After the ups and downs of the Covid-19 pandemic, the wipes category is now on steadier ground

In the five years since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the household wipes market in unprecedented ways, wipes manufacturers are now reporting steady growth following years of fluctuation. The pandemic-induced spike in demand—followed by a period of overcapacity and stockpiling—left both consumers and retailers with excess inventory.

“The category has been on a roller coaster ride since Covid and has certainly moderated from the panic buying at the peak of the pandemic to a steady 3% growth,” says Mark Tumelty, Nice-Pak’s senior vice president and general manager, Marketing. “Consumers continue to understand the importance of wipes as a convenient assurance of surface hygiene, but they are more measured in their purchasing habits. Most market research predicts the category will grow about 6% in the coming year.”

Echoing that view, Ann Halstead, director of Marketing and Retail Sales for wipes manufacturer Kleen Test Products (KTP), also describes consumer demand for household wipes as being a bit of a roller coaster since the onset of the pandemic. “During the initial stages of the pandemic, consumers could not buy household cleaning wipes fast enough, and the industry experienced a shortage,” she explains. “That shortage resulted in new manufacturers jumping into the wipes business and existing manufacturers expanding capacity. Once wipes were available again, both retailers and consumers over-purchased, resulting in full home pantries and retailer shelves full of discounted cleaning wipes.”

In 2024, KTP started to see the demand for wipes return to pre-pandemic levels. “Today, there is solid growth in the category as traditional wipes users resume their normal purchase behavior and consumers who first experienced the category during the pandemic return due to the ease of use and effectiveness of the product,” Halstead adds.

According to market researcher Euromonitor International, since Covid, the home care wipes category has gone through demand normalization, with 2024 being the first year the category globally saw growth in volume. Moving forward, the category is expected to slightly accelerate in growth, both volume and value, to slightly under pre-Covid level. “This reflects recovering household cleaning routines,” says Liyang Qian, global insights manager for Tissue and Hygiene at Euromonitor International.

Wipes Trends

Like other nonwoven product categories, there is a growing demand for cleaner ingredients and a reduction in plastic in household wipes. In response, nonwoven suppliers have invested in new production lines and upgrades to existing lines, enabling them to create wipe substrates using natural fibers such as cotton and cellulose. At the same time, wipes manufacturers are responding by reducing plastic in packaging, incorporating post-consumer recycled materials and reformulating products with safer cleaning agents.

According to Qian, sustainability and wellness are key trends driving innovations. “A rise in chemophobia amongst consumers is driving ingredient exclusions and the active avoidance of certain chemicals associated with adverse health effects,” she explains.

As a result, more consumers are demanding better-for-you and better-for-the-planet ingredients in household wipes. “To earn the right to play in wellness, the base requirement for home care brands is to use plant-based formulas in place of harsh chemicals, which in its messaging, often gets linked to sustainability claims around biodegradability and sustainable packaging,” Qian notes. “‘Natural’ remains one of the most powerful claims associated with health, often resonating as an ‘anti-artificial’ label in the minds of shoppers.”

While consumers want to have products that are better for the environment, Halstead, of wipes manufacturer KTP, says most are unwilling to compromise on efficacy, forcing manufacturers to continually innovate and improve their products. As an example, nonwovens suppliers continue to develop substrates using more natural ingredients, including pulp and other plant-based fibers, to meet sustainability standards. “These natural wipe substrates are getting stronger and more cloth-like, driving more consumer acceptance,” she adds.

Cleaning solutions are also changing to address sustainability concerns. “More and more solutions are using citric acid, hydrogen peroxide and other alternatives to deliver germ-killing cleaning with less or no chemical residue and no harsh fumes,” says Halstead.

John Iarocci, vice president of R&D for wipes manufacturer Nice-Pak, says that sustainability considerations continue to drive innovation. “Fewer and natural ingredients are a big industry focus, as well as packaging that’s better for our planet,” he explains.

Nice-Pak considers itself a pioneer in the shift from canisters to flat packs, which use significantly less plastic than canisters. In 2010, the company introduced the Eco Pak for surface disinfecting wipes, which received INDA’s World of Wipes Innovation Award that year, and the company continues to advocate for flat packs as a better alternative to canisters.

Meanwhile, wipes manufacturer Rockline Industries is launching product packaging across multiple categories containing post-consumer recycled content as high as 30%, says Christopher Dresselhuys, business director North American Retail Products, Rockline Industries.

As sustainability continues to reshape product development, brands are also finding new ways to elevate the user experience. Lysol, for example, is pairing its disinfecting power with fragrances that bring a sense of freshness into the home.

Qian says fragrance is a further part of the wellness narrative and is creating new value in the experience zone. “Consumers are associating fragrances more and more with coping mechanisms and routines,” she says. “Brands should understand how to build emotional engagement with consumers in especially stress-inducing activities beyond functionality and leveraging scents.”

Lysol’s Brand New Day Collection of scented cleaning supplies recently expanded with its Lysol Lavender & Cotton Blossom scent. Lysol’s Lavender & Cotton Blossom fragrance is available in a range of Lysol products to disinfect or clean every room in the home, killing 99.9% of germs while leaving behind a refreshing scent…

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