Affresh washing machine alternatives - what works and what to avoid
Need a replacement for Affresh to clean your washing machine?
Your washing machine should be cleaned quarterly. Fortunately, most new machines are easy to clean due to the "Clean Washer" setting. However, your washer also probably recommends using Affresh.
What is Affresh?
Affresh is a brand of cleaners with products to clean washing machines, dish washers, coffee makers and more. But if you don't want to shell out to buy their tabs (or don't have any handy) - there is a replacement you can use.
Use Borax Powder as an Affresh Replacement
Borax powder's main ingredient is sodium tetraborate, which is from the same chemical family as baking soda and the Affresh tabs. At about $5 for a 65 ounce box, Borax powder is also much cheaper than the Affresh tabs. Bonus - it is an excellent laundry booster to add to a load of whites or a particularly stinky batch.
Toss in 1/3 cup of borax powder and hit the clean cycle. That's it.
Avoid bleach and vinegar
Some manuals say liquid bleach works as an alternative but bleach is an extremely strong chemical and using too much can damage the rubber seals. If you're in a pinch, use a splash but it might just be safer to wait the extra time until you have Borax or Affresh again.