5 Unexpected Places That Might Still Have Your Favorite Cleaning Products in Stock

From bleach to paper towels, these retailers have your shopping needs covered.

Updated on November 18, 2022

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There's nothing quite like the peace of mind that comes with a clean home—especially now, during these uncertain times caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Unfortunately, high demand for cleaning supplies in the United States following the outbreak has left many stores with empty shelves, making essentials like disinfectants, cleaning wipes, and toilet paper harder to find.

Shoppers could traditionally turn to online retailers, like Amazon, when their local stores were low in stock. However, popular online marketplaces are also struggling to meet demand of consumers. The good news? They're not the only places to shop for in-demand essentials—you just have to think outside the box.

From hardware stores to office supply retailers, a handful of unexpected places still have cleaning supplies available—including all-purpose cleanser, hand soap, and even bleach—because many people don't realize they carry these items. Below, we found 5 surprising places you can shop for goods, along with their most useful in-stock products. Plus, they're all online retailers, so you can safely shop from your home and continue to practice social distancing.

1. Hardware Stores

Hardware stores, like Home Depot, should be your first stop when hunting down cleaning supplies after grocery and drugstore shelves come up empty. These businesses house all the supplies you need ahead of your next big home renovation, which includes cleaning products.

2. Pet Stores

As most pet owners know, taking care of furry or feathered friends requires plenty of household cleaning products like carpet cleaner and deodorizers. Naturally, this makes pet stores another unexpected spot to stock up on supplies with items ranging from fabric refreshers to surface cleaners.

3. Home Goods Stores

Beyond a curated selection of massive throw pillows and fluffy towels, home good stores, like Bed Bath and Beyond, also have a modest collection of cleaning supplies. If you've been searching for paper towels, bathroom cleaners, or hand soaps, they've got you covered.

Magic Glass and Shower Solution, $8, bedbathandbeyond.com
Eco Nuts 25-Pack Reusable Paper Towels, $12, bedbathandbeyond.com
Method Pink Grapefruit Dish Soap, $4, bedbathandbeyond.com
Windex 28-Count Flat Pack Wipes, $4, bedbathandbeyond.com
Better Life All-Purpose Cleaner in Pomegranate, $5, bedbathandbeyond.com
South of France Hand Wash in Orange Blossom Honey, $4, bedbathandbeyond.com

4. Office Supply Stores

Part of any business' budget goes to their office space, and a key element of keeping employees healthy is maintaining a clean working environment. As a result, office supply stores, like Office Depot, maintain a stock of cleaning supplies—and there's still plenty of hot commodity products available to shop.

5. Department Stores

You might think they're only good for stocking up on comfy clothes or anti-aging beauty, but department stores also offer a small selection of household essentials currently flying off the shelves—like hand soap, all-purpose cleaner, and laundry detergent.

The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.

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