The Best Commercial Cleaning Products To Try
We’re big fans of natural washing machine cleaners BUT not every washing machine manufacturer approves, and you can invalidate your warranty if you use anything but what they recommend to keep your machine clean and limescale-free.
We’ve tested tons of the best commercial washer cleaners at Real Homes on our own machines. We’ve noted the results, taken the products’ plus points into account , and, of course, looked for good value for money.
The result? Here’s a quick sum-up of what to look at on the labels…
- Cleaning: they do the job, as you’d expect.
- Germ killers: they kill 99.9 percent of bacteria, which is what will make your washing machine smell.
- Protecting: they also protect the drum and plastic parts of the machine from damaging limescale build-up, too.
- Soften hard water: they contain active polycarboxylates, and that’s how they protect your machine from limescale.
How often should you use a washing machine cleaner? Ideally, add a tablet to every wash for best results. If that’s too often for you , once a week will do the job. Of course, it also depends on how much you wash weekly and how soiled your wash is: muddy dog walkers and sports fans, and sweaty gym bunnies will need to use the tablets more often than those of you who glow rather than sweat and waft about in linen .
Our advice? Buy in bulk. This saves you money and emergency trips to the launderette, as well as emergency plumber call-out fees.
How To Clean Dishwasher With Affresh Tablets
You can use many types of DIY hacks to clean your dishwasher. But if you want to clean the inside of your dishwasher quickly, then you can use these Affresh dishwasher cleaner tablets.
Besides, if your dishwasher is starting to smell bad or isnt cleaning dishes as well as it used to, it might be time for a deep clean.
Luckily, this is easy to do with an Affresh tablet. Youll be able to clean your dishwasher with a single cycle in minutes. Below we will give some steps on how to clean the dishwasher with Affresh Tablets. Lets take look!
Does Your Washer Have A Tub Clean Cycle
Over time, dirt, fabric softener, and detergent residue left behind following the wash cycle can allow mold and mildew to grow in the tub. Apart from being unhealthy, this can result in the washer becoming smelly with the likelihood that the bad smell will transfer to your clothes and bed linens. To help combat mold and mildew build-up, some newer washing machine models from manufacturers like LG, Samsung, Kenmore, and Whirlpool will have a tub clean or clean washer function a cycle specifically designed to clean the interior of the tub itself. If your washer has this feature, you should use it at least once a month with a specially formulated cleaning product like Affresh:
- Fully unload the washer.
- Place one cleaner tablet directly into the tub, not in a dispenser.
- Select tub clean or clean washer on the control panel and press start.
- After the cycle is complete, wipe away any residue with a microfiber cloth.
If your washer doesnt have a dedicated self-clean function, youre not out of luck. After placing the cleaner tablet in the tub, run the washer through a normal wash cycle using the hottest water setting. Selecting a high-load size and a long wash cycle will help as well.
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What Happens If You Put A Dishwasher Tablet In The Washing Machine
Placing a dishwasher tablet in the washing machine will leave your machine sparkling clean, but not without consequences.
The dishwasher tablet will dissolve and set to work as it would in your dishwasher, breaking down dirt for clean results.
You might notice dirty water in your machine as it gets into the crevices you and your scrubber just cant reach.
While these results will seem fantastic and leave you searching for more life hacks, the dishwasher tablet can adversely affect your washing machine.
As your washing machine reaches lower temperatures than your dishwasher, the tablet will not dissolve as well as it would in your dishwasher. This means you can be left with residue in your machine that will attach to your clothes when you next do a wash.
You could notice a grainy substance or some leftover tablet in your drum, which will need to be removed before using.
As dishwasher tablets arent designed with clothes in mind, they can leave your clothes scratchy and coarse, compared to your usual washing detergent and softener.
Whats more, as the tablet wont fully dissolve , the residue could remain in your pipes or other components, causing damage to your machine and the need to repair or replace parts.
While it can seem like a good idea, adding dishwasher tablets to your washing machine might not be the best idea.
The Verdict Whats The Better Washing Machine Cleaner
When you need a washing machine cleaner thats easy, effective, and affordable, then you cant go wrong with ACTIVEs product. They may not have the same chemical effectiveness as Affreshs products, but their powerful plant-based formula will still do the job and helps keep the environment safe. When looking at the full comparison between Affresh vs ACTIVE washing machine cleaner, its easy to see that ACTIVE is the better washing machine cleaner.
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Use Your Detergent As A Washing Machine Cleaner
It’s perfectly fine to run a maintenance clean with laundry detergent rather than a specialized washing machine cleaner. You can use your regular detergent although we find that what works best is a natural, plant-based detergent marked as ‘concentrated’.
