Area retailers’ supplies of hand sanitizer are being depleted as demand for the product grows amid coronavirus fear.

All Acme Fresh Market stores were out of hand sanitizers Tuesday.

Katie Swartz, spokeswoman for the Akron-headquartered grocery chain, said Acme is working with suppliers to get it back on on store shelves as soon as possible.

Hand sanitizers have been in short supply across the country as COVID-19 has spread.

Akron-based GOJO Industries last week ramped up production of its Purell brand hand sanitizer to meet increased demand.

Giant Eagle spokesman Dan Donovan issued a statement that stopped short of saying any stores were out of hand sanitizer. But he did say that availability "may differ across our stores."

Giant Eagle employees are working with customers to "limit purchases in large quantities," Donovan said, so that products such as hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes are available for purchase "by as many people as possible."

Giant Eagle, based in O’Hara Township outside Pittsburgh, is working with suppliers to keep stores "as well-stocked as possible," he said.

In Stark County, there were no hand sanitizers at Fishers Foods stores Tuesday. Owner Jeffrey Fisher said the stores are to get deliveries of the product Thursday morning. He advised calling before going to the stores.

The product could be found at some area stores, including Buehler’s groceries.

Acme Fresh Market stores have soap, disinfectant sprays and cleaners, bleach, paper towels and toilet paper in stock, Swartz stressed.

Disinfectant wipes are still available at Acme stores, Swartz said, "but we’re seeing those go quickly ... and there may be outages."

Acme stores are maintaining supplies of big containers of disinfectant wipes at entrances. Customers can use these to wipe carts. These wipes have been a fixture at Acme stores for years.

Acme is seeing increased usage of its grocery delivery and pickup services, Swartz noted.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control recommend washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used, the CDC says. "However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water," the CDC says.

The product label will note if the hand sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol.

An increasing number of homemade hand-sanitizer recipes are going around online, and a primary ingredient — isopropyl alcohol — is in big demand.

Experts caution that makers of homemade sanitizers should make sure their concoction is at least 60% alcohol.

USA Today contributed to this report. Contact reporter Katie Byard at 330-9963781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal. com.