COVID-19 Update: Lack of Cleaning Products Hampering Business Reopenings

The hunt for cleaning supplies

Retailers are preparing their stores for reopening with hygiene top-of-mind, many setting up hand-sanitizing stations throughout their facilities and collecting disposable gloves to hand out to customers. However, several retailers are having difficulty finding the necessary cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment, KHON2-TV in Honolulu reports.

Distributors, who are working out kinks to get manufacturers’ products to the end users quickly and efficiently, are explaining it all starts from the top, with manufacturers. The manufacturers, in turn, are working around the clock to keep up with increasing demand for their products.

Smaller facilities have been creative in finding supplies, going to local designers for employee face masks and checking out mom and pop stores for cleaning supplies rather than large chain retailers.

When you gotta go while on the road

As more people are coming out of their homes, they are needing clean and safe public restrooms. States across the county are reopening the restrooms in rest areas off highways.

Most are setting strict cleaning guidelines, such as the North Dakota Department of Transportation, which is deep cleaning rest areas with two restrooms three times a day, including thorough disinfection of toilets, sinks, and benches, West Dakota Fox-TV reports. Rest areas with only one restroom are cleaned hourly due to higher use.

Cleaning crews also are frequently disinfecting high touched surfaces, like vending machines and doorknobs, in between deep-cleaning sessions.