Picture of Affresh® Washer Cleaner 7 ounce box, top view.

Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner Review

Tthis Affresh laundry machine cleaner review details our experiences with it. Plus, we list its pros and cons that we found with Affresh®. Now we were new to high efficiency (HE) laundry machines back in 2010. So we knew not that to keep their odors down, you must clean them with a good sanitizer. We then moved to an apartment with a front loader HE laundry machine. Next, we quickly learned how fast HE front loader laundry machines grow mold, mildew, and other odors. Thus, this began our regular use of laundry machine cleaners like Affresh® here.

Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner Tablets Came with our New Maytag 

Our new Maytag came with a single dose of Affresh laundry machine cleaner. That’s how we learned of products like this. Although not knowing at the time how fast these laundry machines can start smelling bad, we put off using it. We dismissed it as a gimmick gift from Maytag, to get us to buy more.

Picture of Affresh® laundry machine cleaner tablets, 7 ounce box, top view.
Affresh® laundry machine cleaner tablets, 7 ounce box, top view.

But we soon learned how essential running through the cleaning cycle once a month can be. This preserves a clean, odor free, mold free clothes laundry machine.

All Laundry Machines can Stink

Top loaders as well as front loaders can develop bad odors due to mold and mildew growing around the seals. These also grow in the piping, and around the washer tub itself. Furthermore, front load laundry machine seem more prone to these unclean smells. But top loaders also can smell too. If you do not leave the lid open between loads, these smells return in just days or weeks. We found Affresh® laundry machine cleaner to work very well to combat that old-washer smell.

The Affresh® aroma hints that the laundry machine is definitely clean and disinfected. Perhaps some kind of floral. It’s unique. But it’s certainly more pleasant than the smell of old, soggy clothes, and less obtrusive than bleach or vinegar cleaners. The instructions suggest running one tablet through the washer per month. Further, they say to use Affresh® once per week for three weeks for really dirty laundry machines.

But we only wash a couple loads per week. So we’ve found that our front loader stays odor free for two or three months between Affresh® uses. As long as we leave its door open between washings, mold and mildew stay away for months on end.





Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner Review: Benefits, Pros, Features, and Benefits

Single Portion, Pre Measured Tablets

These thick plastic bags keep the active ingredients fresh until use. Resembling thick cellophane, they cannot be easily torn open; requiring sharp scissors instead. Do not open the pouches until ready to use them, as doing so might render this product less effective.

Affordable

We bought the five-tablet box for about $10 at Walmart. Cheaper solutions exist too though. These include straight bleach and baking soda. But these may or may not work. True. They may be effective alternatives in some machines.

But if you have no time to play around, use Affresh®. If you want a cleaning tablet that does it right the first time, this Affresh® product is just that. Though it costs more than baking soda, Affresh® is worth every penny. You pay roughly two dollars per use.

Easy to Use

You simply cut open the plastic pouch. Then, drop one Affresh® tablet into the laundry tub prior to starting the wash / clean cycle. It does not make much airborne dust. So any eye or nose irritation you might feel is low. Just avoid touching the tablet directly, and keep it away from mouth, nose, and eyes.

Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner Cleans Away Soap Buildup, Dirt, and Minerals

Not only does Affresh® deodorize, but it helps keep small pipes and openings in the HE laundry machine from clogging. Affresh® helps preserve HE performance thus.

Strong Odor Remover

Highly potent smell stopper, deodorizer. The Affresh® scent left behind strongly hints that the laundry machine has definitely cleaned up thoroughly.

Works Better than Bleach

Also, Affresh® may be safer than bleach for Bosch front loader laundry machines. Why? Some Bosch unit instructions advise against using bleach in them. For these, bleach may harm their internal parts, whereas Affresh® does not.

For Front Loading and Top Loading Laundry Machines 

We’ve used Affresh® without damage on washers that warn against chlorine bleach. In fact, this cleaner says that it works better than bleach, and is safer than bleach besides; a win-win.

Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner is Safe for Septic Tanks

Since this product relies on oxidation to work, its effect has limited duration as the active chemicals oxidize. By the time Affresh® reaches the septic tank, its active agents have gone inert.

Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner Ingredients: Biodegradable Cleaning Agents

These include surfactants, oxygen bleach (percarbonate), sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, and perfume.





Works on All Laundry Machines

Whether front loader or top loader, Affresh® cleans. Whether high efficiency or normal efficiency, Affresh® works. Affresh® used regularly keeps most any laundry machine clean and free of offensive stink.

Suggested by Whirlpool

Affresh laundry machine cleaner review. Picture of Affresh® laundry machine cleaner, 7 ounce box, bottom view.
Affresh laundry machine cleaner review., 7 ounce box, bottom view.

Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner Review: Cons, Limitations, Problems, and Concerns

May not be Cheapest

Numerous “home” remedies are effective to deodorize clothes laundry machines. But Affresh®, though a bit costlier than these, works better in a wide array of machines.

Aroma can Remain for Days after Use

While the clean Affresh® scent is at first pleasant, it can get irksome later. It indeed did that in our case, where our work bench was located close to the washer. It remains strong over a day after use. Suggestion: Lower the perfume levels.

But if the perfume scent bothers you, run the laundry machine through another regular, hot water cycle. This further rinses out any remaining cleaner from the washer parts. Doing this though, may limit how long it takes for the bad odors to come back.





Our Rating for Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner

One Affresh® tablet deodorizes and cleans the laundry machine one time. And at roughly $2 per tablet, this cleaner is a decent deal.

Now we had lots of mildew and mold before cleaning our HE machines. But after cleaning with Affresh®? Very little. So we feel that Affresh® cleaner is a great product. It is an affordable, low effort, long lasting fix for those pesky washing machine stench problems. It solves these fast and effectively. Aside from the possibly strong perfume scent, Affresh laundry machine cleaner works quite well. So we’d rate it at 99 out of 100.

Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner Related Posts

    1. Top Load vs Front Load Washers Pros Cons
    2. How to Freshen Up a Smelly Washing Machine
    3. Tide Laundry Machine Cleaner Review
    4. Affresh Washer Cleaner Directions, How to Use Instructions
    5. How to Clean Front Loading Washing Machine with Bleach

References for Affresh Laundry Machine Cleaner

    1. Affresh Customer Reviews at Walmart.com
    2. Where to buy Affresh® Laundry Machine Cleaner
    3. Affresh Official Product Page

Revision History

    • 2019-03-25: Added tags and shortened meta description.
    • 2018-04-15: Originally published.