Disinfectant Spray Market

Market Overview

Disinfectants are chemicals used to inactivate microorganisms on inanimate surfaces. The scope of our study is limited to the use of disinfectants in the form of sprays and aerosol cans. Disinfectant sprays contain different chemicals, such as quaternary ammonium compounds, alcohols, and aldehydes, which are the active ingredients.

The use of disinfectant sprays is beginning to increase with the rise of consumer awareness regarding hygiene. There is also an increase in the incidents of healthcare-acquired infections (HAI), due to which the demand for surface disinfectants in all forms of liquid, sprays, and wipes is increasing. The use of disinfectant sprays is expected to rise compared to liquids as liquids require water for dilution.

The global disinfectant spray market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period, 2023–2031.

Market Dynamics

Increasing Use of Disinfectant Sprays in Hospitals to Counter the Increasing Incidence of Healthcare-Acquired Infections (HAI)

The increasing incidents of healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) have led hospitals and laboratories to use disinfectants on a large scale. As per the Centers for Disease Control, HAIs account for around 1.7 million infections and 99,000 related deaths each year. To prevent HAIs, there are several recommendations, including the use of disinfectants. Disinfectant sprays are mostly used in hospitals to disinfect medical devices and instruments and other inanimate surfaces where mopping using disinfectant liquid cleaners is not possible. The excessive use of anti-bacterial products has increased microbial resistance, which is why disinfectant companies must constantly innovate their products.

Emerging Economies to Set the Pace of Market Growth

Emerging economies such as India, Vietnam, Brazil, and Mexico are the frontrunners in the disinfectant spray market. Factors such as increasing awareness about hygiene, government initiatives for better healthcare facilities, and stricter rules regarding maintaining a cleaner environment are expected to drive the global market in years to come.

Corporate Strategies

Companies are constantly trying innovative ways to strengthen their brands. For instance, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, through its disinfectant spray brand Lysol, has launched the HERE for Healthy Schools campaign to curb the spread of illnesses in classrooms. Companies, such as The Clorox Company, are also partnering with local administrations to create brand engagement in public spaces. The COVID-19 outbreak has made the concepts of sanitizing and disinfecting even more prominent. Almost all the companies have started campaigning and creating awareness about the deadly virus and the ways to prevent it.

Regional Analysis

The market for disinfectant sprays is almost mature in developed economies. There has been a spike in market growth on account of rising awareness due to outbreaks, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The disinfectant market is expected to take major strides in developing economies in the coming years. As per the Indian Brand Equity Foundation, India’s healthcare market is expected to reach a value of USD 372,000 million by 2022.

Rising incomes and subsequent lifestyle diseases are some of the reasons behind market growth in the country. Government initiatives are also expected to foster market growth. For instance, Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest government healthcare scheme launched in September 2018, is expected to spur the healthcare industry due to an increase in access to insurance.

Industry Trends

Attributing to the COVID-19 outbreak, an important factor affecting the disinfectant spray market is the ease with which alcohol manufacturers and ethanol-based fuel manufacturers have been able to support the community by creating make-shift spaces for manufacturing sanitizers, disinfectants, and other medical equipment.

Once the crisis is averted, many companies will look at the sanitizer and disinfectant market as a parallel income source, which can lead to severe competition in the market. For instance, AB InBev, in March 2020, announced that it has begun manufacturing one million bottles of hand sanitizer. Another company in Connecticut, U.S., Litchfield Distillery, in March 2020, announced that it has begun manufacturing disinfectant alcohol spray and halted its normal production of spirits.

Segmental Analysis

The use of disinfectants has increased due to extensive household and commercial applications. Disinfectant sprays provide an easy mode to spray and clean surfaces compared to liquid disinfectants. Wipes present a better way of cleaning, but consumer thinking tilts in favor of sprays as they last longer than wipes.

A major share of disinfectant spray use is held by hospitals and health clinics where extra care and precaution is required to counter infections. Additionally, the use of disinfectant spray has increased in commercial spaces, such as schools, institutions, offices, and kitchen restaurants. Companies offer disinfectant sprays containing different chemicals as per the end-use; disinfectants are recommended as per the level of disinfection required. High-level disinfection is required where disinfecting surfaces and objects is critical, such as in hospitals and clinics. For these applications, disinfectant sprays that have glutaraldehyde or Ortho-phthalaldehyde-based formulations are used. The use of disinfectants is more diluted in intermediate disinfection, and low-level disinfection done in residential and commercial spaces. These types of disinfectants include sodium hypochlorite, phenolics, and quaternary ammonium compounds.

Recent Developments

• Gel-clear Ltd, a U.K.-based company, in June 2019, announced a new eco-friendly disinfectant spray, Eco-clear, which is a hypoallergenic biocide and works on the concept of silver nano-particle cleaners. The company also claims that the disinfectant spray will have no harmful effect if ingested.
• Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, in December 2019, announced the launch of Dettol Disinfectant Spray in India. The company’s aim is to focus on millennial mothers who have become increasingly aware of the difference in clean and germ-free.
• Sweden-based Aurena Laboratories, in March 2020, announced the launch of a skin disinfectant spray. The company claims that the spray also moisturizes and softens the skin along with killing viruses, fungi, and bacteria.