As plastic bans become more widespread in the disposable wipes segment, manufacturers across many industries have been seeking ways to incorporate alternative raw materials into wipes. Aided by substrate suppliers, who are investing in new lines and existing line upgrades to allow them to create wipe materials from fibers like bamboo, cotton and cellulose, makers of wipes have been incorporating natural features for years. On the professional side, however, adoption has been slower due to formulation limitations. The active ingredients in harsher cleaning wipes have been widely considered to be too harsh on natural materials…until recently. New technologies have allowed suppliers of professional wipes to convert new substrates and the results are being noted on the market.

According to a study recently conducted by Kline & Co., more than 65% of respondents said that sustainability plays a role in their decisions when buying a professional cleaning wipe product. Concerns about waste, biodegradability and compatibility with their ESG goals were significant factors, with nearly 52% of respondents using fewer disposable wipes due to waste concerns, almost 40% due to biodegradability concerns, and 32% due to ESG goals.

However, efficacy is crucial for professionals using wipes at their facilities. Kline’s survey reveals that 38% of end users perceive green cleaning products as equally effective as traditional cleaning chemicals, with an additional 30% considering them to be even more effective. Moreover, a significant 80% of end users express willingness to pay more for green cleaning solutions. As part of an effort for cleaning professionals to comply with sustainability goals, many end users favor wet wipes that contain plant-based or botanical ingredients such as citric acid, lavender, soy and thymol.

Disinfectant wipes are found everywhere throughout healthcare settings, from hospitals and clinics to nursing homes and home care. Staff members use these wipes to clean medical equipment, disinfect operating rooms between cases, clean public areas and much more. “These wipes are the epitome of a single-use plastic,” says Jonathan Fast, senior staff scientist, healthcare infection prevention North America, Ecolab. “You wipe a surface for five or 10 seconds and then throw it away. We’ve calculated that the disinfectant wipes used in North American healthcare facilities in one year would wrap around the globe 58 times.”

In response, suppliers of wipe materials to healthcare settings have been working to find an alternative to plastic materials for years. This has been boosted by increased awareness around sustainability and the pursuit of green initiatives by hospitals and healthcare providers.

“There’s a ton of waste in hospitals,” says Karoline Sperling, clinical services manager, healthcare infection prevention, North America, Ecolab. “Hospital leaders and the front lines are hungry for healthcare to be more sustainable.”

Ecolab Disinfectant 1 Wipe with 100% Plastic-Free Substrate shows how innovative product development can help create safer patient environments and great operational efficiency while reducing the volume of single-use plastics being sent into the healthcare systems. This wipe offers one-minute hospital disinfection, made with a substrate derived 100% from wood pulp fibers. The wipe substrate is 100% plastic-free and readily degradable.

“What makes a hospital disinfectant wipe different from a consumer wipe is the number of organisms that it kills, as well as the lower contact times and effective cleaning capability needed for a hospital environment,” Fast says. “The innovation with Ecolab’s new product is bringing a wipe substrate, derived 100% from wood-pulp fibers, together with broad spectrum hospital disinfection. Those elements hadn’t previously come together in the U.S. hospital market.”

When it comes to hospital disinfectant wipes, factors like kill claims and contact time are especially important. Organizations need to consider whether a wipe will kill the pathogens of interest, based on emerging diseases and local epidemiology. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are particularly important to many hospitals and health systems.

“Ecolab’s readily degradable disinfectant wipe uses an EPA-registered disinfectant with broad spectrum kill claims against 40+ organisms and emerging pathogens, and provides healthcare workers with the opportunity to help mitigate the risk of hospital-acquired infections,” Sperling says.

Contact time refers to how long a surface must remain wet to kill the pathogens of interest. Some disinfectants require longer contact times than others; the contact time for Ecolab Disinfectant 1 Wipe with 100% Plastic-Free Substrate is one minute, with some claims taking as little time as 30 seconds (for SARS-CoV-2 for example). “In healthcare, long contact times are not practical and it is critical for a surface to remain wet for the recommended contact time, in order to ensure efficacy,” Sperling adds.

Keeping Clean

According to a report published by Freedonia Group in March 2023, demand for manufacturing wipes is expected to advance 2.5% per year to $646 million in 2026, driven primarily by unit growth as prices moderate from inflation- and supply chain-related highs in 2021 and 2022. Unit growth will be supported by consistent increases in manufacturing activity precipitated by industries returning to pre-pandemic levels of operation and continued adoption of wipes as manufacturers recognize their cost and performance benefits within many industries.

