Where you can still find household essentials

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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

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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.

Toilet Paper

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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.

Laundry Detergent

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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.

Disinfectants

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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.”

Handsoap

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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).

Wet Mops

Credit: Walmart

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.

Miscellaneous Cleaning Supplies

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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.

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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