Freshest Washer on the Block: How Adding One Small Step to My Cleaning Routine Made My Life Easier

With all that water and detergent swishing around, you might think that your washing machine is keeping itself clean all on its own. Sadly, that just isn’t the case. Every wash leaves behind a bit of build-up in the form of soap scum and dirt. Over time, that gunk builds up, creating the perfect breeding ground for mildew and bacteria, stuff that makes for foul smells and leaves your clothes less clean after a wash. You might’ve found that out the hard way, lifting the lid to be greeted by unexpected grime and nasty odors.

Don’t worry – it’s not permanent damage! Consistent cleaning can take care of even the grimiest, smelliest washing machine, and thankfully, it doesn’t need to be a big job.

Whether I’m too busy with work and life to fit an appliance cleaning into my day or I just can’t stand the idea of having to scrub up all that gunk, I don’t need to live with my washer being gross. Just like countless others, I’ve found a solution that will get my washer looking and smelling like new: Affresh Washer Cleaner tablets.

This stuff is fantastic. You don’t get much easier than using one of these tablets in your washer. It’s as simple as tossing one into the empty wash tub and running a cycle on the hottest setting. In as little as an hour, your washer is going to look and smell great.

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Will Affresh Washer Cleaner Tablets Work For Me?

Almost certainly! These pre-measured tablets are compatible with basic and high efficiency (HE) appliances. They worked with our old top-loading model and with newer front-loading washers, and they’re chlorine free, which makes them safe to use for just about every make and model of washing machine out there. They’re also safe to use with septic tank systems. So no matter your situation, you should be safe to use an Affresh washing machine cleaner.

Folks online are saying these tablets are great if you have pets, getting rid of the gunk and smells left behind after laundering things like pet beds, blankets, harnesses, and toys. Plenty of people are also talking up Affresh’s ability to lift away old and caked on soap scum – Affresh has even defeated the build-up left behind by well water. So long as you follow the instructions (be sure to read that packaging) we’re confident Affresh can make a difference for your appliance. Whether it’s been a while since your washer’s seen a thorough cleaning or you’ve accidentally used too much detergent, you should see results after just once use!

How Does Affresh Washer Cleaner Work?

The best part of these tablets is how easy they are to use, especially when you consider how much of a pain it is to deep clean a washing machine normally. No need to fuss over nooks and crannies in the tub, the cleaner gets that for you!

1. To start, make sure there’s nothing in your washer. Rescue any stray socks! Affresh tabs won’t clean your clothes, and they could disrupt how effective the tablet is at cleaning the washer itself.
2. Next, grab an individually wrapped tablet and open it up over/inside of your washer tub and place the tablet in the wash tub – air exposure can turn the tablet brittle and it may crumble, so you want to make sure you don’t spill the contents anywhere but the tub. Don’t worry, it’ll still work!
3. Now select either a normal cycle, heavy cycle, or a self-cleaning cycle. Then set the water temperature to its hottest setting, and let it go!
4. The tablet will slowly dissolve into a foaming cleanser, getting rid of mildew and other common build-up, like scaling, soap scum, and body oils.
5. Once the wash cycle is complete, leave the door or lid ajar until the washer is completely dry. This will help to prevent future mildew or bacterial outbreaks, and is good practice whenever you use your washer.

Affresh is effective at removing musty, mildew odors because it breaks down and washes away all the debris that cause those smells. Because it’s removing that residue, it’ll also leave your washer tub looking much cleaner, too. This can be especially pronounced if your tub interior is uncoated stainless steel – you might be shocked to see how shiny it gets.

Before we move on, we’ve got a bit more advice for you to consider when using Affresh tablets:

• You will need to wash your appliance’s detergent drawer and potentially the fabric softener dispenser separately. The detergent drawer can be home to some pretty foul smells, so it’s good to remove it and wash it by hand every one to three months.
• Ideally, you won’t notice any residue, but in some cases you may need to wipe down the interior of your washer, including the gaskets, after using an Affresh tab. During the wash cycle, the tablet dislodges things like dirt, mold, and hair that were stuck in crevices. Most of this will leave with the water as it’s drained, but if there was a lot of build-up, it may not all wash away. Just take a peek inside after the wash cycle has finished to make sure you don’t need to wipe anything down.
• For particularly bad mildew infestations, Affresh recommends running two or even three tablets through, one after the other, with an extra rinse cycle at the end.
• Online, some users suggest adding an additional rinse cycle before running any laundry through your washer to ensure any residue is removed and the smell of the tablets isn’t imparted on clothes.
• For best results, you should use Affresh once a month on front-loading washers as they’re more prone to mildew-y smells. On top-loading washers, you can probably get away with using one once every three months or as needed.
• Just move into a new rental that came with a washer and dryer? Why not toss a tablet in before running your first load of laundry. You might be surprised by just how much gunk comes out.

What’s In An Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner Tablet?

Affresh is keeping a lid on their entire recipe, but we do know that the washer cleaner is made with EPA Safer Choice certified ingredients. That means that it is safe for human health (though they do warn to avoid ingestion or contact with eyes) and the environment.

Here’s what to know about what’s in Affresh’s tablets:

• The fragrance is light, clean, and citrussy – pleasant without being overpowering.
• There’s no chlorine bleach. Instead, Affresh uses an oxygen-based bleach called sodium percarbonate. Sodium percarbonate is an oxidizing agent that removes smells and stains. It’s exactly what you’d find in products like OxiClean.
• Affresh also uses soda ash or washing soda, which will be listed on the package as sodium carbonate. Soda ash is a common additive in a whole host of products, and is an effective natural cleaner.
• The tablets contain a few preservatives and agents used to help keep the puck-shaped tablet solid, including glucono-delta-lactone and polyethylene glycol.

Affresh is An Effective, Convenient Solution To An Unpleasant Washing Machine Problem

These tablets are simple to use, effective, and well reviewed by just about everyone. We liked that they were almost zero effort, especially since cleaning a washer the old fashioned way is such a tedious task, and smelled nice without the perfume being overpowering.

The Cons

• There are cheaper alternatives, including other tablets and cleaning agents – though some of those cleaning agents take more effort to use and can potentially damage your washer’s internal components.
• For some, this may actually be a positive, but if you’re sensitive to perfumes, the scent can be a bit much. It’s pleasant and faint, but it sticks around for days.
• It’s a great cleaner, but it doesn’t sanitize. Cleaning alone should be enough to get rid of grime and smells, but Affresh is not a sanitizer. If you have concerns about mold, mildew, or bacterial growth, you may need to utilize a sanitizer like a bleach-water solution as part of your cleaning routine.

The Pros

• It couldn’t be easier to use! Open the plastic packaging, toss a tablet into your washer’s tub, and then run a cycle on the hottest setting.
• Each tablet is pre-measured, so you’ll know that one tablet is exactly as much as you need. This is especially important for HE washers, that can be damaged if too much detergent is used.
• There’s no chlorine. Some washers – notably Bosch washers – advise against using chlorine bleach as a cleaning agent as it can damage their components.

Overall, Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner is a top pick for us here at AppliancePartsPros.com. For under $40 dollars a year, you’ll be beating bad odors and keeping your washer clean and shiny with minimal effort. Don’t skip on this time saver! Buy Affresh Washer Cleaner online at AppliancePartsPros.com. We can have it shipped to your door in as little as two days! While you wait, why not check out some of our other great guides?