An Idea On How To Find Clorox & Lysol Disinfectant Wipes, Sprays

EAST HAVEN, CT — In early March, Patch did a story on the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of products approved to fight the new coronavirus.

Among the long list of mostly unknown and largely industrial products, all germicidal or herbicidal, were a few household brand names such as Clorox and Lysol. Unfortunately, I did not go out and buy the bleach, cleaners, sprays and wipes I wrote about until it was too late and store shelves were like ghost towns.

That said — after a lot of time spent looking online and too many store runs in search of anything — I got lucky and ordered a bottle of Clorox Germicidal Bleach through Staples.com. It's a product that is now reserved and, rightfully so, for hospitals and first responders. After eight weeks, the bleach arrived. I’m donating it.

Although supplies of Clorox and Lysol wipes will be largely nonexistent until they’re back in stock this summer, as has been reported, there still are ways to find them.

Using my New Haven, Connecticut, address in Instacart and doing a store-by-store search, I was able to find both Clorox bleach and wipes along with some Lysol cleaning sprays.

Both of these listings — here from BJ’s and here from Costco — are for the New Haven area. And both are for bulk — in one case, a package of three, and in another, a package of five canisters of Clorox wipes for around $19 not including taxes, fees and delivery charges. But still.

So our idea is log in to Instacart and do a store-by-store search for the disinfectant products you’re looking for. You may not have to wait until June or July to grab — or have delivered — what you need.