Dry wipes have historically been more widely used in manufacturing settings due to their versatility and ability to be used in conjunction with solvents applied on site. This trend will continue despite improvements in wet wipe technology. Dry wipes are particularly favored in special purpose manufacturing applications, such as surface preparation and printing uses.

General purpose wipes accounted for 63% of manufacturing wipes sales in 2021, despite the continued popularity of specialty wipes. General purpose wipes are valuable as they can be used in a variety of industrial settings to cost effectively remove soils from manufactured products as well as from machinery, tools, and other equipment. Market growth going forward will be boosted by an acceleration in unit sales growth as U.S. manufacturing activity continues to rebound. Additionally, general purpose wipes usage will benefit from the continued implementation of the EPA’s Wiper Rule, which eases regulations surrounding their disposal.

Beyond manufacturing wipes, demand for wipes overall is expected to advance 2.3% per year off a relatively high base to $4.3 billion in 2026, according to Freedonia. While this growth rate is relatively slow compared to historical norms, it stems from elevated market levels, as pandemic-related sales spikes for various wipes (notably disinfectant wipes in 2020), supply chain challenges, and higher raw material costs led prices for wipes to jump in 2020 and 2021, inflating market value in those years.

The rapid growth of wet wipes across many applications has made the development of alternative raw material platforms urgent. With disposable wipes already being challenged for their contribution to landfills as well as marine waste, suppliers of nonwovens have responded with new product formats.

More than a decade after launching a biodegradable cleaning wipe, made from 100% cellulose fibers, within its consumer business, CloroxPro, the makers of Clorox professional products, expanded its Clorox EcoClean product platform with the launch of Clorox EcoClean disinfecting wipes. These Design for the Environment (DfE)-certified, ready-to-use wipes are made with a 100% plant-based substrate and naturally-derived, citric acid active ingredient that kills 99.9% of germs without bleach, ammonia or alcohol.

“At CloroxPro, we are committed to protecting public health by creating safer, healthier shared spaces,” says Kirstem Hochberg, a senior specialist on Clorox’s scientific affairs team. “We do this by evolving with our end-users’ needs through product innovation. For cleaning professionals, demand for eco-conscious products continues to grow – in fact, the green cleaning industry is growing faster than the traditional cleaning industry.”

Currently three out of four cleaning professionals agree using eco-conscious cleaners and disinfectants in public spaces is important. Add to this legal changes—as of April 2024, certified eco-conscious products are required for new custodial contracts that maintain federal buildings and three in four U.S. states have Environmental Purchasing Policies in place. “In light of these shifts, we decided to expand our Clorox EcoClean platform with the addition of Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes,” Hochberg adds.

To create a more eco-conscious wipe without sacrificing efficacy and efficiency, Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes are specially formulated with a citric acid active ingredient making them gentle on surfaces but tough on grease, grime and germs. They clean and kill 99.9% of germs without bleach, ammonia or alcohol and without harsh chemical odors, and the cloths are made with 100% plant-based fibers.

The wipes are ideal for use in shared spaces because they are gentle on surfaces—such as doorknobs, countertops, tables, desks and more—but tough on grease, grime and germs, including cold and flu viruses, norovirus and Covid-19.

“The demand for eco-conscious cleaners and disinfectants continues to increase as facilities prioritize the comfort of their staff and meeting their sustainability goals,” says Kyra Caskey, senior director of marketing, CloroxPro. “This is why we are proud to expand the Clorox EcoClean portfolio with ready-to-use disinfecting wipes that offer cleaning professionals an eco-conscious alternative that works just as well as the leading professional disinfecting wipe.”

Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes are the newest addition to the Clorox EcoClean product line, which also includes DfE and Safer Choice-certified cleaners and disinfectants: Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Cleaner, Clorox EcoClean All-Purpose Cleaner, and Clorox EcoClean Glass Cleaner. All of these products are certified under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment and Safer Choice programs. Designed for comfortable use (no gloves or personal protective equipment required) and safe for use on multiple surfaces, they’re the ideal option for cleaning and disinfecting a range of public spaces, including schools, offices and government buildings.

The new wipes, like the other EcoClean products, also support ambitious ESG goals integrated into Clorox’s broader company-wide strategy. They showcase the company’s efforts to design products that reinforce its commitment to reduce virgin plastics in its supply chain by 50% by 2030.

