This has definitely been an interesting year so far. It started out normal enough, but then COVID-19 changed everything. It changed what our day to day lives look like. It changed screen time limits since kids are home and pretty much all of their activities are online. It changed how we communicate and interact with friends. I have never been so thankful for the internet.

Another thing that changed this year is just how obsessed we have all become with disinfecting everything. Sure, there was a run on toilet paper for awhile, but disinfecting wipes are still a hot commodity. They are used in businesses and in our homes. I’ve even seen some back to school shopping lists from schools that include disinfecting wipes, and the moms who are shopping for these items hope that the schools are considering the wipes a “wish list” item, because they really don’t know if they’ll be able to find any.

It’s not going to get any easier to get your hands on disinfecting wipes anytime soon. Benno Dorer, the CEO of Clorox, told Reuters that the company is having a very hard time keeping up with demand, and he doesn’t think the disinfecting wipes will be fully stocked on store shelves until 2021.

That’s next year. That’s way after the start of cold and flu season. Let that sink in for a minute. 

Breathe.

My first thought was that maybe they could just hire more people so they can make the wipes faster, but it’s not that simple. The wipes are in such high demand, like, 6 times their usual demand, that the company just can’t keep up. One reason is that the wipes are made from a material that is also used to make PPE, so the necessary material is also in short supply. 

If you’re desperate for disinfecting wipes but can’t find them, you could try to find some baby wipes instead. While baby wipes are not disinfecting wipes, they can easily be transformed to serve the same purpose. You can find all the details here.

Have you been having trouble finding disinfecting wipes? How are you keeping your home clean? Does it surprise you that Clorox doesn’t think they’ll be able to full stock store shelves with the wipes until next year?