HOUSTON HOW TO
Tips on how to find rare cleaning supplies and paper goods.
In line at the Meyerland H-E-B, I posed a foolish question to my cashier as she rung up prepared meals and a very large slice of carrot cake: “Just curious, when was the last time you guys stocked Clorox wipes?”
Before she could answer, a man 6 feet behind me in line laughed, the sound muffled by an American flag bandana wrapped around his face.
“What year, you mean?” he asked.
That’s how it’s been in Houston since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept into town. In the first few weeks, the panic-buying resembled hurricane prep, with toilet paper and non-perishable foods flying off the shelves. Oh, and bleach sold out.
But now that we’re entering the fifth month — yes, it’s been that long since Houston went into stay-at-home mode — some of these products should be back on store shelves, right?
Here’s what to expect when buying paper goods and cleaning supplies at the store.
Antibacterial wipes and disinfectant sprays
Remember when you could walk into a big-box retailer and walk away with an armful of candycolored canisters full of wipes to disinfect your counters and tabletops?
These days, the shelves at H-E-B look more bare than there. Amazon has also sold out of sprays such as Lysol. You may find some on resale sites such as Ebay, but prices are frequently marked up.
Some third party alert services, such as Instok, can help you find out where and when some products are available. It’s a service tracking when items go back in stock on e-commerce websites It also has a forum where community members can post when they’ve seen certain products on the shelves, if the site hasn’t updated yet.
It’s not that these products aren’t coming into retail stores. It’s just that you’re not arriving early enough.
I visited Targets and H-E-Bs near the Texas Medical Center and Meyerland around noon on a weekday. All were out of stock of disinfectant wipes and sprays with the exception of a “disinfectant sanitizer” on the shelves at the Meyerland H-E-B.
“Mornings are traditionally the best time to shop, but delivery times are not guaranteed,” said Lisa Helfman, an H-E-B spokesperson.
Cleaning sprays are in particularly high demand, according to Nielsen, a market research firm.
Between the weeks of March 9 to July 11, retailers across the country have reported selling $248 million in aerosol disinfectants. That’s a 164 percent boost from the same period of time last year.
A spokesperson for Clorox said much of their disinfectant product line is headed to health care facilities, but they are still regularly sending shipments to stores.
Prices have not risen, according to Clorox.
Barbara Stewart, a professor of consumer sciences at the University of Houston, recommends asking store employees nicely when new items come in.
“Ask what day they get a shipment,” Stewart said.
Look for alternatives with similar ingredient lists. Some retail store websites may not turn up generic brands if you search, say, “Clorox wipes” on their website. instead, try “disinfecting wipes” or “antibacterial” in the search bar.
Bleach and rubbing alcohol
So if you don’t have pre-fabricated wipes and sprays, what will you use to clean?
Stewart said the prefabricated wipes and sprays from makers like Clorox and Lysol are convenient, but easily substitutable.
While Clorox wipes don’t actually contain bleach, they do still disinfect. Bleach is a harsher chemical, with a stronger smell and the ability to damage fabrics. They’re best used on hard surfaces like kitchen counters and tables.
If you have bleach, a diluted bleach spray or rubbing alcohol, plus some rags or paper towels, you might not even need the disposable wipes.
Most stores, it seems, have bleach back in stock. I picked up a jug for cleaning my bathroom for $4 at a Target near the Texas Medical Center.
Diluted bleach solutions will kill germs, so you can use it to clean any hard surfaces. If you don’t have disinfectant wipes, use this, rinse and dry before using the surface or object being cleaned.
Just be careful to clean safely with bleach, which can be toxic if mixed with certain chemicals. Inhaling
bleach is also dangerous for the body.
Paper towels and toilet paper
For the most part, these are back on the shelves, but run out quickly. I found a few packs of both name-brand and generic toilet paper during the sweep through Target that netted me a bottle of bleach. But even those at noon on a Monday were close to running out.
Many retailers are still limiting how many packages a customer can purchase as COVID-19 cases spike again.
Experts say you may have better luck going to specialty retailers that would sell paper towels, but that wouldn’t be your first choice.
Home improvement stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s, or liquor stores such as Spec’s, will stock paper goods at a slightly higher price and sometimes smaller quantities, but they get the job done in a pinch.
When buying goods that go out of stock quickly, Stewart recommends teaming up with a family member or friend living in another household, and splitting your shopping haul. It’ll double your chances of finding the things you need. But don’t hoard goods.
“We need to know what it is we need and what we don’t need,” Stewart said. “We may buy things we don’t really need but make us feel safe.”