Dirty secret: 10 percent toilet users don't wash their hands

SINGAPORE: A stakeout of Singapore's public toilets revealed a dirty secret - 10 percent of the users did not wash their hands, a news report said.

Despite the city-state's zeal for hygiene and proper behaviour in loos, 75 out of 792 people did not wash up after using the toilets, The Sunday Times said.

Those caught dry-handed included professionals, food preparation staff, housewives and students of both genders. Some told the newspaper they washed only after 'big business' and 'never thought of washing after urinating'.

Other reasons for not washing included the general cleanliness of toilets, not knowing how to use the automatic taps, lack of time, and apathy towards germs.

"Even those who washed their hands did not do so thoroughly," the report said. Out of 717 who washed, only 134 used soap and 66 washed only one hand.

The Restroom Association of Singapore has distributed 2,000 posters to schools and public toilets on the correct way to wash hands and is launching a programme next year including roadshows.

The newspaper check coincided with an outbreak of food poisoning that affected 153 people after eating PrimaDeli bakery's chocolate cakes.

The salmonella enteritidis detected causes fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and pain in abdominal.

The factory has been closed during sanitizing and so have the franchises.