Clorox Bleach sales go up 20% on flu, Ebola concerns
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Clorox Co.’s sales of disinfectant wipes jumped 20 percent last month, when Ebola fears and the onset of flu season prompted Americans to stock up on cleaning supplies.
While it’s hard to say how much Ebola fueled demand, the gain helped get the wipes into more households, company executives said Tuesday. About half of U.S. homes currently use Clorox wipes, compared with more than 80 percent for liquid bleach, they said.
The Oakland company is increasingly marketing the wipes for both the back-to-school season and fighting the flu, helping boost demand. While bleach also kills the Ebola virus, Clorox has been careful not to capitalize on consumers’ concerns, Chief Operating Officer Benno Dorer said.
