Wipes Remain Essential in Professional Cleaning, with Growing Focus on Price and Sustainability

The results from Kline + Company’s latest structured survey with 600 professional end users—part of a periodic assessment of the industrial and institutional cleaning wipes market—are in, and there is no doubt that cleaning wipes remain an important tool in the away-from-home market. About 63% of those surveyed use disposable wipes as part of their cleaning routines, with key purchase factors including:

Efficacy

• Types of germs/pathogens killed

• Number of germs/pathogens killed

• Compatibility with multiple types of surfaces

Price

Given the inflation levels that have been sustained for several years and have had a negative impact on many businesses, the costs associated with cleaning products and procedures are increasingly important for many decision makers. When asked if they had any concerns over using more wipes, 55% of respondents indicated that they were concerned about the higher cost of wipes.

Beyond price, which is one of the main reasons cited by those who do not use wipes, other significant factors include a preference for traditional cleaning methods using reusable rags or paper towels and concerns that wipes are wasteful, non-biodegradable, or not environmentally friendly.

Sustainability remains a critical focus in the professional cleaning wipes market and was also the main theme at this year’s World of Wipes Conference, where Kline + Company presented on the latest trends. In fact, 74% of end-use decision-makers indicated using environment-friendly products, highlighting the growing importance of sustainability in decision-making processes. By contrast, among those who do not use green cleaning products, 34% say that they are too expensive, 19% are not interested in them, 10% say that they are not necessary, and 27% admit that the decision to buy green products or not is based on cost. In terms of usage of wipes relative to environmental goals, 67% estimate that they are using the same amount of wipes, whereas 15% indicate that they are using less wipes because wipes are not compatible with their environmental goals. Of those that have reduced usage, 64% are concerned about waste and 51% are concerned about biodegradability of disposable wipes.

In line with these changes, several suppliers have launched professional wipes made of plant-based active ingredients, viscose-free substrates, plant-based fibers and substrates, recycled packaging, and/or improved degradability/compost-ability. One-third of survey respondents use sanitizing/disinfecting disposable wipes that contain citric acid, lavender, or other plant-based/botanical active ingredients. Some notable examples of sustainable professional wipes are: Clorox (Clorox Free & Clear), Reckitt (Lysol Simply), Berry Global (Chicopee Microfiber), PDI (Protect 360° Biodegradable Sanitizing Wipes), and Hillyard (soy-based Quick and Clean Graffiti Remover Wipes).

The market for professional cleaning wipes remains important and continues to evolve as cleaning professionals’ needs change. An estimated 66% of survey respondents say that wipes are expected to remain part of their long-term cleaning protocol at their facility. Degradability, natural ingredients and price will continue to be important purchase factors for wipes in the future.