All Clorox EcoClean products are made using 25% post-consumer recycled plastic packaging and can help facilities reach their sustainability goals, including meeting requirements for LEED, ISSA CIMS—Green Building, and Healthy Green Schools and Colleges.

However, the challenge is proving that these products are as effective as previous generation technologies.

“While many cleaning professionals want to use eco-conscious products, they still have misconceptions that they don’t work as well as traditional cleaners,” Hochberg says. “To maintain efficacy while providing a more eco-conscious wipe option, Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes use a citric acid active ingredient, which is naturally derived from citrus fruits, but kills 99.9% of germs including cold and flu viruses, Norovirus, the Covid-19 virus and more. In turn, this offers cleaning professionals a more eco-conscious option without having to sacrifice the cleaning and disinfecting power of traditional disinfecting wipes.”

Study Assesses Color Coded Cleaning Wipes

A new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) reports a comparison of hospital room cleanliness using standard disinfectant wipes versus wipes with a color additive that allows users to see which surfaces have been sanitized. With the color additive, rooms were 69.2% cleaner and were able to be cleaned in slightly less time compared to cleaning with standard wipes. The study was performed at Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT.

Proper disinfection of hospital rooms helps prevent the spread of germs from one patient to another. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant risk to patients, and contaminated surfaces in hospitals have been linked to many of these infections. For example, one study found that hospital patients were nearly six times as likely to acquire an HAI when staying in the bed of a former patient who had that same infection. Many prior studies have shown that despite substantial effort and attention, hospital rooms are simply not as clean as they need to be to prevent HAIs.

In this study, clinicians tested the outcomes of hospital room sanitation performed two ways. First, they evaluated the status quo for a one-week period: environmental services (EVS) teams used regular disinfectant wipes to clean surfaces in 10 randomly selected rooms. They then educated the EVS teams about using wipes with a color additive, which shows up on surfaces as blue during cleaning but fades to clear several minutes later when force and friction is used. This creates a strong visual cue to help users see what has been cleaned with effective technique and what has not. Finally, the EVS teams cleaned another 10 randomly chosen rooms for a week using the wipes with the color additive. For both cleaning periods, non-EVS personnel sampled 10 frequently touched surfaces for the presence of microbes before and after rooms were sanitized. Such surfaces included sink handles, bedrails, call remotes, light switches, phones, and toilet seats, among others. In addition, non-EVS staff members monitored room turnover time to determine whether the color additive had any role in the length of the cleaning process.

Results clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of using the color additive. In both weeks of the study, 92% of surfaces sampled prior to cleaning were positive for microbial colonies. After disinfection, rooms cleaned with standard wipes still had microbes present on 60% of surfaces sampled, while rooms cleaned using the color additive saw the microbial presence reduced to 31% of surfaces, a 48% improvement. A deeper analysis of the microbes that remained after cleaning showed that the use of the color additive left rooms 69.2% cleaner than the standard wipes. In addition, the additive slightly reduced the cleaning time needed, from 39.1 minutes to 36.8 minutes.

“Our study is the first to evaluate color additive-supported hospital cleaning based on microbial burden, and the first to measure impact on cleaning times,” says Olayinka Oremade, MD, MPH, CIC, lead author of the study and infection control manager at Griffin Hospital. “Collectively, our results show that providing a simple visual cue makes an enormous difference in room cleanliness, and it seems to allow cleaning teams to be a bit more efficient in the room turnover process as well.”

Additional details from the study include:

• Throughout the study, microbial sampling was performed on 400 surfaces, 200 for the control period and 200 for the color additive period. Bedrails were the most frequently sampled surface while cabinets, headboards, faucet handles, and infusion pumps were the least sampled.
• The rooms cleaned in this study were located in the telemetry inpatient ward and in the medical surgical inpatient ward.
• The change in room turnover time between methods, about 6%, was not found to be statistically significant.
• The color additive used in this study is compatible with many commercially available disinfectant products.

“Effective disinfection protocols are essential for successful infection prevention and control in healthcare settings,” says Tania Bubb, PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC, 2024 APIC president. “This study exemplifies the idea that simple but creative solutions can help us improve critical tasks associated with keeping patients safe and healthy.”

