ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Brussels' ranking as the European city with the dirtiest public toilets could have a huge effect on tourism, according to a study.

And analysts fear that the authorities concerned are looking at public toilets as a cost, without taking into account the reputational impact.

Brussels was ranked as the city with the dirtiest public toilets in Europe in a recent study by Showers to You. One in five online reviews used words such as "dirty" or "smelly" to describe the toilets in Brussels. Stockholm's washrooms were ranked the second dirtiest while Riga came in third.

The outcome of the poll could have a negative impact on tourism according to a study named "Public Toilets in Brussels' Public Spaces: Necessity or Nuisance?"

Authors Lien Maes and Lucas Melgaço describe the state of the public toilets in Brussels as "bad, very bad" and puts this partly down to the fact that there are fewer than five public toilets per 100,000 residents.

"They are cleaned twice a day, but considering that they are used by hundreds - if not thousands - of people every day that is just not enough," said Maes. "When the cleaner arrives in the morning, five or six people are already waiting."

The city's municipal council is implementing a "toilet plan" to address the issue, according to a spokesperson.

"We are allocating €300,000 for the replacement of two public toilets," he said. "We continue to believe it is important to invest in to public toilets because it is about providing basic hygiene for people, so we remain committed."