What should we do with our excess Covid supplies?

If you have the room to store it, keep it in case of a second wave. It's not going to go bad; and when there's a vaccine readily available, you can always donate it to a local food pantry, they'll always take things like that.

I haven't been able to find Clorox wipes or any other cleaning products but Windex since March...........I was lucky to finally be able to buy toilet paper on Amazon in April after feeling slight panic that the stores were all sold out, time and time and time again, even to us seniors who'd go early in the morning in hopes of finding some. My daughter accused me of being a hoarder for buying 48 rolls of TP and told me not to tell anyone b/c they'd think the same thing!!

So, to answer your question: I don't have excess anything. I'd very much love to be able to stop making my own spray cleaners and get my hands on some Clorox Scentiva Spray; I miss it.

Keep what you think you will use. Donate to those in need.

I have sewn tons and tons of masks. What are people going to do with all of these masks after this virus runs it’s course?

I have horrible allergies so I can use mine when I am cleaning around dust but there are a lot of masks out there!

I didn’t buy a lot of excess supplies from stores. Where I live we couldn’t do that. There were signs saying to limit purchases on everything so all of us would have supplies. We have stores here that designate the early morning hours for seniors.

The problem with selling products on eBay is shipping costs. I am not familiar with the stipulations on eBay because I am not a seller on it.

Where are you storing all of those products? Seems like a lot.

Keep continuing to give to those in need. They will be grateful. So many people are unemployed at this time. Your donation will certainly be a blessing to them.

Almost any school would likely kill for supplies as would almost any LTC facility. Especially with N95 masks they are having a difficult time keeping them on hand.

Are you taking requests. You can donate your excess to me😁.

I can't find rubbing alcohol anywhere. I did see a 16 oz bottle for 4.99 a few weeks ago and decided that I would not contribute to profiteering.

You have obviously been a diligent shopper to find everything you need and then some. Good Job!

I have a business card, personal card and complementary spouse card for a warehouse club so limit of 1 is actually limit of 3. I have been so used to picking up things on all three to give away, it is second nature which I understand I need to control but like Sun, I could get tp, pt, clorox wipes, store pack, lysol spray and gloves so I just did it. The people I had been giving to are stocked and I feel like an a** doing a return.

I would keep most of the items. The hoarders might try to buy out everything once again in the near future. Senior Center or homeless shelters might be a good choice. I only have enough supplies for a few months. I have enough sanitizer, but not enough toilet paper, gloves and Lysol wipes and sprays. Hard to find these items still.

Sounds like you might be one of the reasons I could not buy toilet paper for 2 months. Why I could not buy sanitizing wipes of any brand and all the rest of the supplies that you say you have not horded. I don't have excess.
All the items you mention could be donated to an animal shelter (ok maybe not the TP) a local private or church run Daycare Center, a nearby NON PROFIT nursing home, Hospice.
These items will last so you can keep them and use them as you normally would but please each time you change a roll of TP or reach for a wipe remember the people that could not get those items when they needed them

I had a friend that did that extreme couponing awhile back. She got so much stuff that she donated boxes and boxes of stuff to military troops and abused women’s shelters.

There is an art to that! She told me it is very time consuming. She was trying to teach me how to do it. There are tricks to getting the most for your money. She was great at it!

Most people aren’t able to contribute that much time to extreme couponing.

It was amazing how much she got for next to nothing but every single closet in her house was completely full! Thank God she lives alone.

I used to have a Sam’s card but I can’t buy in bulk. I don’t want products to go to waste so I didn’t renew the card. They have some great deals but I find it works better for larger families.

Some stores may refuse returns on certain items.

Wow! That's a lot of supplies. 40 gallons of bleach?? You could offer it on e-bay and start your retirement fund! Otherwise I would donate to the many charities that don't have surpluses. Homeless shelters, LTC facilites, and many other locations mentioned below. Don't get rid of it all... COVID is on the rebound.

Sell them on Facebook yardsales at under the now prices. Porch pickup. You could probably sell Lysol for whatever u want. Very hard to find here in NJ. Never heard of rubbing alcohol going bad. Those N95s could be used in a hospital or NH.

Where are you at?

Dental Offices are doing without N95 masks, nurses elsewhere were begging for them. Maybe in your neighborhood online, someone could help you donate to the right people. I can imagine that would be a huge project. A small amount at a time?

Note: Even the bleach and the masks have an expiration date.

Best advice I heard was, during the pandemic, do not let people know what you have stockpiled....for your own safety.

The Pandemic is real.
The Pandemic is not over.

I was on line yesterday and saw an AD for Lysol, 2 large cans $70. For that price I would just use bleach.

There is a Strategic National Stockpile that you could donate to.
Contact Homeland Security in your area.

Walked into Walmart yesterday morning. Was asked by the greeter if I needed any Lysol. She said you have to go to Customer Service to purchase a can.

Really?

I'm dying to know. What IS your definition of hoarding?

Perhaps it's one of those irregular conjugations:

I am amply stocked. You are running a surplus. He is a hoarder.

Well, now I know why I haven't been able to find any Lysol for months. lol Somewhat kidding, but this IS hoarding of items that other people need, too.

I would find a church or other charity and give it all to them, they can disperse.

You could also list bundles of items for sale on Facebook marketplace, to get your money back. There have been a couple of local cases going to prosecution for individuals and businesses who engage in price gouging during the pandemic. Not saying you were going to do that, but other posters here have suggested you could ask any price. I don't think that would go over well. Reselling at reasonable prices to get your money back is understandable, though.

