Top 6 Household Items That Are Selling Out

Statistics regarding the current global pandemic are changing by the minute. It’s almost impossible to keep up with them.

But one thing has remained constant. And that is the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC and other health organizations are telling us to practice good hygiene and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Also, don’t shake hands, hug or kiss while greeting people. Cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, and avoid close contact with those who are – or appear to be – ill. And if you start to feel sick, stay home.

Hand washing is crucial

The single most important thing we all can do to remain healthy during this challenging time is keeping our hands clean.

Wash them often. Especially before eating and after using the bathroom. As well as after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

Use soap and warm water for 20-30 seconds. Some folks suggest singing the happy birthday song twice before turning off the water.

If soap and water are not available when you need to wash your hands, use a sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.

Make your own sanitizer

Now, as I’m sure you’ve heard, there has been a run on both soap and hand sanitizer. Many stores are out of them or running very low right now, due to panic buying.

The good news is, you can make your own hand sanitizer. And the ingredients are more available than hand sanitizer in most cases. Here’s a simple way to do that:

  • Combine 2/3 of a cup of rubbing alcohol to 1/3 cup of aloe vera gel. Choose a high-percentage alcohol product, such as 99 percent isopropyl alcohol for maximum effectiveness.
  • Rub the solution on your hands until they are dry. This is typically about 20 to 30 seconds.

If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, you can use a spirit such as vodka, but only if it is 180-proof (90 percent alcohol).

An 80-proof vodka is only 40 percent alcohol. That’s not concentrated enough to kill viruses.

Toilet paper

Now let’s take a look at five additional items that are selling out quickly in your local stores.

Not surprisingly, toilet paper is one of them. Costco has been running out of this important item despite daily deliveries.

The other day someone joked that the reason they’re not shaking hands these days is not because they’re afraid of getting a virus. It’s because people are running out of toilet paper.

That might be gross, but the fact is, this is not something you want to run out of. No need to hoard it, but keeping plenty on hand is a good idea if you can find it.

Paper towels

Another item flying off the shelves these days is paper towels. On the one hand, they can be rather expensive. And they’re not exactly eco-friendly.

On the other hand, they are disposable. So, you’re quickly getting rid of something that may have come in contact with a virus or bacteria.

This is an item that’s recommended by the CDC for cleaning and disinfecting homes. Especially things you touch frequently.

Normally hand towels would be preferable to paper towels. But with having to wash hand towels so often these days, the cost savings dwindle.

Trash bags

People might spend considerably more time at home for the foreseeable future than usual.

This could be in the form of a mandatory quarantine, or simply a full or partial self-quarantine.

If that’s the case, more trash than usual will accumulate. In which case you’ll want plenty of garbage bags.

These bags are going quickly, however, so be sure to get some before too long. And make sure they are sturdy.

Disinfecting wipes and spray

Some disinfecting wipes are designed to kill up to 99.9 percent of surface bacteria and viruses.

These wipes are effective, safe on most surfaces and easy to use. Hopefully you’ll be able to find them in stores.

Disinfectant sprays can also be used on a variety of surfaces in your home. Including furniture and doorknobs.

The CDC recommends sticking with sprays that contain at least 70 percent alcohol. Like other disinfectants, these sprays are selling out fast.

Laundry detergent

Unlike some of the staples that people grab almost every time they go to the supermarket (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.), laundry detergent sometimes gets neglected.

But keeping clothes clean during this time is as important as ever. This is an item the American Red Cross recommends we keep on hand.

As I’ve mentioned before, this is no time to panic and hoarding is not necessary. But knowing which items are selling out quickly is important.

If none of your local stores has any of the items you need to stay healthy, don’t forget to look into online purchases.

Stay well! 

  

 

Comments

  • Sue Kenney - September 04, 2020

    You never did answer Karen’s question. Where do you get aloe vera gel?

  • karen blair - March 17, 2020

    where do I get aloe vera gel? thank you KAREN

  • Frank - March 17, 2020

    Add a drop or two of tea tree oil to the hand sanitizer recipe above to really supercharge it’s germ killing power.

    Also there are special blends of essential oils called Thieves, On Guard, 4 Knives, etc. that contains the oils used by a gang of robbers during the Plague in Europe.

    The blend purportedly gave “immunity” to this robbers while they ransacked the Black Death victim’s homes.

    It was so effective the King of France had these robbers tracked down and they “gave up the goods” to their secret to avoiding infection and death which was a blend of oils smeared all over their bodies.

    Now the punishment for these robbers was burning at the stake but the judge promised to not burn them if they did give up the goods.

    They did so, the judge kept his word but had the robbers hung instead!

    The blend’s oils and amounts:
    How to make your own thieves oil blend
    40 drops clove bud essential oil.
    35 drops lemon essential.
    20 drops cinnamon bark essential oil.
    15 drops eucalyptus essential oil.
    10 drops rosemary essential oil.

    If I were you I would just buy a premade blend as many are available….and you can diffuse the blend or put some in a carrier oil to apply to the skin….just do some research on the net to find out where on the skin to put it and also other methods of use….

    Finally, doctors started using the blend way back in 1413 for protection from the Plague and they wore a mask with a long beak stuffed with rags soaked in the oil blend while treating patients.

    This “look” was the beginnings of the word “quack” used in vocabulary today to signify dubious medical claims and practitioners…

    I have and do use oils with great success so in my experience I know that essential oils are not quackery….but you decide for yourself…

    Enjoy! and always do your research…

    **This post in no way is diagnosing or claiming to be a treatment or cure for any illness and is not medical advice. Always speak with your physician first before starting the use of any supplement/s.

  • Michael Markham - March 17, 2020

    I used to have a Brita and got rid of it cuz it wouldn’t do hardly anything.

    I went with the zero water and that really works well we used to have bad alkaline water and now the county starts taking over and they put more chemicals in but I still use my zero water.

  • Steve - March 17, 2020

    For all those greedy hoarders looking for profit (not survivors), I hope the toilet paper, paper towels and, in some cases, hand sanitizers taste good when the stores close their doors. It’s already starting with Wal-Mart and other major grocery chains reducing hours.

    They say they are closing early to clean and stock shelves (and I hope that is all true) but workers at stores I have talked to, say they have no stock (for now) to put on the shelves.

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