These are typically stronger, so you don’t need to use a lot of it, and they leave your washing machine sparkling clean. Our favorite is the Method Concentrated Laundry Detergent in Lavender and Cypress scent . It’s 95 percent plant-based and contains powerful enzymes that are up to the task of deep cleaning a washing machine, as well as your clothes. And it smells so, so good. It also comes in refillable, recycled packaging.
We’re also big fans of Smol an online company that sends you washing pods every month, based on how many washes you do weekly. These pods come in bio or non-bio versions and they are eco-friendly, cruelty-free, and very convenient since they get delivered straight to your door. They also work out to be cheaper than normal washing pods, somehow, while you can grab your first box for free just pay for the postage so that you can try before you buy.
What Other Products Does Active Offer
Are you curious about the other products that ACTIVE offers? Well review in detail the other cleaning products that this company has available.
ACTIVE Dishwasher Cleaner
Dishwashers are another common home appliance that can become overrun with bacteria and odor-causing debris. ACTIVE Dishwasher Cleaner will eliminate any bacteria, food particles, and other odor-causing debris from your dishwasher. This cleaner will cut through tough grease and grime while also removing any lime, scale, and other hard water build-up.
ACTIVE Wear Laundry Detergent
ACTIVEs original mission was to create a detergent that thoroughly cleaned and eliminated odors from active wear. Theyve achieved that mission with ACTIVE Wear Laundry Detergent. Their detergent uses a specifically created plant-based formula that removes bacteria and sweat from your clothing and leaves them smelling fresh for longer. Its free of harsh chemicals and additives and is safe to use on all brands of active wear.
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Whats The More Affordable Washing Machine Cleaner
If you look at the price per package to determine which is the more affordable washing machine cleaner, then the results can be deceiving. Your best bet is to compare these brands based on their price per tablet. Weve done the math for you and you can see from the table below that ACTIVE is the more affordable washing machine cleaner.
| Washing Machine Cleaner |
| ACTIVE | $0.56 |
Weve broken down the cost of both brands dishwasher cleaners per tablet so you can truly see which cleaner is the more affordable. As you can see, Affreshs products cost nearly a full dollar more than ACTIVEs. This proves that ACTIVE is once again the more affordable cleaner.
Whats The Main Difference Between Affresh And Active
The main difference between these two companies lies in their ingredients. Affresh has a powerful oxidizing formula with EPA-certified safe ingredients that is effective at removing odor-causing build-up from your machines. Their tablets are all time-released which means they work in spurts throughout the entire cleaning cycle to penetrate deep into your machine and ensure nothing is left untouched.
ACTIVEs products focus on natural ingredients that are biodegradable and safer for the environment. Their cleaners use plant-based enzymes to cut through grime, sweat, bacteria, and other odor-causing build-ups. Their product is an efficient cleaner that works its way deep into your machine, and its quick acting.
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How To Clean A Washing Machine With Vitamin C
There are two main ways to try and get rid of build-up in your washing machine: one is with an alkaline substance such as baking soda. Baking soda’s high pH makes it perfect for cutting through greasy and oily stains, making it very effective when cleaning a kitchen. However, if you live in a hard water area, you may have noticed that cleaning your washing machine with baking soda isn’t doing a lot.
If that’s the case, it’s time to try the opposite acidic approach. Citric acid and ascorbic acid are reducing or chelating agents, which makes them particularly effective for cleaning buildup associated with hard water rust, limescale, and soap scum or detergent buildup.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, take off the heat, and dissolve approximately 200 grams of ascorbic acid powder and 100 grams of citric acid powder in the water. Add the warm solution directly to the drum of your machine and pour a little into the tray. Alternatively, use hot water from your kettle or boiling water tap to activate the aforementioned solution. Run the machine on a hot wash without any clothes. Don’t use citric acid undiluted on plastic washing machine trays as it could cause damage.
How To Clean A Washing Machine
We all depend on our washing machine for clean clothing, towels, blankets, and bed-sheets, but how do we clean a washing machine itself? The answer partly depends on the kind of washer you have, so its always a good idea to refer to the directions found in the owners manual.
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Can Dishwasher Tablets Be Used To Clean A Washing Machine
These days, most of our homes feature both a washing machine and a dishwasher.
We rely more and more on electronics to keep our homes and us clean and operating .
These appliances all come with energy bills to pay and tablets or pods used to clean our clothes and dishes.
Depending on the brand, these can be expensive, and if you are running your dishwasher and washing machine multiple times a day, the cost can soon rack up. It leaves many of us wondering if there is a way to combine the cost.
