Problems with inadequate cleaning supplies in care homes

Walk into any care home, and you'll likely be greeted by the soft hum of conversation, the gentle clink of tea cups, and the quiet rhythm of daily life. Behind these comforting sounds, though, lies a reality that many families and even some staff rarely discuss: the struggle with inadequate cleaning supplies. For the residents—many of whom are elderly, frail, or living with disabilities—cleanliness isn't just about hygiene; it's about dignity. For the caregivers, it's about providing care that honors that dignity, even when the tools to do so are in short supply. But when wipes run out mid-shift, disinfectant bottles are empty, or gloves tear faster than they can be replaced, the impact ripples through every corner of the home, touching residents, staff, and the quality of care itself.

In this article, we'll pull back the curtain on this silent challenge. We'll explore how shortages of basic cleaning supplies affect the most vulnerable among us, the toll they take on the hardworking caregivers who show up day in and day out, and why addressing this issue matters more than we might think. Along the way, we'll also touch on how emerging tools—like incontinence cleaning robots and bedridden elderly care robots —are starting to ease the burden, even as systemic supply issues persist. Because at the heart of it all is a simple truth: you can't provide compassionate care if you don't have the supplies to keep people clean, comfortable, and safe.

When "Good Enough" Feels Like a Failure: The Impact on Residents

Imagine spending most of your day in a nursing bed . Maybe you can't walk easily, or you rely on others to help you move. Your bed is your haven—a place to rest, read, or chat with visitors. Now imagine that the sheets haven't been changed in two days because there aren't enough clean linens. Or that the wipes used to clean your hands after a meal are so thin they tear, leaving residue behind. For residents in care homes, these aren't hypothetical scenarios—they're daily realities in facilities where cleaning supplies are scarce.

Eleanor, 89, has lived in a small care home in the suburbs for three years. She has arthritis that limits her mobility, so she spends about 16 hours a day in her nursing bed . "I used to love having visitors," she says quietly, her hands folded in her lap. "But last month, they ran out of the thick wipes they usually use. The thin ones… they just push the dirt around. One afternoon, my granddaughter came, and I could tell she noticed my hands weren't clean. I haven't asked her to visit since." Eleanor's story isn't unique. When cleaning supplies are inadequate, the first casualty is often a resident's sense of self-worth. They withdraw, stop participating in activities, and even avoid eating or drinking to reduce the need for help with toileting—all to avoid the embarrassment of "not being clean enough."

Beyond dignity, there's a critical health risk. In care homes, where residents may have weakened immune systems, proper cleaning is a line of defense against infections. Disinfectant sprays that run out mean doorknobs, bed rails, and shared surfaces aren't properly sanitized. Gloves that are reused (because there aren't enough new ones) increase the risk of cross-contamination. Incontinence pads that are rationed (to stretch the supply) lead to longer periods of exposure to moisture, raising the risk of painful bedsores. A 2023 survey by the National Association of Care Providers found that 42% of care homes reported monthly shortages of at least one essential cleaning supply, and 18% reported weekly shortages. Among those, incontinence pads, disinfectant wipes, and disposable gloves topped the list—supplies directly linked to infection prevention and resident comfort.

For bedridden residents, the stakes are even higher. Their nursing bed is their world, and if it isn't cleaned properly, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Maria, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) with 15 years of experience, recalls a particularly tough week last winter: "We had a norovirus outbreak, and we were already short on disinfectant. We had to dilute what little we had with water, but it wasn't strong enough. Three residents got sick, including Mr. Thompson, who was bedridden. He couldn't tell us he felt nauseous—he just got a fever and stopped eating. It broke my heart. We did everything we could, but without the right supplies… you feel helpless."

Caregivers in care homes are often described as "angels in scrubs." They lift, bathe, feed, and comfort residents with a patience and kindness that can seem superhuman. But even angels get tired—especially when they're forced to "do more with less." Inadequate cleaning supplies don't just make their jobs harder; they turn routine tasks into battles against time, physics, and their own consciences.

