Surface Disinfectant Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product Type (Chemical, Biobased), By Form (Liquid, Wipes, Sprays), By Application, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview

The global surface disinfectant market size was valued at USD 4.54 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2021 to 2028. The demand is anticipated to be driven by the increasing prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) worldwide. There has been a significant decline in demand for active ingredients and raw materials owing to the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19, which has led to the closure of factories and manufacturing sites globally. Several plants have been shut down and some are running at reduced rates, which has resulted in a supply-demand gap. However, the spike in demand for sanitizers, disinfectants, and cleaning products, especially in the healthcare sector, is likely to trigger market growth.

The market growth can be attributed to several factors including increasing automotive production, construction and infrastructure activities, travel (leisure and business), industrial production, and the need to maintain cleanliness at these locations. Furthermore, mounting demand for green solutions, such as biobased surface disinfectants, continues to contribute to industry growth across various countries.

The alcohol segment is expected to hold a prominent market share over the coming years. Moreover, increasing use of alcohol on hard surfaces in laboratories and hospitals is anticipated to trigger segment growth. Other key segments including peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide are expected to witness significant growth in the near future owing to their increasing use in surface disinfectant preparations.

However, chemical-based cleaning and disinfecting products pose a threat to living organisms and can enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through the skin. Chemical-based formulations can cause irritation to the respiratory system, eyes, and skin. The aforementioned factors are expected to restrain market growth in the coming years.

Moreover, consumers of surface disinfectants mainly include diverse production units, namely transportation, automotive industry, food and beverage processing facilities (poultry and meat hygiene), hospitality and restaurant industry, building service contractors and cleaning companies, retail (supermarkets), provincial authorities, municipalities, hospitals, and several other commercial facilities. A noteworthy percentage of buyers in the ecosystem are multinational businesses including international restaurants and major hotels. The market comprises various key players, some with a regional presence while others are global players.

Product Type Insights

The chemical product type segment dominated the market with a revenue share of 92.4% in 2020. Chemical-based disinfecting products are primarily classified into two types, namely non-oxidizing and oxidizing disinfectants. Non-oxidizing products comprise alcohols, aldehydes, amphoteric phenolics, and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs).

The disinfectants are generally segmented into three categories namely, low level (Phenolic, QAC), intermediate level (alcohols, hypochlorites, iodine, iodophor), and high-level (hydrogen peroxide, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, ortho-phthalaldehyde, peracetic acid) disinfectants.

Hypochlorite is one of the most desired chlorine disinfectants, accessible in both liquid (sodium hypochlorite) and solid (sodium dichloroisocyanurate and calcium hypochlorite) forms. Hypochlorite can eradicate both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses when used at the right contact time and in accurate dilutions. Iodophores are used as both disinfectants and antiseptics and are considered to be effective against several types of microorganisms.

Biobased surface disinfectants are anticipated to be potential alternatives to chemical counterparts owing to their biodegradable, non-toxic, and environment-friendly characteristics. The FDA approval to use biobased products in formulations and commercialization of surface disinfectants is projected to create significant opportunities for market participants over the forecast period.

Form Insights

The liquid form segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 65.2% in 2020. Liquid surface disinfectants are commonly found in the form of gels or liquids with low viscosity. They are strong, biocidal, or toxic antimicrobial chemicals that can be applied to contaminated areas.

They are used for various applications, both household and industrial, including sealed marble countertops, sealed granite countertops, bathroom floor, exterior areas of appliances (such as toasters, stovetops, and microwaves), appliances with kitchen fixtures, enameled paint, glazed ceramic tile, stainless steel, windows, glass, vinyl, and plastic. Biobased surface disinfectants are predominantly utilized in liquid form.

Sodium hypochlorite is one of the prominent liquid disinfecting product forms for the livestock industry. It is an aqueous solution of 4-6% sodium hypochlorite, which is unaffected by water hardness and easily obtainable as bleach. It has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and a low occurrence of toxicity and is inexpensive and fast-acting. Such liquid disinfectants are used to eliminate the risk of several diseases and treat livestock infections. However, they are used in feed processing as they are more diluted and less toxic to avoid any type of side effects.

