Sanity and Sanitizer | The Story of Purell

Before this pandemic, the story of Purell was mostly about innovation -- inventing something people needed before they realized they needed it. Now, it’s a story about something every business executive dreams of -- a sudden influx of customers desperate to get their hands on your product.  
But when demand surges so fast that the leading brand can’t produce enough of it, it results in scarcity and price gouging... and other companies jump in to fill the gap. When life returns to some level of normalcy, will the makers of Purell discover that this moment has birthed a whole raft of new competitors? And will there still be enough unclean hands to go around?
David Owen is a staff writer at The New Yorker. Matt Cunningham is co-founder of Old Glory Distilling Co. in Clarksville, TN.
Podcast production by Jess Miller.
Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before this pandemic, the story of Purell was mostly about innovation -- inventing something people needed before they realized they needed it. Now, it’s a story about something every business executive dreams of -- a sudden influx of customers desperate to get their hands on your product.  

But when demand surges so fast that the leading brand can’t produce enough of it, it results in scarcity and price gouging... and other companies jump in to fill the gap. When life returns to some level of normalcy, will the makers of Purell discover that this moment has birthed a whole raft of new competitors? And will there still be enough unclean hands to go around?

David Owen is a staff writer at The New Yorker. Matt Cunningham is co-founder of Old Glory Distilling Co. in Clarksville, TN.

Podcast production by Jess Miller.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices