Skip navigation
Reports & Analysis Custom Research Research Subscriptions
Sign In / Create Account Cart
Sign In / Create Account Cart
  • Reports & Analysis
  • Custom Research
  • Research Subscriptions

Resources

  • Analyst Buzz
  • Press Releases
  • Blog
  • Resources & Downloads
  • Impact Tracker

The Freedonia Group

  • Contact
  • About
  • Our Staff
  • Help Center
  • Career Opportunities
Freedonia Market Research Freedonia Group US Healthcare Wipes

US Healthcare Wipes

Industry Reports, United States

Report Overview

Featuring 21 tables and 17 figures – now available in Excel and Powerpoint! Learn More

Disinfectant Wipes

Demand for wipes used in healthcare settings is expected to increase 2.7% per year to $635 million in 2026. Growth will come mostly from increasing unit sales, which will accelerate as healthcare operations return to pre-pandemic levels. Other factors supporting market growth include:

  • an aging population and increasing need for senior care, which will boost demand for patient care wipes because they are often used to bathe seniors with mobility issues
  • an increase in surgeries, spurring demand for skin disinfectant wipes
  • ongoing concerns about cross-contamination and HAIs, promoting demand for hard surface disinfectant wipes

In addition, product innovations will encourage new adoptions of wipes in certain healthcare applications, such as skin-contact and disinfectant wipes.

Table of Contents

    • $323.44

    • $512.91

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $331.02

    • $1,286.19

      • $323.44

      • $628.46

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

    • $2,107.88

      • $475.44

      • $442.65

      • $349.36

      • $523.84

      • $323.44

    • $520.72

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

    • $2,918.13

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $919.26

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $2,918.13

        • $404.40

        • $355.99

        • $323.44

        • $379.03

        • $323.44

        • $535.95

        • $1,694.88

Healthcare Wipe Demand Was Stronger in 2021 Following Mixed 2020 Performance

The market for healthcare wipes in both unit and value terms grew in 2021 following a depressed 2020 (attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic):

  • While demand for surface disinfectant wipes spiked in 2020 to combat the coronavirus, a decrease in surgical procedures caused demand for skin disinfectants to decline, weakening overall growth.
  • In 2021, the healthcare wipes market expanded robustly as facilities were able to operate in more normal capacities.

Going forward, it is expected that demand for products like surface disinfectant wipes will remain above pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, demand will be supported by increases in healthcare spending prompted by an aging population and an uptick in surgical procedures, as well as an anticipated rise in births.

Among Applications, Patient Care Wipes to Account for Largest Absolute Gains

Patient care wipes are projected to account for 67% of total market gains, driven primarily by the aging US population and the prevalent use of personal bathing wipes in senior-oriented healthcare. As this segment of the population continues to increase in size, the market for senior care will expand, in turn boosting healthy gains for personal bathing and other patient care wipes. Growth will also result from continued product innovation, such as the development of substrates and chemicals that are gentler or more eco-friendly.

Product Innovations Continue to Promote Sales

Product development efforts will continue to promote demand growth for healthcare wipes, with enhanced disinfection capabilities and increased gentleness (of both substrates and chemicals) among the key areas of focus. For example:

  • In late 2020, Ecolab launched Disinfectant 1 wipes, which are formulated to kill 44 pathogens in one minute.
  • In 2021, GOJO Industries introduced PURELL professional surface disinfecting wipes, which can eliminate the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 30 seconds.
  • Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies Natural Care extra sensitive wipes, which were designed in partnership with neonatal intensive care unit nurses, are intended to be extremely gentle on the delicate skin of premature infants.
Healthcare Wipes

Demand by Application

Demand for healthcare wipes was volatile in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While hard surface disinfectant wipes saw strong gains in demand in 2020, wipes used for other disinfectant purposes declined significantly along with surgical procedures. In 2021, demand for hard surface disinfectant wipes declined slightly, although not nearly as steeply as in other markets. Demand for disinfectant wipes used as antiseptics rebounded along with surgical procedures.

Through 2026, demand for wipes used in healthcare settings is expected to increase 2.7% per year to $635 million. Gains will be driven by:

  • an aging population and increasing need for senior care, which will boost demand for patient care wipes, which are often used for bathing for seniors with mobility issues
  • an increase in surgeries, spurring demand for skin disinfectant wipes

In addition, hard surface disinfectant wipes sales will continue to rise due to ongoing concerns over the risk of cross-contamination and HAIs. Product innovations will also encourage new adoptions of wipes in certain healthcare applications. However, in many applications – especially patient care – wipes are already widely used. This will restrain faster growth since it limits the opportunity for new adoptions of wipes over alternative products.

Raw Materials

At their most basic, healthcare wipes are substrates (e.g., airlaid, spunlaced, composites, and paper) that may or may not be saturated with chemicals (e.g., emollients and surfactants). The materials used to create healthcare wipes often include nonwovens, which themselves are composed of fibers from both natural and synthetic sources. Material composition for healthcare wipes continues to see innovation of better performing products.

