Another Clorox Wipe Shortage Coming?

Walk up and down the hall at Townsquare Media and peek in all of the six radio stations here and right next to the computers and microphones you'll find a container of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Now multiply that times virtually every business that is open for business in some fashion and you will be reminded of the "crises born of shortage" when the Pandemic first hit.

So where do we stand today with the supply of this important virus fighter?

Clorox CEO Benno Dorer told Reuters on Monday (August 3rd) that while the company typically holds aside excess supply for flu seasons, it has been unable to keep up with a six-fold increase in demand for many of its disinfectants. Supply for most products, like liquid bleach, will improve dramatically over the next four to six months—but Dorer says the same does not apply to the wipes.

Part of the issue is that many wipes are made from "polyester spunlace", a material currently in short supply as it is also used to make personal protective equipment like masks and medical gowns.

Yahoo news reports the entire supply chain is stressed so store shelves won’t fully be restocked with Clorox disinfecting wipes until 2021.