• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • GMA3: WYNTK
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2025 ABC News
  • News

Clorox says disinfectant wipes shortage may last until 2021

2:30
Clorox wipes shortage could last until 2021, company says
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
ByAnthony Kane, Suzanne Yeo, and Angeline Jane Bernabe
August 05, 2020, 11:44 AM

If you walk into stores looking for disinfectant wipes, the likelihood of finding any are slim. And today, Clorox is saying that you might have to wait until next year to get your hands on the coveted cleaning product.

In an earnings call earlier this week, Clorox company president and CEO-elect, Linda Rendle, announced the company might not be able to restock the product in stores until next year.

"Given the fact cold and flu (season) sits in the middle of the (fiscal) year, and we expect the pandemic to be with us for the entirety of the year, it will take the full year to get up to the supply levels that we need to be at," Rendle said Monday during the call.

This April 24, 2020, file photo shows a container of Clorox disinfecting wipes in a kitchen in Culver City, Calif., amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

Related Articles

MORE: When to expect more Clorox wipes at the store

When the pandemic first hit in March, wipes vanished from store shelves with many scrambling across the country to get their hands on any they could find. Then, as stores ran out, they were prioritized for hospitals and caregivers, which left many consumers like Stacie Wright turning to sales of the sought after cleaning product elsewhere online or to making their own.

Editor’s Picks

How a virus researcher makes sure she doesn’t bring coronavirus into her home

  • Apr 07, 2020

How to properly sanitize your cellphone amid coronavirus outbreak

  • Mar 11, 2020

"I've just been using, like a diluted mix of an antibacterial," said Stacie Wright, owner of E11even salon in New Jersey. "The shelves still seem to be as bare as they were in the end of March and beginning -- you know -- April. Which is kind of surprising to me."

And although Clorox ramped up production, it could not keep up to the dramatic demand.

But it's not just Clorox, Lysol has also gone missing on shelves too.

Related Articles

MORE: EPA approves 1st disinfectant sprays that kill COVID-19 on surfaces

"This demand is clearly having an impact on our retailers' inventory levels," the Reckitt Benckiser Group, the maker of Lysol, said in a statement to USA Today in April.

Part of the problem is that many companies make wipes using polyester spunlace, a key ingredient also used for personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and medical gowns, which is now in short supply.

While the wait continues for the return of Clorox disinfectant wipes, the company has promised instead a huge increase in some of its other cleaning products, like liquid bleach, in the coming months.

Some stores like Walmart are also offering an alert system that you can sign up for to see when wipes are available in stores.

This report was featured in the Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

"Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Editor’s Picks

How a virus researcher makes sure she doesn’t bring coronavirus into her home

  • Apr 07, 2020

How to properly sanitize your cellphone amid coronavirus outbreak

  • Mar 11, 2020

Up Next in News—

American tourists speak out after escaping Mount Etna eruption

June 3, 2025

Todd Chrisley speaks out for 1st time since Trump's pardon

May 30, 2025

Couple speaks out after dramatic rescue by Carnival cruise ship crew

May 27, 2025

Shein and Temu products impacted by tariffs: What to know

May 14, 2025

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2025 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2025 ABC News