Take morning care, for example. A typical CNA might be responsible for 8–10 residents. On a good day, with plenty of supplies, helping a resident bathe, change, and make their bed takes about 20–30 minutes. But when supplies are short, that time doubles. "If there aren't enough washcloths, you have to rinse and reuse them," explains James, a CNA in a mid-sized care home. "That adds 5 minutes per resident. If you're rushing, you might skip drying between skin folds, which leads to rashes. Or you might not have enough shampoo, so you use a tiny amount and hope it lathers. The residents notice. They say, 'Did I do something wrong?' No—you're just trying to stretch what you have."

The physical toll is real, too. When gloves are scarce, caregivers often work without them to save the supply for "high-risk" tasks. This means more exposure to bodily fluids, which can lead to skin irritation or infections. Lifting a resident without proper hand protection increases the risk of strains. And when linens are in short supply, caregivers may have to carry heavier, soiled linens longer distances to the laundry room, straining their backs and shoulders. A 2022 study in the Journal of Nursing Management found that CNAs in homes with frequent supply shortages reported 37% higher rates of musculoskeletal injuries compared to those in well-stocked facilities.

Emotionally, the strain is even heavier. Caregivers enter the field because they want to help people. When they can't provide the care they know residents deserve—because of inadequate supplies—it leads to guilt, burnout, and even compassion fatigue. "I had a resident, Mrs. Lopez, who loved her weekly manicure," says Sarah, a former CNA who left the field after five years. "One week, we ran out of nail clippers and polish remover. I tried to file her nails with a rough towel, but it hurt her. She looked at me and said, 'You're doing your best, honey.' That's when I broke down. I wasn't doing my best—I was doing the minimum. And it wasn't because I didn't care; it was because we didn't have the tools." Sarah left caregiving six months later, citing "emotional exhaustion" as her reason.

The emotional toll isn't limited to direct care, either. Caregivers often take on the role of advocate, begging administrators for more supplies or rationing their own personal supplies (like hand sanitizer or wipes) to share with residents. "I started keeping a stash of wipes in my locker," admits Maria. "I'd bring them from home, even though it cost me $20 a week. But when my daughter got sick and I couldn't afford to buy more, I had to stop. That week, I cried every night. How do you explain to a 90-year-old woman that you can't clean her properly because you can't afford to buy wipes?"

Why do care homes struggle with inadequate cleaning supplies? The answer isn't simple, but it often boils down to three factors: funding, supply chain disruptions, and poor inventory management.

Funding is the biggest culprit. Many care homes—especially small, independent ones—operate on razor-thin margins. Government reimbursements (like Medicaid) often don't cover the full cost of care, leaving facilities to choose between paying staff, maintaining equipment, or buying supplies. "We get $180 per resident per day from Medicaid," explains David, the administrator of a 30-bed care home. "After paying for food, utilities, and staff salaries, there's maybe $10 left per resident for supplies. That includes everything from toilet paper to bandages to cleaning products. If a case of disinfectant wipes goes from $30 to $50 (which it did during the pandemic), we have to cut back somewhere. It's either that or raise private pay rates, which families can't afford."

Supply chain issues have only made things worse. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, and while many industries have recovered, cleaning supplies remain volatile. Manufacturers prioritize large hospitals over small care homes, leaving facilities to compete with Amazon resellers and pharmacies for limited stock. "Last month, our regular supplier told us they couldn't deliver disinfectant for six weeks," David says. "I had to drive to five different stores to buy enough for a week. It took four hours—time I should have spent checking on residents."

Finally, poor inventory management can turn a minor shortage into a crisis. Without proper tracking systems, facilities may not realize they're low on wipes until the last pack is opened. Or they may over-order one item (like gloves) and under-order another (like bed linens), leading to imbalances. "We used to track supplies on a spreadsheet," admits David. "But with staff turnover, sometimes the spreadsheet wasn't updated. Now we use an app, but it's not perfect. It's just another thing on the to-do list for an already overworked team."