Application Insights

The in-house application segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 68.1% in 2020. The in-house surface application includes household, commercial, and industrial in-house surfaces. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has laid down guidelines and recommendations for the cleaning and disinfection processes to be followed in-house. The process of disinfecting in-house surfaces does not necessarily clean or kill all germs but lowers the risk of spreading infections and diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses. This factor is likely to fuel the growth of the segment.

Furthermore, rising demand from households has fueled the production of disinfectants by major players, including Clorox and Lysol. The in-house application segment presents lucrative growth opportunities to bio-based surface disinfectants supported by the growing awareness among consumers regarding the adverse effects on the environment and health. However, the smaller availability of the product and the introductory phase of the bio-based products have restrained the sales and acceptance of the product at a wider scale.

The soaring demand for surface disinfectants for equipment cleaning from medical professionals and consumers is likely to drive the demand for the product in the form of wipes and sprays for instrument application. Increasing investments by the governments in R&D infrastructure and concerns regarding the dangers related to biohazards in laboratories have ramped the demand for disinfecting and cleaning laboratory equipment and instruments in medical facilities and industries, such as food processing and meat processing.

End-use Insights

The commercial end-use segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 48.4% in 2020. The commercial end-use of these products includes applications in hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, bars, offices, and other commercial surfaces. The overall hotel industry is highly benefitted from the increasing consumer spending in the past years.

However, nationwide lockdown globally and the temporary shutdown of office spaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to negatively influence the growth of the commercial end-use segment in the years to come. In addition, growing recognition of work from home benefits among the top commercial giants is likely to worsen the segment growth in the near future.

Hospitals are one of the prominent end-users of the market as they are the most vulnerable to infections caused by disease-causing agents, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Regular and periodic disinfection of hospitals, equipment, and PPE kits are of utmost priority and this acts as a major driver for the market. The market growth is further accelerated by the rising incidences of disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created a skyrocketing demand for surface disinfectants from hospitals.

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest revenue share of almost 34.0% in 2020. In North America, the ever-evolving regulations, health and hygiene-related awareness, healthcare spending, and increased R&D activities among the raw material manufacturers, product formulators, and end-users have driven the surface disinfectant industry in the past few years. However, in 2020, the market witnessed steep growth owing to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across North America.

The demand for surface disinfectants is likely to soar owing to concerns related to the diseases and infections, especially during the COVID-19, as the pandemic continues to spread in the U.S. In addition to the practices such as the use of personal protective equipment and maintaining social distancing, hand sanitizing and floor disinfecting has become fundamental for the consumers. Extended support from the government for keeping the environment clean has also accelerated the consumption of surface disinfectants across end-users.

Additionally, the European market has witnessed a severe surge in demand amid the pandemic spread across the European countries. International players are expanding their manufacturing facilities in the region in order to meet the demand and serve the European healthcare facilities locally. R&D and technological advancement in terms of production technologies have further advanced the market in the region.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The surface disinfectant market players have been segmented into Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III companies. This segmentation of players is based on their product diversity, market penetration, and their revenue collection from surface disinfectants business operations. Tier I players include manufacturers such as S.C. Johnson Professional, Lonza, The Clorox Company, Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc. and Ecolab that collectively held around 30%-35% share in the market in 2019. The Clorox Company generated overall revenue of around USD 6.2 billion. Similarly, Ecolab Inc. and Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc. generated annual sales of around USD 14.9 billion and USD 16 billion, respectively, in 2019.

These companies offer a broad product portfolio of surface disinfectants around the globe and are projected to hold market value shares of more than 7% each, and hence are expected to fall in the Tier 1 category of market players. Some prominent players in the global surface disinfectant market include:

• Lonza LLC

• The Clorox Company

• Stephan Company

• The Procter & Gamble Company

Surface Disinfectant Market Report Scope 

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue and volume growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2028. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global surface disinfectant market report on the basis of product type, form, application, end-use, and region:

• Product Type Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Chemical

    • Alcohol

    • Ammonium Compounds

    • Oxidizing Agents

    • Phenolics

    • Aldehydes

    • Others

  • Biobased

• Form Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Liquid

  • Wipes

  • Sprays

• Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • In-house

  • Instruments

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Hospitals

  • Laboratories

  • Households

  • Industrial

  • Commercial

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • GCC Countries