Resin used for plastic production is in high demand but short supply.
 

The cleaning industry may need to brace itself for increases in a variety of cleaning product prices.

That’s according to Gretchen Friedrich of large-scale distributor-membership organization AFFLINK, who notes that “we are already starting to see the costs of some products used in professional cleaning going up.”

Friedrich explains that a key reason is the fact that resin, used to make the plastics involved in many a cleaning product, is in short supply around the world. That shortage is due in part to the February freeze earlier this year in Texas which brought the world’s largest petrochemical complex to a standstill, according to the Wall Street Journal.

As the economy looks to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic, there is greater demand for products made from resin.

Friedrich suggests that as a result of the shortened supply and increased demand, the price of certain types of cleaning product and associated items may increase significantly, including trash liners and trash cans, one- and five-gallon containers used to package cleaning solutions, plastic spray bottles, and cleaning equipment encased in plastic.

“Polyethylene, polypropylene, and other resin-based compounds are used as casing on lots of cleaning equipment. This means these machines may go up in price,” Friedrich says.

To combat any such price increases, Friedrich encourages companies and service providers to maintain a good working relationship with distributors who may be able to suggest ways to cut costs, purchase in bulk, and hold their nerve as some initial price increases may fall again in the months to come.