Additionally, the raw materials used by converters for their end-use products can be influenced by:

  • costs further upstream, such as those for plastic resins or fossil fuels
  • the environmental profiles of the ingredients employed
  • shortages of available materials due to high demand or delays in the supply chain

For example, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, high demand for both surface disinfectant wipes and other products made from nonwovens – such as PPE – caused shortages in the available raw materials; that included polyester spunlace, which many companies use to make their wipes. Additionally, high demand for the quaternary ammonium compounds that are often used in disinfectants caused further challenges. Since disinfectant wipes are EPA-registered products, it was difficult for converters to adapt their products.

Purchase Options

Purchase Report

Select your license:

  • $2,900.00
  • $4,400.00
  • $5,500.00
  • — —
    Section prices in Table of Contents

Subscription Options

License by subscription

Check to see if this report is available through our subscription services.

Subscription Pricing
Already have a subscription? Log in.

Free Sample Report

A free sample report is available.

Questions & Assistance

Our representatives are available to help answer your questions.

Live Chat is Offline
Email us

Share This Report

Copied to clipboard. Could not copy to clipboard.

Download a Free Sample Report Now

Sample Reports include examples of all the tables, charts, infographics and topics included in this study.

Use Licenses

The Single User License (SUL) authorizes a single individual to use the electronic study acquired. Agreement to the SUL is required in order to purchase the study. If you require more than one user a Departmental Site License or Global Site License should be purchased. 

The Departmental Site License (DSL) authorizes up to five users to share the study acquired. Agreement to the DSL is required in order to purchase the study. If your organization requires more than five users, the Global Site License should be purchased.

The Global Site License (GSL) allows everyone in your organization to share the study intelligence. Agreement to the Global Site License terms is necessary in order to purchase it. 

FAQs

Healthcare wipes are substrates (e.g. airlaid, spunlaces, composites, and paper) that may or may not be saturated with chemicals (e.g. emollients and surfactants).
Rising healthcare expenditures as well as an aging population and increases in surgeries will promote growth.
US market for healthcare wipes totaled $557 million on sales of 19.7 billion units in 2021.
;

Related Reports and Studies

  • Dental Products & Materials

    Industry Reports

    According to Dental Products & Materials, advances will be driven by ongoing growth in the 55-and-older segment, as this is the cohort most likely to require advanced professional dental care, and are likely to retain their natural teeth as they age.

    January 2016 453 pages
    Free sample available
  • Pain Management in the U.S.: Consumer Strategies

    Industry Reports

    January 2017 111 pages
  • Dental Products & Materials: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US dental product and dental product raw material demand in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2019.

    January 2016 28 pages
    Free sample available
  • Medical & Dental Adhesives & Sealants

    Industry Reports

    Expansion of the market will be fostered by rising health expenditures and rising focus on improving medical and dental procedure outcomes.

    March 2016 241 pages
    Free sample available
  • Infection Prevention Products & Services

    Industry Reports

    The US market for infection prevention products and services encompasses protective apparel and textiles, safety-enhanced medical devices, sterilization supplies, disinfectants, and waste disposal containers and accessories.

    April 2016 316 pages
    Free sample available
  • Infection Prevention Products & Services: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US infection prevention product and service demand in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2020.

    April 2016 27 pages
    Free sample available
  • Medical & Dental Adhesives & Sealants: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US medical and dental adhesive and sealant demand in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2019.

    March 2016 25 pages
    Free sample available
  • Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., 7th Edition

    Industry Reports

    October 2016 179 pages
  • In Vitro Diagnostic Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US in vitro diagnostic (IVD) packaging demand and shipments in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2020.

    June 2016 28 pages
    Free sample available
  • World Needle-Free Drug Delivery Systems

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts annual world demand through 2020 for needle-free drug delivery systems by technology, application, and major world region in US dollars at the manufacturers' level.

    July 2016 24 pages
    Free sample available
View More

Have unique research needs?

Freedonia Custom Research listens intently to your needs and objectives. Then we work diligently to define a service offering to meet them.
Learn About Our Custom Research Services

Stay informed with Freedonia

Receive periodic updates about new market research in areas relevant to your business. Have the convenience of Freedonia research at your fingertips when you need it.
  • Contact
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Career Opportunities
  • Press
  • User Agreement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map
Facebook Linkedin Twitter

Additional Resources

  • Market Size Resources
  • Lawn Mowers Research
  • Global Motor Vehicle Research
  • Global Paint & Coatings Research
  • Global Industrial Valves Research
  • Global Agricultural Equipment Research
  • Indoor Air Quality Equipment Research
  • Global Adhesives & Sealants Research
  • Hardscaping Products Research
  • Residential Landscaping Research
  • Food Packaging Research
  • Global Carpets & Rugs Research
  • Global Residential HVAC Research
Copyright © 2023 MarketResearch.com, Inc. All rights reserved.