Kline’s second edition Industrial & Institutional Wipes USA: Market Analysis and Opportunities will be published this month. Results of the research reveal that wipes are indeed a rapidly growing segment of the commercial cleaning industry, driven by the need to reduce germs and minimize infections. Sales of these products grew over 5.0% in 2019 due to the strong performance of disinfectant and sanitizer wipes and general‐purpose cleaning wipes, which are used more often by end users for regular cleaning applications. Growth of disposable wipes can be attributed to the need for high standards of hygiene across industrial and institutional facilities and the superiority of wipes over other cleaning products regarding convenience and reduced risk of cross-contamination.
Wipes are seen as an increasingly attractive product segment because end users—especially those in tight labor markets—appreciate the convenience wipes offer, better understand the risks of cross-contamination, and seek a cleaning solution that does not require lots of time or training to use effectively. The nation’s tight labor market means that cleaning must be done by either lower-skilled workers—where the need for training or special skills might be an obstacle—or done more quickly by higher-paid workers whose time is best spent on other tasks.
Among the end-use segments profiled, healthcare has been the key segment crucial for driving growth of wipes—especially disinfectants and sanitizer wipes—and is expected to continue driving sales in the next four to five years. All healthcare facilities endeavor to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) at their facilities. Manufacturers are developing specialized wipes for healthcare that combine efficacious chemicals for broader sanitizing or disinfecting claims, are specific to different areas of a healthcare facility, have shorter dwell times, can clean a wider range of surfaces and materials, and are more convenient for end users.
Public-facing facilities, such as foodservice, lodging, fitness facilities, and retailers, always want to present a clean and hygienic face, and wipes enable staff to quickly clean up messes and do routine cleaning more easily and less obtrusively than using a clunky and messy mop and bucket or RTU spray bottle. Also, retailers, fitness facilities, and healthcare facilities offer wipes to guests, residents, and visitors for their own convenience and to help reduce germs and keep high-touch surfaces clean.
Overall, the industrial and institutional cleaning wipes market presents growth opportunities in specialized wipes and more efficacious wipes. The market is expected to increase consumption of wipes, reflecting the need for superior cleaning products and to maintain clean germ-free facilities. The ease of use and convenience that wipes offer end users will contribute to future growth across all end-use segments and largely for general-purpose wipes. End-use segments, such as healthcare facilities, foodservice, and schools and universities, will continue to emphasize the importance of clean surfaces and hands in order to minimize germs and illness at their facilities. Wipes are expected to play a key role in this goal.
The source for Industrial and Institutional Cleaning Wipes includes more than 600 commercial end-use decision makers as well as approximately 30 in-depth interviews with manufacturers, distributors, raw material suppliers, and others knowledgeable on the commercial wipes market.
The end-use segments surveyed and considered for this study include building service contractors, fitness facilities, foodservice establishments (fast-casual and fast-food restaurants and commercial and workplace cafeterias), healthcare establishments (hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, physicians’ and dentists’ offices), industrial facilities, lodging, schools and universities (includes campus dining), and retailers. Both wet wipes and dry wipers are included in the scope of this report, as are insights on usage, critical buying factors, spending, satisfaction, and where wipes are purchased. The product categories of wipes analyzed in this study include floor cleaning wipes, microfiber mops, general-purpose cleaning wipes, disinfectant and sanitizer wipes, glass cleaning wipes, furniture polish wipes, hand cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer wipes, absorption wipers, and dry nonwoven wipers. To learn more, contact us.
