The spread of coronavirus throughout the world has led to a shortage of hygiene products, from hand sanitizers to masks, and as consumers try to prepare for the escalation of the outbreak, prices have increased in places like Amazon. Therefore, sourcing the supplies recommended by the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control has become more complicated than usual.
Here we provide you with some essential elements at a reasonable price so that you can begin to stock up on supplies, and ensure that you are not paying higher than normal prices. Of course, personal preference and availability may dictate that you opt for a different brand or formulation, because many of these items have such a high demand that the price and quantity in stock often fluctuate . At the moment, however, these elements have a solid price and are still available :
Hand soap
Washing your hands is the first line of defense against the spread of germs. The CDC says it is especially important to wash after using the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. While some hand soaps are priced much higher than usual or are completely sold out, these soaps are still at their usual price and are useful:
Everyone Hand Soap, Lavender + Coconut, 12.75 ounces, pack of 3 ($ 10.32; amazon.com)
Softsoap, Fresh Breeze, 7.5 oz liquid hand soap, 6 pack ($ 5.88; amazon.com)
Liquid Hand Soap Antibacterial Dial, Aloe, 7.5 oz, pack of 12 ($ 17.88; amazon.com)
Sapadilla Romero + Mint, Grapefruit + Bergamot, Sweet Lavender + Lime Soap, 12 ounces, pack of 3 ($ 12.74, originally $ 16.99; amazon.com)
Liquid hand soap Mrs. Meyer, oatmeal, 12.5 ounces, pack of 3 ($ 9.89 when you cut the 15% discount coupon, originally $ 11.64; amazon.com)
Hand sanitizer
It is almost impossible to find hand sanitizer in existence anywhere, and the few options available are much more expensive than usual. Some smaller, more direct consumer brands, such as Grove Collaborative, still have hand sanitizers in stock, but your best option may be to search for a disinfectant at a supermarket shopping delivery site like Instacart or FreshDirect if there are stocks in a store near you. If you are in an isolate due to illness, these services are also useful. Just make sure that any hand sanitizer you buy has an alcohol base and at least 60%, as recommended by the CDC.
Purell Advanced hand sanitizing refreshing gel pump bottle, 33.8 oz ($ 5.49; target.com)
Purell hand sanitizing wipes, clean and refreshing scent, 20 units, 6 pack ($ 13.39; target.com)
Purell Advanced, hand sanitizer, travel size, bottle, 1 ounce, pack of 9 ($ 10.69; target.com)
Purell Fresh hand sanitizing wipes, 40 units ($ 2.99; target.com)
Moisturizing hand sanitizer - Large ($ 7.95; grove.co)
It is also important to keep in mind that hand sanitizer is not a requirement . Washing your hands with regular soap and water is equally effective in preventing the spread of germs.
Disinfectant wipes and sprays
The CDC also recommends cleaning surfaces and objects that we frequently touch at home, including cell phones and door handles. Household cleaners are scarce at many retailers, but some, including Target and Amazon, still have some options available at their normal prices:
Clorox - Lemon compostable wipes - 35 pcs / 3pk ($ 6.49; target.com)
All-purpose cleaning wipes Method, Grapefruit, 70 units, pack of 3 ($ 17.94, amazon.com)
Daily multi-surface cleaner for clean day Mrs. Meyer's, Lemon, 16 ounces, pack of 3 ($ 11.64; amazon.com)
7th generation Garden Mint Scent multipurpose wipes - 111 units / 3pk ($ 8.79; target.com)
Paper products
Disposable tissues and other paper products for the home are still available, although you should be aware of the higher margins than usual. Below you will find tissues to cover coughs and sneezes, paper towels to clean surfaces and garbage bags to dispose of those tissues and paper towels, all at normal prices at Amazon.
Kleenex 3-Ply Pocket Packs, 8 packages ($ 4.99; amazon.com)
Kleenex Ultra Soft Facial Tissues, 8 flat boxes, 120 tissues per box ($ 12.35; amazon.com)
Bounty paper towels, 8 rolls ($ 16.99; amazon.com)
13-gallon Solimo Tall kitchen drawstring garbage bags, 45 units ($ 7.99; amazon.com)
Note: The prices above reflect the price at the time of publication of the article.
