The post 3 Washing Machine Cleaners Worth Considering for a Fresher, Cleaner Washer first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
Your washing machine spends its days cleaning clothes, towels, sheets, and everything else that gets tossed into the laundry basket. But that doesn’t mean the machine itself stays clean.
If your washer needs some attention, a dedicated washing machine cleaner can be an easy place to start.
Consumer Reports recently tested seven store-bought washing machine cleaners, along with regular bleach, to see how well they handled odors and stubborn buildup. Its testing included products from brands such as Affresh, Glisten, and Tide.
Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner
Instead of measuring powder or liquid, you place the recommended tablet in the empty washer and run the appropriate cleaning cycle, following the product and appliance instructions.
The format is convenient for routine washer maintenance, particularly for people who don’t want another complicated cleaning job added to their household routine.
However ,Consumer Reports’ recent testing found an important limitation: while Affresh tablets are popular, the tester did not find that they removed black buildup from the washer’s door gasket.
Tide Washing Machine Cleaner
Its cleaner is designed for use in an empty washing machine, making it another option for people who want to periodically clean the appliance itself rather than wash clothes.
One reason a product like this can be appealing is familiarity. Households that already use Tide laundry products may find it convenient to keep a washer cleaner from the same brand in their laundry area.
OxiClean Washing Machine Cleaner
The brand’s washing machine cleaner is intended to help address odor-causing residue and buildup inside the appliance. It comes in a format that requires following the product’s directions rather than simply adding an arbitrary amount of household cleaning powder.
OxiClean’s familiarity as a household cleaning brand may also make its washer cleaner easy to recognize when you’re shopping for laundry supplies.
Don’t Expect a Cleaner to Do Everything
A cleaning product may help address residue and odor inside the machine, but some areas may still need to be cleaned by hand.
This is especially relevant for front-loading washers. The rubber gasket around the door can collect moisture and debris, and Consumer Reports found that most of the products it tested struggled with stubborn black buildup in this particular area.
So if you’re dealing with visible grime around the gasket, don’t assume that running another cleaning tablet through the drum will automatically remove it.
How Often Should You Clean a Washing Machine?
Your owner’s manual should be the first place to check, because manufacturers may recommend different cleaning cycles and maintenance.
It also makes sense to pay attention to what your washer is telling you. An unpleasant smell, visible residue, or a reminder from the machine’s cleaning-cycle indicator can be signs that it’s time for maintenance.
Which One Should You Try?
Affresh, Tide, and OxiClean all make dedicated washing machine cleaners, but there’s no good reason to assume one product will solve every washer-cleaning problem.
Affresh offers the convenience of a pre-measured tablet. Tide provides another established laundry-brand option, while OxiClean offers a dedicated washer-cleaning product from a familiar household-cleaning brand.
Before buying, check your washer’s manual, make sure the cleaner is appropriate for your machine, and remember that visible buildup on areas such as a door gasket may require separate attention.
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