Mergers and Acquisitions Within the Industrial Wipes Market

In February 2024, Hospeco Brands Group (HBG) acquired Ontario-based Innocore and has since integrated its operations into its existing business. HBG is a U.S.-based, full line manufacturer of wiping solutions, personal care, odor control, cleanroom, safety, and specialty products to serve building management, industrial and manufacturing, food service, education, healthcare and life sciences, hospitality and wellness, and a myriad of other markets. The integration ensures Canadian customers benefit from the strength and scale of a large global manufacturer with all the expertise and agility of a single-category provider.

Innocore is a leading manufacturer of pre-moistened, nonwoven, surface and personal wipes, and other hand care products in Canada. The Touch Point brand in the U.S. and Certainty brand in Canada are now fully integrated into the HBG Signature Bundle of products. The integration complements HBG’s already-robust wipes offering and expands the company’s North American footprint in the wipes market.

Innocore’s legacy management team will now lead all Hospeco Brands Group Canadian business, strengthening the focus and support of this important market. Existing customers will experience no changes in salesperson, pricing, or customer support.

Earlier this year, in February, HBG opened a new 58,000-square-foot warehouse next to the legacy Innocore manufacturing facility in Woodstock, Ontario, expanding its Canadian footprint and readiness to serve a growing Canadian customer base.

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In April 2023, Hospeco merged with Monarch Brands, wholesalers and manufacturers of microfiber, commercial laundry linen, institutional textiles, and wiping products. The move dramatically expanded its offering of wiping solutions and microfiber and adds complementary new lines to an already robust product mix.

Based in Philadelphia, PA, Monarch Brands’ products serve diverse markets, including environmental services, hospitality, institutional, foodservice, industrial, and jan/san, with deep penetration in the whole of North America. Unlike other Hospeco Brands Group brands, Monarch Brands has a solid retail presence with trademarked lines, from opening price points to luxury textiles, in the Americas and around the world.

The move adds complementary product lines to Hospeco Brands Group, with some strategic overlap that further deepens the microfiber and wiping product offering. It also creates opportunities for mutual growth as both entities gain new products to offer existing customers.

In other news, in July Hospeco acquired Nuance Solutions, a Chicago-based manufacturer of branded and private label household and industrial chemical cleaning products. The acquisition strengthens HBG’s chemicals, wipes and air care businesses.

In July, Ansell Limited completed the acquisition of Kimberly-Clark’s Personal Protective Equipment (KCPPE) business. This acquisition strengthens Ansell’s position as a global leader in personal protection solutions, expands its product portfolio, and enhances its service capabilities to meet customer needs across industries and geographic markets.

As part of this agreement, Ansell acquired the Kimtech brand of scientific PPE for customers in laboratory and cleanroom environments and the KleenGuard brand of safety PPE for customers in industrial environments. In addition, Ansell adds two new capabilities to its Ansell Services portfolio: The RightCycle Program, a sustainable solution for the disposal of non-hazardous personal protective equipment (PPE) waste, and APEX, a best-in-class approach to cleanroom customer change management and contamination control.

Neil Salmon, CEO of Ansell, expresses his enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “This acquisition represents a significant milestone for Ansell, and we are excited to welcome the KCPPE team to our organization. The KCPPE business is renowned for its high-quality brands, innovative portfolio, and strong customer relationships. Integrating their expertise and product knowledge enhances our ability to provide customers with comprehensive, world-class safety solutions.”

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In January 2024, Accrol, a U.K.-based independent tissue converter, acquired Severn Delta Limited, a maker of wet wipes and tumble dryer sheets based in Somerset, U.K. Delta’s revenues are reported at £5 million. The acquisition was funded through the group’s existing cash reserves.

The acquisition of Severn Delta demonstrates Accrol’s ambition to expand into other household products through strategic and complementary acquisitions which strengthen and extend its existing product offerings. Severn Delta brings additional capacity and new capabilities to Accrol’s growing wet wipes business. Accrol entered the wet wipes business in 2021 when it purchased John Dale, Ltd., a maker of flushable and biodegradable wipes. The successful integration of this company as well as the strong growth prospects felt in the wipes market affirm that Accrol can scale the business at pace, utilizing Accrol’s existing relationships with U.K. retailers and grocers and benefiting from cross-selling to the new key accounts Severn Delta brings.

In May 2024, Accrol was acquired by Navigator Paper UK, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of The Navigator company, a large Portuguese supplier of pulp, paper, tissue, packaging and biomass-based energy. The company has been active in the tissue market since 2014.