Don't Hold Your Breath for the Return of Clorox Wipes

Eagerly awaiting the return of Clorox disinfectant wipes to store shelves? You'll be waiting quite a while. Clorox said Monday that the popular cleaning product bought up at the start of the coronavirus pandemic might not appear in stores until 2021. "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," Clorox president and CEO-elect Linda Rendle said during an earnings call, per ABC News.

Similar products from companies including Lysol have also disappeared amid the pandemic. As ABC explains, the disposable wipes are made with polyester spunlace, a sought-after ingredient also used in the making of personal protective equipment. Rendle said Clorox would be increasing production of other cleaning products, like liquid bleach, "to ensure that consumers have products they need during this time." Sales within the company's health and wellness division rose 33% during the fourth quarter, making up more than 40% of total sales, per USA Today. (More Clorox stories.)