Public toilets in London (2024)

FAQs

What happened to public toilets in London? ›

The simple answer is that they cost local councils a lot of money and due to austerity there have been massive budget cuts. However many businesses have agreed to give access to their toilets such as MacDonald. There is a toilet finder app that you can get. Why are there no public toilets in most London tube stations?

As part of the City of London's Community Toilet Scheme, the facilities in many shops, restaurants and bars are available to use without having to buy anything. You can also find public bathrooms in museums and art galleries across London, and they are often free to enter.

Stainless steel telescopic urinals were first introduced to London in 2002 in a bid to solve the city's street urination problem. They stand two metres high and arise from the ground at 1900 hours every night. And they disappear at 0600, after which they are stored underground.

Loo. Despite being a very British word for toilet, 'loo' is actually derived from the French phrase 'guardez l'eau', which means 'watch out for the water'.

In your bathroom

Wipes, condoms, sanitary products, cotton wool, and dental floss are some of the biggest offenders in our sewers. Throw them in the bin, not the loo. The three Ps is the best rule to remember when it comes to what's flushable; pee, poo, paper. Nothing else!

A passenger train driver will be able to use the toilets at a station, on the train, or at a railway depot. A freight train driver will be able to use toilets in a freight yard, at a passenger station, or at a railway depot.

In polite society, we say “loo”, but no one would bat an eyelid if you ask for the “toilet”.

TfL toilet facilities are free to access, but some non-TfL facilities may be chargeable. Other public toilets may be available near to stations.

There are actually a significant proportion of Underground stations that have toilets. However most of them are outside of the central area, quite a few of the sub-surface line stations do have toilets within Zone 1 (Circle, District, H&C, Metropolitan).

While Europeans do use toilet paper, WCs may not always be well stocked. If you're averse to the occasional drip-dry, carry pocket-size tissue packs (easy to buy in Europe) for WCs sans TP.

Are there squat toilets in the UK? ›

While squat toilets are not currently used as much in this country, many people do use them when travelling to countries where these toilets are more common. Read on to know the benefits of installing squat toilets in public and commercial washrooms including the health benefits of squatting over sitting.

Toilet facilities in the City of London

Note: 50p charge except RADAR key holders. Change machines are available.

The Loo. Loo is an informal yet polite British term for toilet. The word “loo” has interesting origins and can be traced back to Medieval Europe, when chamber pots had to be emptied from bedroom windows onto the street below.

SQUATTING VS.

You mustn't squat on a toilet in the UK because the toilets are designed for sitting. Though you might think it's more hygienic and/or healthier, the toilets are not designed for squatting so you risk breaking them. You must always sit on the toilet when you use it.

It is commonly supplied as a long strip of perforated paper wrapped around a paperboard core for storage in a dispenser near a toilet. The bundle, or roll of toilet paper, is known as a toilet roll, or loo roll or bog roll in Britain.

Discrimination, underinvestment and sanitation concerns have led to a lack of public bathrooms, which has multiple consequences. If a person has to go to the bathroom while out in public, it may be difficult to find a toilet without some sort of catch.

The number of public toilets in the UK has decreased by 14% since 2018/2019, according to a report. Cost constraints have been at least partly responsible for around a quarter of the closures while anti-social behaviour, arson and vandalism have led to 20 per cent of them being put out of service.

The Great Exhibition of 1851 was held at Crystal Palace, where plumber George Jennings installed flushing toilets he called "monkey closets" - a slang industry term inspired by the shape of some of the plumbing. By the time the exhibition closed, more than 800,000 visitors had used the facilities.

London Overground and TfL Rail toilet facilities are already free of charge. On London Underground, all toilet facilities are now free, following the removal of the coin operated mechanisms at co*ckfosters station earlier this year. Please also see my response to Mayor's Question 2021/2547.