Can we use dishwasher tablets to clean our washing machines? Is there such a difference between the two appliances?
Well, its what we are here to find out! We have all your dishwasher-related queries answered for you just keep reading to find out more.
Using Laundry Detergents Dishwashing Liquid & Dishwasher Pods In A Dishwasher
Whilst all detergents are created to get rid of dirt, grease, and grime, they are specifically formulated to clean the product according to its nature and use.
In case laundry detergent is used in the dishwasher for cleaning utensils or even just the machine, the following can occur:
1- Laundry detergents produce more suds. This is because dishwashing liquid is designed to be foamier than the pods. This will cause leaking from the door seal and vent seal. The dishwasher will need to be rinsed again while empty, before using it again to wash dishes.
It may also damage the drainpipes.
2- If laundry pods do not dissolve, and consequently are not rinsed off properly from the utensils, they can be toxic if ingested.
3- These detergents also contain scents, softeners, and brighteners that should not be heated because they will mix in the air and you will breathe these in.
4- If the dishwasher cannot efficiently rinse off the detergent from the inside of the dishwasher, the chemicals can end up on the utensils in the next cycle.
If laundry detergent is used in the dishwashing machine accidentally, leave the utensils in and run a short hot cycle with the no-soap option.Note: It is advisable to deep clean the dishwasher and inspect it carefully to check if any damage has occurred.
Dishwashing Liquid
The chemicals in the detergent used for handwashing dishes are gentler to the skin, but it is not an ideal product to use in the dishwasher.
Dishwasher Pods
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How To Clean A Washing Machine With Affresh
You may have heard about DIY home remedies for cleaning your washing machine with vinegar or baking soda. These cleaning hacks may be helpful if youre in a pinch, but you could end up measuring and running multiple cycles.
You want easy and efficient when it comes to getting the smell out of your washer. We get it. How about dropping a tablet into your washer, pushing start and walking away? Now thats simple.
Add Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner
Place an affresh® dishwasher cleaner tablet in the bottom of your machine if youre running it full of dishes . Put the affresh® tablet in your dishwashers detergent dispenser if running it empty. If your dishwasher has a lot of buildup, put one affresh® tablet in the detergent dispenser and a second on the bottom of the dishwasher and run without dishes.
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Cleaning Your Washing Machine With Epsom Salts And Vinegar
Epsom salts are a hugely underrated cleansing agent, used for generations to treat various skin conditions. If it’s good enough for your bath, it’s definitely good enough for your washing machine.
Epsom salt is very different from table salt its chemical composition is magnesium sulfate, containing magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. Salt is sodium chloride. The benefits of Epsom salts in your washing machine go far beyond a simple scrubbing action from the salt instead, its chemical composition is naturally antibacterial, so it will disinfect a washing machine rather than just scrape the inside of it.
This natural product usually comes packed in large quantities. However, you can use the rest of your salts to enjoy a relaxing bath or to clean tiles. Not bad for just one product and it will save on cupboard space too.
How to:
The Best Cure: Prevention
If you own a front-loader, keep the door open after a cycle. This allows the gasket to completely dry, preventing mildew growth.
As one final washer cleanliness pro-tip: If you have a front-loading washing machine, always leave the door open after a cycle so the drum can dry completely. This will go a long way in preventing mildew growth before it can even start, and can help keep your washer cleaner for longer.
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Can You Clean Washer Without Affresh
If you dont have affresh tablets, you may be able to use liquid chlorine bleach. Check your owners manual for instructions on how to clean with bleach. Close the door and select your washers cleaning cycle. For top load washers, when the cycle ends, run a rinse and spin cycle to clear away any excess cleansers.
This Is The Best Way To Clean Your Washing Machine Because It’s Definitely Time
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If you’ve recently found yourself watching more deep-cleaning videos on YouTube or TikTok than ever before, you’re not alone. These clips are like the new form of ASMR videos. There’s something just so satisfying about watching something so dusty, filthy or grimy become almost like new.
In your latest TikTok scrolling session, you may have seen some people cleaning out their washing machines. While there are several different tricks TikTokers use to clean out their washing machines , there’s one product that’s specifically made for the daunting task.
The Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner is the only thing you need to thoroughly clean out your washing machine so you’re not reusing dirty water during each laundry load.
Using too much detergent can be one of the biggest factors of buildup in your washing machine, but your washer is also subject to excess dirt, grease, lint, water minerals and fabric softener soils. To get rid of any odor-causing residue in your machine, use one tab monthly for best results.
If you’re not yet using this Affresh cleaner on a regular basis, you need to add it to your rotation. More than now swear by this game-changing cleaning product.
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