Why Your Washing Machine Needs Regular Cleaning (And What Actually Works)
Affresh washer cleaner is the #1 selling washing machine cleaning tablet in the US, designed to remove odor-causing residue, soap scum, and grime from inside your washer — including parts you can’t see.
Quick answer for buyers:
| What you want | What affresh delivers |
|---|---|
| Remove musty odors | Time-release tablets dissolve slowly to break up hidden residue |
| Works with your machine | Compatible with all top load, front load, and HE washers |
| Safe for home plumbing | Septic safe, EPA Safer Choice certified |
| Easy to use | Drop one tablet in empty drum, run hot cycle, done |
| How often | Once a month, or every 30 wash cycles |
Most people assume their washing machine cleans itself. It doesn’t. Over time, detergent, fabric softener, minerals from hard water, and lint build up inside the drum, gasket, pump, and hoses. That buildup is usually what causes that familiar musty or mildew smell — and it can transfer onto your clean laundry.
One user put it bluntly after running their first cleaning cycle: they noticed “brown nasty stuff” being dislodged from behind the drum. That’s the kind of hidden buildup affresh is designed to tackle.
I’m Jacob Reese, VP of Standard Plumbing Supply and a third-generation leader in the plumbing and building trades — and sourcing effective appliance care products like affresh washer cleaner is part of how we help contractors and homeowners protect their investments. Read on for everything you need to know to get the most out of it.
What is affresh washer cleaner and How Does it Work?
At its core, affresh washer cleaner is a specially formulated tablet designed to tackle the unique chemistry of laundry room buildup. Unlike liquid cleaners that might wash away down the drain too quickly, these tablets are engineered with time-release technology. This means they dissolve slowly throughout the entire wash cycle, providing a consistent cleaning action that reaches deep into the machine’s “guts.”
The power behind the tablet comes from two primary active ingredients: sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate.
- Sodium Percarbonate: Often called “oxygen-based bleach,” this ingredient releases hydrogen peroxide when it hits water. It’s highly effective at breaking up organic grime and neutralizing odors without the harshness of chlorine bleach.
- Sodium Carbonate: Also known as washing soda or soda ash, this component helps soften hard water and cuts through greasy residues left behind by fabric softeners and detergents.
For those concerned about safety, the SDS Safety Data confirms that these ingredients are handled safely within the tablet form. Furthermore, the product carries the EPA Safer Choice certification. This signifies that the formula contains ingredients that meet stringent EPA criteria for human health and environmental safety. It is also completely septic safe, meaning it won’t disrupt the delicate bacterial balance in your home’s septic tank.
| Ingredient | Common Name | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium Percarbonate | Oxygen Bleach | Removes stains and eliminates odor-causing bacteria |
| Sodium Carbonate | Washing Soda | Softens water and breaks down grease/oils |
| Polyethylene Glycol | Binder/Lubricant | Controls the “slow-dissolve” rate of the tablet |
| Fragrance | Scent | Leaves a fresh, clean aroma in the drum |
Deep Cleaning Internal Components
When we talk about “cleaning the washer,” we aren’t just talking about the shiny stainless steel drum you see when you open the lid. Affresh washer cleaner is formulated to reach the hidden plumbing of the machine. This includes the pump and valves, where stagnant water often sits, and the agitator or impeller, which can hide layers of soap scum underneath.
It also targets the area behind the basket and the gasket (the rubber seal on front-loaders) where mold and mildew love to grow. Because it is recommended by Our brands: such as Whirlpool, Maytag, and Amana, you can trust that it won’t corrode the internal metals or degrade the rubber seals of your high-end appliances.
Compatibility with All Machine Types
One of the biggest questions we get at our locations from Mesa, Arizona, to Boise, Idaho, is whether a specific cleaner will ruin a high-efficiency (HE) machine. We can confidently say that affresh washer cleaner is safe for:
- Front Load Washers: Essential for cleaning the door seal and bellows.
- Top Load Washers: Great for cleaning under the agitator.
- High Efficiency (HE): Formulated to work with the lower water volumes used in modern machines.
- Conventional Washers: Works perfectly in older, high-water-volume models.
Step-by-Step: How to Use affresh washer cleaner
Using the product is incredibly simple, but there are a few “pro tips” we’ve gathered over the years to ensure you get the best results.
- Empty the Washer: Ensure there are no clothes, towels, or stray socks left in the machine.
- Add the Tablet: Place one affresh washer cleaner tablet directly into the bottom of the washer tub or drum. Do not put it in the detergent dispenser drawer.
- Select the Cycle: If your machine has a dedicated “Clean Washer” cycle, use it. If not, select a “Normal” or “Heavy” cycle.
- Set the Temperature: Use the Hot Water setting. Heat is required to help the tablet dissolve at the correct rate and to help melt away greasy fabric softener buildup.
- Run the Cycle: Start the machine and let it complete the full cycle.
- Wipe and Finish: Once finished, check for any small remaining bits of the tablet (this is normal if your machine has a very short cycle) and wipe the drum with a clean cloth.
