other coffee shops in the district will follow suit by revamping their toilets based on the proposed guidelines.
Will It Work Out For The Better?
The stereotype that coffee-shop toilets are grimy and unpleasant might continue to persist for a little more, but if Dr Teo’s statement is anything to go by, those days might be long gone in the distant future.
However, one has to remember that in the end, user etiquette determines the state of a public toilet. As a Wise Old Man once said:
“You can have the looks, figure and the money. But if your personality’s bad, you’re still a long way from being a keeper.”
Not the most accurate analogy here… but you get the idea.
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