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With the current pandemic of the Coronavirus circulating the globe, getting your hands on household items has become more difficult than ever. From the hand sanitizer shortage to very limited stocks of everyday cleaning products, knowing where to find these crucial items is key to feeling prepared.
Along with regular hand washing and avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth, “using the correct disinfectant is an important part of preventing and reducing the spread of illnesses along with other critical aspects such as hand washing,” Andrew Wheeler, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, explained in a news release.
Ahead, we’ve scoured the internet to find the best household and cleaning items that are still available for purchase. From detergents to disinfecting wipes, shop these basic items below that are selling out across the country — and stay well!
All prices are subject to change and items could sell out based on the merchant’s inventory.
Paper Towels
Whether you typically use paper towels as napkins or as your go-to cleaning cloths, they are great to have on hand. Paper towels are also disposable, so you don’t have to worry about washing them immediately.
- Shop: Bounty Quick-Size Paper Towels at Amazon, $30.44
- Shop: Pacific Blue Select C-Fold Paper Towels at Sam’s Club, $28.52
- Shop: Boardwalk Economy Center Pull Paper Towels at Sam’s Club, $23.77 (Orig. $26.62)
Toilet Paper
Running out of toilet paper seems to be a universal fear in times of emergency, because right now the stuff is pretty hard to find in store. If your local markets are sold out, you can still find toilet paper online at a few retailers. Honestly, we had trouble finding it ourselves but we were able to find a few packs at reasonable prices (keyword being “reasonable”) below.
- Shop: Seventh Generation White Toilet Paper at Amazon, $29
- Shop: Charmin Ultra Strong 2-Ply Bathroom Tissue at Office Depot – Store Pickup Only, $15.99
- Shop: Seventh Generation Unbleached Bathroom Tissue Roll at Amazon, $43.89
Laundry Detergent
Stock up on laundry detergent so you don’t have to worry about running out of clean clothes if you end up having to stay at home for a while. The CDC recommends using hot water to wash clothes and to dry clothes completely — and to use gloves if you are washing the laundry of a sick person.
- Shop: Power Pods Heavy-Duty 10x Laundry Detergent Pacs at Home Depot, $12.97
- Shop: Arm & Hammer OxiClean Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent at Staples, $4.62
- Shop: Gain flings! Liquid Laundry Detergent Pacs at Staples, $20.65
Disinfectants
Disinfectant sprays are great to use on multiple surfaces like counter tops, windows and hard wood. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends disinfecting high-touch surfaces daily such as “tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks, toilets, sinks.”
- Shop: Scrubbing Bubbles Disinfectant Restroom Cleaner at Staples, $4.89
- Shop: Sustainable Earth by Staples® All Purpose Cleaner, $11.11
- Shop: Clorox Performance Bleach at Sam’s Club, $13.98
- Shop: Green Works Glass & Surface Cleaner at Quill, $4.39
Handsoap
You’ve heard it time and time again, but one of the best ways to stop the spread of illness is to wash your hands. When washing, use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds (which is about the length of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice).
- Shop: Williams Sonoma Sunny Orange Citrus Hand Soap & Dish Soap, $29.95 (Orig. $37.85)
- Shop: Puracy Natural Liquid Hand Soap at Amazon, $20.99
- Shop: Tea Tree Mint Hand Soap at Amazon, $14.95
Wet Mops
For those of us who don’t think twice about walking into our homes wearing shoes, investing in a wet met is the perfect gadget for killing the bacteria we drag into our house. Not only can these sleek mops trap dirt deep in a disposable and/or reusable cleaning pad, so it doesn’t get spread around, but they also work well on tough messes.
- Shop: A Cleaner Home Microfiber Mop w/ 4 Reusable Cleaning Pad at QVC, $23
- Shop: Swiffer Spray mop Double Nozzle at Lowe’s, $22.98
- Shop: Swiffer® WetJet® Spray Mop Starter Kit at Office Depot, $24.99
- Shop: Rubbermaid Reveal Single Nozzle 22-fl oz Spray Mop at Lowe’s, $14.98
Miscellaneous Cleaning Supplies
From clean gloves to fresh sponges, having those other miscellaneous cleaning supplies on hand can also be helpful. Luckily, you can still snag dusters, bleach and more online.
- Shop: Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges at Staples, $7.30
- Shop: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable White Scrubbers at Staples, $7.39
- Shop: Glad® ForceFlex® Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags at Quill, $16.99
- Shop: Glad® Trash Bags, Black, 30 Gallon at Quill, $27.99
- Shop: Pledge Beautify All-Purpose Cleaner at Quill, $7.29
- Shop: OxiClean Washing Machine Cleaner at Amazon, $7.49
If you liked this story, you might like to read about luxury hand soaps.
Contributors: Ellie Conley, Laura Galvan & Julia Webb
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