Wholesale Cleaning Supplies: Tips for Distributors

Many businesses benefit from the chance to buy wholesale cleaning supplies. These products are used on a daily basis and have many applications. In this article, we’ll see what the most used cleaning solutions in the food and beverage industry are. Additionally, we’ll give some ideas for improving the wholesale distribution of cleaning products and what businesses distributors can reach in order to increase the sales of their wholesale business.

What Businesses Use Wholesale Cleaning Supplies

Many companies benefit from the chance to buy in bulk. Let’s dive a little deeper into the main categories of businesses that purchase wholesale cleaning supplies.

Hospitality Companies

• Businesses in the resort and hotel industries. They need a constant supply of various cleaning and hygiene products. In addition, hotels often require specialized products such as pool cleaning chemicals or spa maintenance products.
• Restaurants and food service businesses. Cafes, restaurants, and food serving companies need wholesale sanitizers, degreasers, and numerous other detergents.

Institutions

• Healthcare facilities. Hospitals and nursing homes need to constantly disinfect their premises. That’s why they are prone to purchase wholesale paper goods and cleaning products.
• Public institutions. Governmental buildings and other public facilities also need to be kept in excellent condition. Thus, they require bulk quantities of cleaning solutions.
• Educational institutions. Daycares, schools, and universities gather a lot of people under their roofs. Hence, in order to avoid the spread of germs, they purchase wholesale soap, cleaning products, paper, and other hygiene products.

Cleaning Companies

• Janitorial businesses. Companies that offer commercial cleaning services need a reliable distributor of wholesale cleaning products. Since these businesses serve different clients, they might need a wide range of cleaning solutions.
• Residential cleaning companies. It’s common for house cleaners to work with the cleaning products of their clients. However, some cleaners might want to use their preferred products in order to guarantee better service quality and customer experience.
• Property management companies. In order to keep apartment complexes and other facilities in good condition, property oversight companies often require bulk quantities of cleaning supplies.

Other Businesses

All companies that serve a lot of customers on a daily basis are eager to purchase bulk cleansing solutions. Additionally, food processing businesses are mandated to keep a high level of hygiene at their facilities in order to guarantee the quality of their products. In order to cut costs, many other companies might purchase wholesale cleaning supplies. A few examples include retail stores, car washes, and gyms.

Key takeaway: The main reason why businesses buy wholesale cleaning supplies is the lower price per unit. The main disadvantage is the large storage space that these products take. Cleaning companies, institutions, and hospitality businesses are some of the common customers of cleaning supplies wholesalers.

Most Commonly Used Cleaning Supplies by Businesses

The global cleaning products industry size was close to $250 billion in 2022. That is no wonder since there are thousands of cleaning products available on the market today. They can be split into a few major categories.

1. Cleaning chemicals. This is probably the largest category of cleaning products. It includes disinfectants, glass cleaners, floor cleaners, degreasers, and other types of chemicals like all-purpose cleaners.
2. Cleaning tools. From mops and brooms to vacuum cleaners and scrubbers, the cleaning process is only effective if the chemicals are combined with the right tools and restaurant equipment.
3. Personal protective equipment. The most popular item in this category is disposable gloves. However, businesses that order wholesale cleaning supplies might also need face masks and aprons.
4. Paper goods. Tissues and paper towels are frequently used in our daily lives. Thus, they are among the most popular janitorial supplies needed.
5. Dishwasher supplies. Restaurants need large quantities of specialized pan cleaners as well as dishwasher detergents and soap. 

Pros and Cons of Buying Wholesale Cleaning Supplies

There can be both advantages and disadvantages to purchasing wholesale cleaning supplies. Allow us to share more about the main reasons why you should or shouldn’t consider buying cleaning products in bulk.

Advantages of Buying Wholesale Cleaning Supplies

1. Cost cuts. Naturally, cost reductions are one of the main reasons why businesses order large quantities of cleaning products. Compared to other cost saving measures, buying wholesale is a fast and easy option if you have the capital and storage facilities required for large quantities.
2. Convenience. When it comes to choosing suppliers, businesses want long-term partnerships compared to constantly changing distributors for slightly better prices. Working with a large distributor of wholesale cleaning supplies means that restaurants or other businesses have access to a wide variety of options. Large suppliers offer not only janitorial products but also wholesale tablecloths, garbage bags, toilet paper, wholesale plastic containers, and even wholesale cups and tumblers.

Disadvantages of Buying Wholesale Cleaning Supplies

1. Storage requirements. Bulk quantities of cleansing chemicals and other janitorial products might take up too much space in a business’s storage. Additionally, some products like hazardous chemicals might require special storage conditions.
2. Shelf life. Buying in bulk might lead to the expiration of some products. If not used in the right time frame, cleaning supplies might degrade in quality.
3. Upfront costs. Bulk suppliers often have minimum order quantities which can be much bigger than the optimal order quantities. That means a business might need to make a large upfront investment which might hurt the budget. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Wholesale Cleaning Supplies

Want to know where to find distributors of cleaning products? Or maybe you wish to know more on the topic of storing wholesale cleaning supplies? Either way, in the next paragraphs, we’ve answered some of the most common on the field.

What Are the Safety Standards When Handling Cleaning Supplies?

Every chemical has specific storage requirements and usage instructions. According to regulations, they should be properly listed in the documentation. In addition to these instructions, there are a few rules one should follow when handling cleaning supplies:

• Never mix chemicals together. This can result in dangerous reactions that can harm both the user and the surface.
• Always wear protective gear. Using gloves is a minimum when handling strong cleaning solutions. In fact, most producers of these chemicals recommend using personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes goggles and a mask.
• Proper disposal. Empty containers or cleaning solutions past their expiration date should be disposed of according to local regulations. Make sure you familiarize yourself with those.

Where to Sell or Buy Wholesale Cleaning Supplies?

Distributors of wholesale cleaning supplies usually sell them to businesses that often do cleaning or sanitation on their premises. If you’re looking for customers interested in cleaning products, you can visit trade shows in the food processing or restaurant industries. Besides exhibitions, a great way to sell wholesale cleaning supplies is by becoming a member of local industry associations. The potential for partnerships and client acquisition there is very big. Wholesalers often reach customers directly. If you have a competitive advantage compared to other wholesale janitorial supplies distributors, you might want to search for contacts of businesses in online directories. Keep in mind that in order to win them, you need to offer more than just a slightly better price.

How to Store Cleaning Supplies?

Generally speaking, most cleaning solutions should be stored in a dry, cool, and well-ventilated place. However, some cleaning supplies like dangerous chemicals have additional inventory and storage requirements that should be followed carefully. Make sure to check for leaks and container damage regularly. Properly labeling the products is very important.