Demand for Surface Disinfectant Wipes Soars Amid Pandemic

US demand for surface disinfectant wipes is expected to grow 4.0% per year through 2024, according to a new Freedonia Group analysis. Wipes are a convenient and easy-to-use alternative to competitive products like traditional spray cleaners. While this market is fundamentally affected by macroeconomic factors – such as consumer spending and manufacturing activity – the primary driver of gains will be the growing concern for potential bacterial and viral contamination, which remains heightened as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the US.

As a result, demand for surface disinfectant wipes continues to surge, benefitting suppliers large and small.

What’s driving the surge?

Across the US, governments, businesses, and consumers have taken significant steps to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. In addition to practicing social distancing and wearing personal protective equipment, surface disinfecting habits are increasing.

Early on in the pandemic, surface disinfectant wipes quickly sold out both in stores and online as consumers stockpiled. “Essential” businesses that remained open during stay-at-home orders, like supermarkets and other food establishments, increased surface disinfection to provide safer experiences for consumers. Other businesses and institutions implemented similar practices as they reopened following pandemic-related closures.

How are suppliers responding?

Wipes suppliers have taken steps to ramp up production to meet the spike in demand, hiring new employees and running production 24/7. For example:

• Clorox began running manufacturing plants 24 hours a day and hiring additional workers to increase production. Additionally, the company is producing fewer varieties of products – focusing on certain disinfectant wipes – and has contracted out some manufacturing to further supplement demand.
• Rockline began producing wipes in soft packs after plastic canisters ran out. They received a speedy approval to the change in their packaging from the EPA, which regulates disinfectant wipes.

Participants in the surface disinfectant wipes market have also made efforts to focus their supply toward critical end users during the pandemic, including healthcare facilities, among others. This has increased the difficulty for some consumers to get disinfectant wipes for personal use. And while demand is still high, supply remains short.

What’s in store beyond the pandemic?

Though the COVID is still going surge strong, it will eventually taper off as things get more back to normal. However, the effects of the pandemic on consumer and business behavior – including surface disinfection – are likely to linger. Going forward, surface disinfectant wipes will find opportunities in:

• households increasing their use of disinfectants, particularly those feeling elevated concern about the spread of illness since the coronavirus pandemic
• healthcare facilities expanding protocols to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI)
• foodservice and food and beverage manufacturing establishments looking to prevent foodborne illnesses
• businesses and institutions introducing more rigorous routine cleaning protocols as they reopen following pandemic-related closures

Want to learn more?

Surface Disinfectant Wipes is now available from The Freedonia Group.

About the Author:

Peter Kusnic is a Content Writer with The Freedonia Group, where he researches and writes studies focused on an array of industries.