When you need to stock up on household necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning wipes, and tissues, you probably head straight to the grocery store. The grocery store is the easiest, most convenient place to find everything you’re looking for – and it’s really a one-stop shop. But what do you do when your local grocery stores are completely out of everything you need?
If you’re struggling to find the household items you need, you’ll want to check out places that are a little less common. You’ll want to shop at other types of stores, stores you might not expect to carry everyday items.
Check out these little-known places to see if the groceries and household products you need are in stock.
1. Hardware Stores
Hardware stores aren’t exactly the kind of place where you’d go grocery shopping. The aisles of any hardware store are lined with tools, lumber, plumbing and construction necessities, paint, gardening supplies and other items you’d need to repair or build something. But what many people don’t realize is that hardware stores actually have plenty of aisles of household essentials too.
Visit your local hardware store, and you’ll find at least one aisle dedicated to cleaning supplies. After all, a construction or repair project often leaves a mess behind – so why wouldn’t hardware stores sell items to help clean up those messes? Hardware stores are typically stocked with an impressive selection of cleaning supplies, including all-purpose cleaners, bleach, and glass and window cleaning products.
You can also find some other surprising items at your local hardware store, or on big box hardware stores’ websites. Many, like Home Depot and Lowes, sell laundry products. They also sell paper goods, particularly paper towels and toilet paper. So, if these items are out of stock elsewhere, head to a hardware store instead.
Unexpected Finds
Here’s a sample of the types of products you might find at a hardware store:
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Mold and mildew cleaner
- Disinfectant
- All-purpose cleaner
- Shower cleaner
- Cleaning wipes
- Kitchen cleaning products
- Cleaning towels, like rags and microfiber cloths
2. Pet Stores
Pet stores carry a different kind of everyday necessities if you’re a pet owner. They have all of the food, treats, toys, and health supplies pets of all kinds might need. But they also have a few items that humans might need, especially if you’re trying to track down a particular kind of cleaning product.
In addition to all of the pet-specific items you’ll find in big box pet stores and on pet retailers’ websites, you can also find common household cleaning products. Pets do require a bit of cleaning up after – which is why so many pet stores carry a number of different types of cleaning products.
Check your favorite pet retailers for household cleaners like stain and odor removers, all-purpose cleaners, and even some helpful cleaning necessities like rags and wipes. Because pet stores offer products for all kinds of pet messes, you may be able to find exactly what you need.
Unexpected Finds
Here’s a sample of the types of cleaning products you might find at a pet store:
- Carpet cleaners
- Stain removers
- Odor removers or air freshening products
- All purpose cleaners
- Cleaners for various surface types
- Fabric refreshers
- Laundry detergents
- Glass cleaners
3. Office Supply Stores
Office supply stores have a wealth of different kinds of products. While their shelves are primarily stocked with workplace essentials like paper, pens, computer accessories, and filing essentials, they also offer an assortment of items that you might not even think twice about. And those items fall under the “office maintenance” category.
Every office needs some household items to keep the place well-stocked and equipped for employees’ needs. This includes items like bulk coffee, coffeemakers and water dispensers, and even cleaning supplies. At your local office supply store, you’ll be able to find a selection of products – often towards the back of the store – for the general workplace environment. And that’s where you’d likely find a few household items.
Office supply stores will stock things like toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, tissue, and even some snack assortments. You should also check office supply stores if you need cleaning supplies too; they often stock these in all sizes to help office cleaning staff keep workspaces healthy and clean.
Unexpected Finds
Here’s a sample of the types of cleaning products and other household items you might find at an office supply store:
- All purpose cleaners
- Natural cleaning products
- Floor cleaners
- Hand soaps
- Disinfecting wipes
- Toilet paper
- Tissues
- Paper towels
Find the Items You Need by Shopping at Different Stores
If you’re having trouble finding the household items you need at your local grocery store, it’s time to try something different. It’s time to shop at retailers that you might not consider for household goods.
Pet stores, office supply stores, and hardware stores are all specialized kinds of stores. But they also cater to people who need to clean up messes and keep their homes tidy. That means you can find items you use everyday, like toilet paper and multi-purpose cleaning products, on the shelves of these stores.
If you can’t find these items at any stores in your local area, you can also try shopping online. Check out pet store, office supply, and hardware store websites to see if you can find these products available for delivery. You may even be able to check inventory at your local store before you make a trip.