Just heard that the stores are stockpiling supplies!
For a Pandemic rush or shortages expected in the fall.

There is a difference between a hoarder and a stockpiler.

We are in the State of California, County of Los Angeles, and still having shortages.

Before the panemic started here, in December, I ordered 2000 N95s for work. At that time, you wore it once and tossed it. If you buy them in December, it is a write off and you get them dirt cheap in bulk so sales reps can hit bonus numbers. I GAVE masks, sanitizers, gloves, etc to an agency family works for. TP to clients of that agency. Supplied everything for the person in my home. Most things I had in stock before this started. I was not buying tp at the store when there was a shortage. The only thing maybe unethical was since there was a limit on things, I would pick up a pack of meat for family and they would pick up a can of beans and tofu for me and we traded.

Most people do not want things just given to them. I know someone who asked to but a 5 pack of wipes for her kids school. It cane to $15.88 with tax, she gave me $16 because I do not carry change.

Where do others shop that things are not readily available because paper products have been around months and everything else the last month?

Well, you might not want to give it all away right now. This is still our first swing at Covid 19 and as you see, it is swinging back. There could be a second (and if it mutates, a slightly stronger version o the virus) wave coming. At best .... we are many months away from a safe and viable vaccine which has to be distributed, which increases the amount of time we will all have to deal with Covid -19 even if you are one of the first to be vaccinated; a form of this virus has been in Asia for sometime; the Chinese population has been in masks for several years now; I think we could easily plan on a year in masks in public places. Figure out how many disposable masks you use per day (make it at least 1) and then add it for accidents (torn ear loop, wet/dirty mask) and that will give you a little cushion. You can then donate what is left. Since the N95s are in really short supply in most hospital in the the US you might want to donate 1/3 of your supply to a local hospital or a NON PROFIT long term care facility. The shelf life of 70% rubbing alcohol is about 3 years. Figure how out much you have used /monthly since the pandemic started, add 2 more months to it to get through 2020 and then keep a year's supply. Bleach expires more quickly than alcohol; it has a shelf life of about 6 mos and then tends to degrade rather rapidly. It all depends on how often you use bleach but with 40 gallons, I personally would not keep more than 8-10. You must be a great shopper to have found all this or someone who is really tuned in to what was happening in the world because a lot of the medical profession seems to have been caught unaware. Just remember, Covid in not over yet so don't start hugging strangers in bars!
Peace~

There’s still a shortage here on certain items. At least here most stores place a limit on the number of items that can be purchased.

People were panicking in the beginning of the pandemic before limits were in place and there wasn’t enough supplies for everyone.

After restrictions were placed on how much could be bought it was better but we still run short here.

I do shop the early morning hours that are reserved for seniors. I suppose it helps to arrive to the store earlier to shop before they are completely sold out.

I have noticed that even gas stations are selling items that they would never ordinarily sell, such as masks, wipes, etc.

I hope that you are able to find people who really need supplies instead of a person who just wants extra supplies.

I don’t waste products. I use them but not in excess. Some people are wasteful.

Some people don’t bother to recycle either. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to recycle or upcycle when possible. It’s a matter of changing one’s habits. Once in a routine it becomes second nature.

My neighbor has always welcomed foreign exchange students in her home. Some cultures are horrified at the excessive use of paper towels.

Her foreign exchange student told her that his mother cut up older towels to use. His family never used paper towels. The cloth towels were washed and used over and over.

I think that you should keep all of your supplies because you will run into people that will not have stocked up when they had the chance. You will be able to help them out when they are in dire straits.

I don't think that you are a hoarder. I think that you purchased items as they were available and it caught up with you.

We are able to find everything that we need for months now and I still catch myself buying toilet paper when I know that I have enough to be secure in the event of a shortage. I don't think that we should be flippant about protecting our family and ourselves during this uncertain time in the world, we never know what tomorrow holds. So keep your supplies and share with your friends and family as needed. Stay safe and I know you will stay sanitized 😁

When I think of the number of hospital nurses who have to reuse the same N95 masks over and over and over again - honestly, this post turns my stomach.

Giving it away, huh? Try a little harder.

Isthisreallyreal, if you are still looking for rubbing alcohol, Sams has it right now in store and online. I saw it during my weekly Sunday morning fruit shopping. There is no limit on purchases.

I haven't been able to find a can of Lysol spray since December 2019 when I first heard about the virus.

pamzimmrrt, I have some of those material masks. An out-of-state relative sent them to us. I tried on one mask and it just sprung from my face. Oops, we have a problem :P Darn, with the cold weather I was looking forward to using those material masks.

I did stock up on the disposable masks because I had a gut feeling this pandemic was going to be like 1918 where the virus went into Spring of 1920. History repeating itself.... [sigh]

Some items are still hard to find but some people have posted which ingredients are needed and instructions to make our own products.

I like Scott toilet tissue because it seems to last the longest on the roll! LOL

I do shop for sales when I can get them on products. In the beginning people were taking advantage of others with selling online at inflated prices.

I am blessed to have good neighbors. We have shared with one another.

Stacy, I have noticed that shelves are getting thin.

The news keeps encouraging people to stock up and then they say that supplies will be stable, so I think that the changing story has people worried.

I have stayed stocked up because I knew that they didn't know enough about this virus to give us any information that we could really depend on.

So, better safe than sorry, is a rule of thumb that we live by.

Are you seeing food shortages?

Here, there is supplies like tp, antibacterial soaps and cleaners. Frozen foods, non perishables like beans, rice, pasta, canned soups are pretty much bare. Meat is low here too. There are limits on a lot of food here.