In recent years, technology has emerged as a potential solution to ease the strain of inadequate supplies. Tools like incontinence cleaning robots and bedridden elderly care robots are designed to automate repetitive, supply-heavy tasks, reducing the need for disposable products.

Incontinence cleaning robots , for example, use warm water and air drying to clean and sanitize residents after toileting. Unlike disposable wipes, which require a steady supply, these robots use reusable cloths (that can be washed and reused) and minimal water. A small pilot program in a care home in Ohio found that using incontinence cleaning robots reduced the facility's weekly wipe usage by 40%, while residents reported feeling "cleaner and more refreshed." For facilities struggling with wipe shortages, this could be a game-changer.

Similarly, bedridden elderly care robots can help with turning and repositioning residents, reducing the need for frequent sheet changes. Some models even have built-in sensors that detect moisture, alerting caregivers to potential bedsores before they develop. "We tested a bedridden elderly care robot last year," says Maria. "It could lift Mr. Thompson (the bedridden resident) gently and rotate him to change his sheets in half the time. And because it used a waterproof mattress pad, we didn't have to change the entire sheet—just the pad. That saved us at least 10 sets of linens a week. The residents loved it, too—they said it felt like being 'hugged' instead of 'moved.'"

But technology isn't a silver bullet. Incontinence cleaning robots and bedridden elderly care robots are expensive—costing anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 per unit. Many small care homes can't afford them, even with grants. And they still require maintenance, training, and electricity—resources that may also be limited. "We wanted to buy a robot, but the upfront cost was too high," David says. "We'd have to take out a loan, and that would eat into our staff budget. It's a catch-22."

Solving the problem of inadequate cleaning supplies in care homes will require action from multiple angles: better funding, more resilient supply chains, and a shift in how we value long-term care.

First, policymakers must increase reimbursement rates for care homes. Medicaid and Medicare rates haven't kept pace with inflation, and until they do, facilities will continue to cut corners on supplies. Advocacy groups like AARP and the American Health Care Association are pushing for a 15% increase in Medicaid reimbursement for long-term care—a change that could free up funds for critical supplies.

Second, supply chain resilience is key. Local governments could partner with manufacturers to create regional stockpiles of essential cleaning supplies, ensuring care homes have access during shortages. Community organizations could also launch "supply drives" for items like gloves, wipes, and disinfectant—similar to how food banks collect groceries. In Seattle, a group of volunteers started "Clean Care Kits" in 2022, collecting donations of cleaning supplies and distributing them to underserved care homes. To date, they've delivered over 5,000 kits, reducing weekly shortages by 30% in the facilities they support.

Third, facilities can invest in better inventory management. Simple tools like barcode scanners or inventory apps can help track supply levels in real time, preventing last-minute shortages. Training staff to report low supplies early (instead of waiting until they're empty) can also make a difference. "We started using an app called SupplyTrack last year," David says. "Every CNA scans the supplies they use at the end of each shift. The app alerts me when we're low, so I can order in advance. It's cut our emergency runs to the store by 70%."

In the end, the problem of inadequate cleaning supplies in care homes isn't just about wipes or disinfectant—it's about how we value the most vulnerable members of our society. When we skimp on cleaning supplies, we're sending a message: "Your comfort, your health, your dignity—they're not worth the cost." But ask Eleanor, or Mr. Thompson, or any resident who's felt the shame of an unclean bed or the fear of an infection: they are worth it.

Caregivers like Maria and James don't need "angels in scrubs" to be heroes—they need the tools to do their jobs with pride. Residents like Eleanor don't need sympathy—they need clean hands, fresh sheets, and the confidence to invite their granddaughters over again. And care homes don't need quick fixes—they need sustainable funding, reliable supply chains, and the recognition that cleaning supplies are as essential to care as medicine or meals.

As we look to the future, let's hope that incontinence cleaning robots and bedridden elderly care robots become more accessible. But let's also remember that technology should complement, not ｒｅｐｌａｃｅ, the human touch. At the end of the day, what residents need most is to feel seen, respected, and cared for. And that starts—quite literally—with a clean slate.