Preparing Your Machine for Cleaning
Before you drop that tablet in, take thirty seconds to do a quick prep. Check your detergent and fabric softener dispensers. If they are removable, give them a quick rinse in the sink. If your washer has a filter (common on many front-loaders near the bottom), empty it out. Removing the “big” debris first allows the chemical action of the affresh washer cleaner to focus on the microscopic residue and bacteria. For more on how we handle user data and manufacturer information, you can view the privacy policy We use your information in accordance with ourprivacy policy..
Post-Cycle Maintenance Tips
After the cycle is done, we recommend using a microfiber cloth to wipe down the rubber gasket on front-loading machines. This is where dislodged grime often settles.
The most important tip for preventing future odors is ventilation. Between washes, leave the washer door or lid open. This allows the interior to dry out completely, making it much harder for mold and mildew to take root. Incorporating this into a monthly routine—cleaning on the first of every month, for example—will keep your machine smelling like new indefinitely.
Eliminating Mildew and Odor-Causing Residue
If you’ve ever pulled a load of “clean” laundry out of the washer only for it to smell like a damp basement, you’re dealing with mildew. This isn’t a failure of your detergent; it’s a sign that your machine has become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Why Does My Washing Machine Smell?
The modern laundry environment is a perfect storm for odors. We often wash in cold water (which doesn’t dissolve fats well) and use high-efficiency detergents and concentrated fabric softeners. These products can leave a “biofilm”—a thin, slimy layer of soap and organic matter—on the outer tub and hoses.
Over about 30 wash cycles, this film thickens and begins to trap bacteria. Because you can’t see the outer tub (the part that holds the water), you might not realize your machine is dirty until the smell becomes undeniable. Hard water minerals can also “anchor” this grime to the stainless steel, making it harder to wash away with just water.
How Affresh Targets the Source of Odors
Affresh washer cleaner doesn’t just mask the smell with perfume. Its penetrating action gets into the pores of the biofilm. As the tablet undergoes its slow dissolve, it continuously releases oxygenated bubbles that lift the grime away from the surface of the machine. By the time the rinse cycle begins, the residue is suspended in the water and flushed out the drain hose. The result is a truly clean machine with a light, fresh scent.
Performance Review: Affresh vs. DIY Alternatives
Many of our customers in places like Salt Lake City or Sacramento ask if they can just use vinegar or baking soda. While those are great for light maintenance, they often fall short for deep cleaning.
- Vinegar: It’s an acid, which is good for hard water, but it isn’t very effective at breaking up heavy grease or soap scum. It also requires large quantities to be effective in a full wash cycle.
- Baking Soda: Great for deodorizing the air, but it lacks the surfactant power to “scrub” the hidden parts of a pump.
- Liquid Bleach: Bleach is a great sanitizer, but it can be hard on rubber seals and doesn’t always “break down” the physical layers of grime—it just kills the bacteria on the surface.
Affresh washer cleaner holds a 4.6-star rating across thousands of reviews, with 91% of users recommending it. The consensus is clear: it’s more effective and less “laborious” than trying to mix DIY concoctions.
Why Commercial Tablets Outperform Vinegar
The primary reason to choose a tablet over vinegar is the time-release factor. Vinegar is liquid; it enters the machine, does a quick pass, and is often pumped out within the first few minutes of a cycle. The affresh washer cleaner tablet stays in the drum, working through the wash, the agitation, and the soak phases. It provides a sustained chemical attack on the residue that vinegar simply can’t match.
Customer Feedback and Effectiveness
Data from Nielsen Scantrack consistently ranks affresh as the #1 selling washer cleaner. It is the only product specifically formulated and recommended by the engineers at Our brands:, Our brands:, and Maytag. When the people who build the machines tell you what to use to clean them, it’s usually a good idea to listen!
Frequently Asked Questions about Washer Maintenance
Is affresh washer cleaner safe for septic systems?
Yes. We know many of our customers in rural areas of Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah rely on septic systems. Affresh washer cleaner is designed to be non-corrosive and its active ingredients break down into oxygen, water, and soda ash—none of which will harm the “good” bacteria in your septic tank or damage your home’s plumbing.
Can I use the tablet while washing my clothes?
No. You should never use the cleaner while clothes are in the machine. The high concentration of cleaning agents is designed to strip away grime from the machine, not to be gentle on fabrics. Always run it as a separate, empty cycle. For specific troubleshooting, you can always check with Help Our brands:Your location:Order StatusFind a StoreHelpContact UsOrder StatusFind a StoreHelpLive Chat.
Where to Buy affresh washer cleaner and Pricing
You can find affresh washer cleaner in several configurations. The most popular is the 6-pack, which provides a full 6-month supply for a very reasonable price (typically around $10-$12). There are also 3-count pouches available for those who want to try it out first.
Conclusion
At Standard Plumbing Supply, we believe that preventative maintenance is the best way to avoid expensive repair bills. Keeping your washing machine clean isn’t just about the smell—it’s about protecting the pump, the motor, and the hoses from the abrasive effects of mineral buildup and grime.
By using affresh washer cleaner once a month, you’re ensuring your appliance runs efficiently and your clothes stay truly fresh. If you’re looking to upgrade your laundry room or need professional-grade parts for your next project, we invite you to Shop our full equipment catalog or visit one of our many locations across the Western US. Whether you’re in St. George, Las Vegas, or San Diego, we’re here to help you keep your home’s systems running perfectly.
