Clorox CEO Warns Disinfectant Wipes Will Not Be Fully in Stock Until 2021
Clorox Disinfectant Wipes will not be in stock until 2021.
CEO and Chairman of Clorox Benno Dorer said, although the company’s supplies will improve over the next four to six months, its disinfectant wipes will remain unavailable.
Clorox has seen a surge in sales since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S.
If you were hoping Clorox Disinfectant Wipes would be in stock for cold and flu season, we have some unfortunate news. CEO and Chairman of Clorox Benno Dorer recently gave Reuters an update on the company's production, and he confirmed that the popular wipes won’t be in stock at most retailers until 2021.
“Disinfecting wipes, which are the hottest commodity in the business right now, will probably take longer because it’s a very complex supply chain to make them,” Dorer said. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clorox Disinfectant Wipes have not been tested on SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but they have been found to kill similar pathogens.
Many companies produce these wipes with polyester spunlace, a material that is also used to make personal protective equipment (PPE), which has become short in supply due to the coronavirus pandemic. The wipes are also used in Uber vehicles and airlines like United.
“That entire supply chain is stressed,” Dorer said. “We feel like it’s probably going to take until 2021 before we’re able to meet all the demand that we have.”
“Frankly, we thought we would be in a better position by now, but demand in Q4 exceeded our expectations,” Dorer continued. On Monday, Clorox reported a 33% increase in revenue in its fourth-quarter sales and earnings report. “We’re certainly not at all happy with our service levels for our retail customers on many products. We have a high sense of urgency on this with all hands on deck.”
In May, Dorer predicted that the company would be in a much better place to handle the increase in demand for its products come summer. After seeing a 500% spike in consumer demand for the disinfectant wipes, Dorer said Clorox increased its production by 40%. “We’re activating party suppliers who produce for us to help us. And we’re investing in further capacity,” he told Yahoo Finance in May. “So we continue to find new ways to speed up our lines and find capacity.”
There is some good news, though. Over the next four to six months, Dorer said supplies of the company’s other products, like liquid bleach, will improve.
If you’re in need of cleaning products (as we all are!) the EPA recommends a list of brands, including Clorox, Lysol, and Purell. In July, the agency officially recognized Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Max Cover Disinfectant Mist as the first cleaning products to pass lab testing criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, according to a press release. You can also use isopropyl alcohol (as long as the concentration is 70%) or hydrogen peroxide to clean hard, non-porous surfaces.
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