In the wake of the recent swine flu scare, many Americans have been rushing to their local supermarkets to purchase soap and hand sanitizer. The recent high demand for these products has caused the prices for these products to go up tremendously.
"This is ridiculous," said Jill Bean, a 26-year-old elementary school teacher. "I am in a profession where I am constantly exposed to children's germs, and it's getting harder to protect myself."
Bean had paid $25 for a 12-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer.
When Alfred Taylor went to Wal-Mart to buy soap, the price had surprised him.
"It totally took me by surprise when I saw the price for three bars of soap to be $30. Everyone's buying more soap, and it is in shorter supply. But that's the price we have to pay to prevent swine flu."
Stores across America have been running low on these products. There have even been reports on waiting lists in stores in Texas and California.
Soap and hand sanitizer manufacturers have been working nonstop to keep up with the increasing demand for the products.
"Workers have had to work double shifts," said Eric McCutcheon, manager at a soap factory in Oklahoma City. "We have to keep up with the high demand, and some workers have not had a day off in two weeks."
McCutcheon also mentioned that he hopes the swine flu outbreak will taper off soon in hopes to give his workers a break.
