Clorox won't have enough disinfecting wipes until 2021, its CEO says

[LiberalArkie]

AUGUST 4, 2020 / 6:03 AM

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Grocery shelves won’t be fully stocked with Clorox’s disinfecting wipes until next year, CEO Benno Dorer told Reuters on Monday, as the world’s biggest cleaning products maker struggles with overwhelming pandemic-led demand for its top product.

Since the start of global lockdowns, makers of hygiene goods have seen a sustained boom in sales. While California-based Clorox typically holds aside excess supply for flu seasons, it says it has been unable to keep up with a six-fold increase in demand for many of its disinfectants.

The company is currently understocked across much of its portfolio, which includes Glad trash bags and Burt’s Bees lip balm. Supply for most products, like liquid bleach, will improve dramatically over the next four to six months - but not wipes, Dorer said.

Clorox products are used in Uber vehicles and United Airlines planes, and are sold by major retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Kroger.

Snip

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-clorox-wipes/clorox-wont-have-enough-disinfecting-wipes-until-2021-its-ceo-says-idUSKCN2501EU

[2naSalit]

1. No surprise.

Haven't been able to find them since March. All the stores in my area have some kind of sanitizer that comes in bulk and smells like bourbon. It's thin enough that they make their own wipes with it.

[TheBlackAdder]

36. Yep. Buy natural baby wipes at CVS and pour alcohol on them.

.

I cut them in half, fold the halves into quarters and place 20 in a ziplock bag and pour alcohol over them so they are soaked. Then, I stick them in the cars my kids and I use for then they need to go someplace.


.

[2naSalit]

37. Oh That's a good idea.

Thanks. I have access to alcohol, I scored half a gallon recently for four bucks! More than I'll use in quite a while but good to have around. I see what I can find around here.

[Blue_true]

42. I know that some people here really despise Amazon,

but it is possible to purchase alcohol by the gallon there. For example, four gallons of 99% alcohol sells for something like $39 before shipping charges. That can be used with distilled water to make 80% alcohol, which is what I recommend for general surface cleaning if you can’t find bleach.

[dixiegrrrrl]

38. Great minds.....

Baby wipes are a new discovery for me, I love them for all sorts of handy things, and have made the disinfectant packs up for the car/travel.
also some packs in a plastic bag with witch hazel added. No more expensive Tucks needed.

Wepes are still plentiful around here, and cheap.

[Blue_true]

40. I am finally able to find that company's bleach. The off brand stuff that I was forced to use was a

total disaster.

[qwlauren35]

2. That's bad.

There are medical wipes, much stronger, that can be used if absolutely necessary. But they are not safe around pets and children.

[live love laugh]

3. It's been nearly six months and still toilet paper and Lysol

are minimally available.

It’s hard for me to believe they can’t manufacture enough products over that span of time and in view of a looming resurgence.

[sweetloukillbot]

9. Paper towels, TP and butt wipes have been readily available here for at least a month

Clorox wipes though... I found one tiny package in May. Nothing since. We have some big bottle of all purpose disinfecting cleaner though, so we've been just using that...

[SoCalNative]

12. Not had an issue with getting TP

in several months here. Grocery shelves as well as Amazon seem to have supplies again readily available.

[Blue_true]

43. Try the Dollar Generals near you for toilet paper, paper towels and Clorox bleach.

I have had really good luck over that last six months shopping for those items there, along with brand name dish detergent. It does seem that other people are figuring that out, when DG stocks up, better get there within three days, although they seem to restock much faster than Publix and Walmart (or maybe those stores simply see more customer volume and run out faster).

I don’t know about Lysol wipes, I have never used them.

[In_The_Wind]

4. Sorry to hear that. Clorox Wipes are the 1st thing I use on my hands upon returning to my car.

[Chiyo-chichi]

14. I wouldn't use them on my hands.

The chemicals in Clorox and Lysol wipes are intended to kill germs on hard surfaces, not your hands. I'd use antibacterial hand wipes like Wet Ones or Kleenex germ removal wipes if you can find them.

[In_The_Wind]

16. Thanks. I'll look for those when I place my next grocery order to be shipped.

I already had the wipes when this mess began. I also use the wipes on the inside of my car when I'm done with my hands.

[sir pball]

24. These are readily available and safe for your hands

Plus they sanitize already-clean surfaces, I use them on my phone to preserve my precious Clorox wipes.

https://www.amazon.com/Antibacterial-Hand-Wipes-Count-wipes/dp/B089YVQ7L5

[Blue_true]

44. I was going to suggest that the poster look on Amazon.

It seems to have everything available for short delivery. I don’t know how it does it, but it has everyday things that can’t be found in stores now. The Vampire Squid of retailing.

[ProfessorGAC]

25. There's Very Little Risk

The active agent in Clorox wipes is identical to that in topical disinfectants like Bactine. Identical.
Same with products made for skin hygiene, that you mentioned. The active ingredient is the exact same chemical.
They quaternized ammonium product with a chloride or saccharide anion. (Much more typically, chloride.)
In wipes, however, there are mild solvents that help spread the active agent (working with the nonionic surfactant) and make them evaporate more quickly.
The solvents can cause some drying of the epidermis, so folks with sensitive skin would experience drying & chapping.
Hand sanitizers use alcohols, which are drying agents too, but they have (as do the products you referenced) emollients of some sort to minimize drying of the skin.
For the preponderance of people, there's no real risk in using a hard surface wipe on the skin.

