Clorox wipes won't be fully stocked in stores until 2021

Clorox wipes have been a hot commodity during the coronavirus pandemic — so much so that many areas experienced shortages. The drought is not expected to get much better: Clorox CEO Benno Dorer told Reuters on Monday that grocery stores won't be fully stocked until next year.

The company is understocked in most of the products it makes — which includes Glad trash bags and Burt's Bees lip balm, Reuters reports. While the supply of many products is expected to improve, the disinfectant wipes will still be scarce.

"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, according to Reuters. "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."

One issue is that material used to create the wipes, polyester spunlace, is also in short supply. This material is used in other products in high demand during the pandemic, including masks and medical gowns, Reuters reports.

As people hoarded cleaning and home products at the beginning of the pandemic, sales went up, but shortages began.

Stockpiling by consumers is behind much of the increase. In March, Procter & Gamble said it was shipping record-high levels of Charmin toilet paper and other brands. "Demand continues to outpace supply at the moment, but we are working diligently to get product to our retailers as fast as humanly possible," a spokesperson said in an email at the time.