Clorox Wipes Shortage in Utica-Rome Expected to Last into 2021

At least there's enough toilet paper. Unfortunately, Clorox Wipes are expected to remain a hot commodity well into the new year. Sorry, Utica.

At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, walking into a grocery felt like something out of a movie: shelves were bare, and toilet paper was virtually impossible to find. While most items have returned to pre-pandemic stock levels, the recent uptick in COVID cases has led some to start stockpiling toilet paper - and looking for the popular Clorox Wipes.

An executive from Clorox says surging demand means consumers can expect that the wipes will continue to be hard to find, well into 2021. Manufacturing simply can't keep up with demand.

"People are suffering, Covid is surging, but everything we know right now – we probably won’t be back in the type of in-stock positions, or you know, what people are used to going to the store, until mid-2021," Clorox Chief Operating Officer Eric Reynolds said in an interview airing Thursday night on NBC Nightly News, according to USA Today.

Previously, Clorox executives explained the same material that go into making wipes - especially the wipe 'fabric' - are also used in PPE, which is also in high demand.

In some cases, community Facebook groups have arisen, with members informing each other when local stores restock the coveted cleaning item.