[Chiyo-chichi]

32. That's good to know. Thanks.

[Sugarcoated]

46. Wet Ones don't kill Covid

They aren't up front about it.

[Baltimike]

19. Try this. It's incedible, sanitizes your hands without drying them out

https://www.mountroyalsoaps.com/products/4-oz-hand-sanitizer-gel-four-thieves-blend

[In_The_Wind]

55. Thanks. I just placed an order.

My hands are still ok but my nails all started breaking. ouch!

[Baltimike]

59. I am fairly certain you will not regret it.

I have it, use it, bought it for my nieces and some for my Moms.

It smells really good too.

[JI7]

49. Why not just use regular Hand Sanitizer ?

[In_The_Wind]

54. Hand sanitizers were out of stock when I started looking for them.

I'm glad I didn't change to the Blumen Sanitizers I ordered from BJ's. They were recalled. I tossed all 3 bottles in the trash unused. A refund will be here in 4 to 6 weeks.

Most stores I shop in have a limit of 1 per customer. I buy them for Mr. ITW because he is working 6 days as a home health care aide.

[underpants]

5. I just stocked up at work

I’ve got 50 packets of 60 wipes tucked away in my office. Everyone has one in their office and since we are mostly teleworking they aren’t using them much...or shouldn’t be. Not Clorox brand though.

[Blues Heron]

6. fewer clogged toilets?

just use rags, paper towels, etc. Get creative. When did "wipes" become the last word in hygiene? I don't think I've ever purchased a pack of "wipes" in my life.

[BusyBeingBest]

10. You wouldn't want to use a Clorox wipe for your butt.

It's for disinfecting hard surfaces.

[Blues Heron]

11. shows what I know lol!

[BusyBeingBest]

13. That's OK. I didn't want you to get a hold of one

and put it in the wrong place

[Blue_true]

45. The fortunate thing is that is one of those things that a person does only once. nt

[Buckeye_Democrat]

34. How else can I bleach my poop-hole?

Kidding! I'm not interested in that type of "cosmetic" alteration!

[Generic Brad]

39. What's a hard-ass to do?

[canetoad]

48. Thank you

Wipes are a first world response to a solvable ecological problem.

Don't use them.

[CrispyQ]

7. I have not been able to get Clorox wipes or rubbing alcohol.

Amazon had a 16 ounce bottle of rubbing alcohol for $40. Boo. Hiss.

We did manage to score a couple of half gallons of Clorox bleach and some hydrogen peroxide so we're not totally without protection.

[Tanuki]

17. I avoided Walmart for years prior to the pandemic but have resorted

to ordering their household and pantry goods online to avoid potential exposure in stores. They have isopropyl alcohol in stock for a much more reasonable price than what you mentioned.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-70-Isopropyl-Alcohol-Antiseptic-32-fl-oz/192925013




Edited to add that they have free shipping on orders of $35 or more.

[CrispyQ]

18. Thank you!

I bought a four bottle pack of peroxide on Amazon & that came in a Walmart box.

[mucifer]

8. Clean surfaces with soap and water

You don’t need toxic chemicals

Also hydrogen peroxide in a dark spray bottle is less toxic

[CrispyQ]

21. These spray tops fit my hydrogen peroxide bottles perfectly!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PWZGZLR/

[spinbaby]

56. Vinegar is also a good disinfectant

I keep a spray bottle of vinegar mixed half with water to clean kitchen surfaces.

[louis-t]

15. Are they working on injectable bleach yet?

Y'know, cuz trumpy sez it works. So sick of this.

[Maru Kitteh]

20. When can I get some freakin' LYSOL? That's what I want to know.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

35. I bought a big, 19-ounce can last week!

Local grocery pick-up. I couldn't believe they had it!

I'd ordered it for weeks (I do pick-ups about every two weeks), for shits and giggles mostly, but they finally fulfilled the request.

[helpisontheway]

52. I found some at LOWES!! My husband happened to see a man walking with a can

so he decided to check the shelf. They had 10 cans left. Limit one can per person. I purchased one and he purchased one. That will last us through Covud/Flu season. We have some Clorox wipes but I would like a little more to get us through covid/flu season. I know it will be impossible to find later.

[Maru Kitteh]

61. THANK YOU! I will check our Lowe's.

[Chiyo-chichi]

53. I bought a large can at my local PetSmart a couple of days ago.

The price was a little jacked up at $9.99.
I don't know if you have the Kroger grocery chain where you are, but that's the only place I can find it in my town.. in fact, only at ONE of our five stores. More often than Lysol, they have the Kroger Home Sense version, which is cheaper and essentially the same as Crisp Linen Lysol.
To find it online, try nowinstock.net. I've been able to occasionally pre-order it through Amazon via nowinstock. You have to be quick. Lots of products become available and they're sold out in 10-15 minutes.

