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Clorox wipes won’t be fully back on store shelves until 2021, CEO says

If you are looking for that container of Clorox disinfecting wipes, you can stop your search.

It will be next year before they hit the grocery shelves according to the company’s CEO.

Benno Dorer told Reuters on Monday that overwhelming demand and a shortage of materials used in making the sanitizing wipes has caused a slowdown in production.

According to Dorer, the company is seeing a sixfold increase in demand for the wipes and other cleaning products since the pandemic was declared in March.

“Disinfecting wipes, which are the hottest commodity in the business right now, will probably take longer because it’s a very complex supply chain to make them,” Dorer said.

Polyester spunlace, a material used to make the wipes, is also used to make personal protective equipment, Reuters reported.

“That entire supply chain is stressed. ... We feel like it’s probably going to take until 2021 before we’re able to meet all the demand that we have,” Dorer told Reuters.

“Frankly, we thought we would be in a better position by now, but demand in Q4 exceeded our expectations,” Dorer said in a call with analysts to discuss the company’s earnings. “We’re certainly not at all happy with our service levels for our retail customers on many products. We have a high sense of urgency on this with all hands on deck.”