[Maru Kitteh]

62. OMG thank you! That is so helpful. We have 2 Smith's which are Kroger stores and

I'd never heard of nowinstock.net. That is a wonderful resource! Thank you so much.

[Buns_of_Fire]

22. The White House has been buying up all the lip balm it can get.

They've been distributing it to Cabinet appointees and republican members of Congress. The boss doesn't like getting chapped butt cheeks.

[CTyankee]

23. There is a product called Always my Baby Pacifier Wipes. They're little but I can clean the

bathroom around the toilet (hubby's old and has a bad aim) and do all the fixtures. Just what I need. But NO FLUSHING. I put them in the trash.

[ProfessorGAC]

26. Must Be Regional

I'm not seeing this in NE Illinois any longer.
Of course, one of the production sites is here.
I've been there several times.
It's less than an hour drive from the house.
P.S.- I don't believe this CEO. The active ingredient manufacturers still have excess capacity, and the Clorox plants weren't designed to operate at 100% utilization. There was excess capacity.
This is "under promising". No way it takes 6 more months to meet total demand.
The original shortage was caused by:
1. JIT taken to extremes.
2. End of year inventory depletions to make the balance sheet look better at close.
3. Prioritization of active agents to institutional products to assume high inventories for hospitals, clinics, and other high risk environments. (Schools, nursing homes, etc.)
4. Panic buying early on.
5. Fixed contract pricing to major retailers, meaning overtime cut into margins.
They're long past the point of 1 through 4 being an issue.
The private label versions have fully backfilled, almost nationwide. Clorox can get there in under 6 months, too.

[Tanuki]

27. I would imagine there is a new surge in demand with schools re-opening

all across the country, and that this will be ongoing for the duration of the pandemic. I was pleasantly surprised to see Clorox wipes in my local Costco the last time I was there (which was only my second visit there since March), and did not miss the opportunity to purchase a multi-pack.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. A Lot Of Schools...

...have increased their supplies of institutional formulas from companies like Ecolab, and others.
Those are cheaper, mostly because they come in larger packaging.
It take far less plastic and production time to make a 5 gallon pail, than it does to make 25 wipe containers.
It also costs less to fill larger containers by the formulators.
The chemistry & biochemistry is identical, so efficacy is also identical. Just a bit cheaper.
And, there's no retail handling or profit margin.
People at three schools where I sub, are telling me the school is buying stuff by the carboy, or drums.
Don't need many wipes, if you have a drum of disinfectant in the closet!

[Tanuki]

29. Interesting. So do they use rags or paper towels or something,

dipped in the disinfectant from the drum, to swab down desks and other surfaces? The wipes seem handier for the average classroom teacher of young kids, even if they are more expensive.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. No, It's Easier

The drum comes with a little plastic hand pump.
Use the pump to fill spray bottles.
Spray on, wipe off.
That's really all a sanitizing wipe is. Just that cleaning agents & disinfectant is already sprayed on the towel.
No real advantage or disadvantage. Other than the cost!

[herding cats]

41. It was similar here in Texas, then our cases spiked.

It became a "best available" lottery item at my grocery. As are sanitizing sprays and oddly enough paper plates. But, we can (mostly) get toilet paper now! It may be not what you want, but it gets the job done.

My bar has definitely been lowered, which which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[helpisontheway]

31. We found some Clorox wipes last month do we still

have two large containers left. Keeping my eyes open for more. We will need it during flu/covid season. My husband found LYSOL DISINFECTANT SPRAY at Lowes the other day! Pure gold! So we have two cans. That will last us a very long time. So if you need Lysol, check LOWES!!

[Buckeye_Democrat]

33. I've been making my own disinfectant spray...

... from alcohol, bottled water and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. At least that stuff can still be found online.

[canetoad]

47. I'm quite happy about this

Wipes are an ecological disaster. They don't degrade.

Soap, water, spray alcohol. Wipes are bad for the planet.

[JI7]

50. Anyone know why Burt's Bees Lip Balm would be understocked ?

Or am I reading it wrong and they are just saying it's part of their portfolio ?

[Maru Kitteh]

63. Lack of bees :-(

[JI7]

51. I have found it at Target a couple times when I went early

They also limited to just 1 for each person .

I also ordered it from their website. I don't know if there was a mistake or something but I was able to add it to my cart and order it along with a few other things. But the wipes keep getting delayed and they keep having me confirm if I still want them.

[denem]

57. Magats have been using them as suppositories.

[Kaleva]

58. I stocked up in January & have been able to maitain that stock when wipes have become avavilbe.

[smirkymonkey]

60. I haven't been able to find ANY Clorox products at any of the delivery places I shop at.

My biggest go to product is the spray bleach cleaner, which I use on everything, but I can't even find a backup for that! In fact it seems like "out-of-stocks" on almost all products are starting to get bad again. It's really frustrating.

I use wipes when I go out of the apartment to use on door handles, elevator buttons, etc., and to wipe down small items and Clorox is my preferred brand, but I can't even find Lysol brand either. In fact, I can't even find straight up bottles of bleach, which I would settle for. I am starting to get a little worried about a second wave here.