Best Washing Machine Cleaner for Odor Removal

Where does the smell come from?

The short answer is residue that never dries. Detergent, softener and the soil they lift collect in the places water sits after a cycle, and in a front loader the worst of those is the fold of the rubber door gasket, which Why Your Front-Loader Smells, and What Actually Fixes It walks through. A washing machine cleaner is sold for the parts a reader can’t reach with a cloth, the drum, the pump and the hoses, and the three pages here describe that job in three different ways.

Affresh’s page is the most specific. The tablets “help power away smells created by odor causing bacteria, soap scum and stinky grime hiding deep inside the washing machine’s pump, valve, drum, basket/tub and filter,” and are “scientifically designed to deliver extended cleaning action throughout the wash cycle.” Seventh Generation says its packs are “formulated with oxy power to target and lift odor-causing residue from everyday laundry soils.” Lemi Shine says its citric acid formula “deodorizes and restores performance,” and its pack includes wipes “for door gaskets and dispensing reservoirs.” That order, from the most specific statement about odor to the least, is this guide’s ranking.

Which cleaner works in which machine?

Two of the three say every machine. Affresh: “safe for all washing machines, all makes and models, including front and top load models and HE (high efficiency) washers.” Seventh Generation: “safe for all washers, including HE machines.” Lemi Shine’s page gives directions for front loaders, “gently pull back the rubber seal and use the wipe,” and says nothing about HE machines either way, which its record states rather than assuming. Affresh and Seventh Generation both say septic safe. Lemi Shine’s page doesn’t address it.

Two more washing machine cleaners were read for this guide. OxiClean’s page describes its product and publishes an ingredient list on the parent company’s own site, but states no pack size, so there is no record to key a pick to. Glisten’s Washing Machine Cleaner & Deodorizer was read after these picks were set and now has a record. Its page says it is safe for HE models, gives front and top loader directions, and claims Safer Choice certification.

Our pick: Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets

Affresh’s page tells you where the smell is and what the tablet does about it, in more detail than either other page. It also publishes its ingredients with a function for each, five cleaning and processing agents plus a fragrance listed as proprietary, and it claims EPA Safer Choice certification, with an unusually plain FAQ note that “EPA certification does not constitute endorsement of this product.” The directions say to remove all clothing from the tub, run the tablet, and discard any undissolved portion afterward.

One caveat. It is scented, and the page does not say with what. The ingredient table lists “Fragrance” and the word “proprietary” beside it. A household that wants no fragrance in the machine has the runner-up.

Runner-up: Seventh Generation Washing Machine Cleaner, Fragrance Free

Seventh Generation’s page states the mechanism, “oxy power to target and lift odor-causing residue,” and the ingredient list behind it: sodium percarbonate as the oxygen agent, two enzyme blends, and water softeners, in a dissolving pack. It is fragrance-free by the page’s own statement, so the only thing it leaves behind is less residue, not a scent on top of one. The page claims Safer Choice, USDA Certified Biobased and Leaping Bunny certification, says the packs are septic safe and HE compatible, and gives the same monthly interval as Affresh.

It is second rather than first because its page describes the residue and not where the residue sits. Affresh names the pump, valve, drum and filter; Seventh Generation names “everyday laundry soils.” Both are honest statements, and one tells a reader more about the problem they’re trying to solve.

Also consider: Lemi Shine Washing Machine Cleaner

Lemi Shine is here for the wipe. Its pack “includes washing machine wipes for door gaskets and dispensing reservoirs,” and the directions say to use it on a front loader’s rubber seal “to remove any hidden debris, mold and mildew,” which is the one part of a smelly front loader a powder in the drum never touches. The powder itself is citric acid and sodium carbonate with a fragrance, by the brand’s own ingredient list, and the page says it “deodorizes and restores performance.”

It sits third because its page says the least about the machine. No HE statement, no septic statement, no certification named, and the single-use pack leaves the wipes out. The four-use pack with wipes is the one this record describes.

How we researched this

Every fact in this guide comes from each brand’s own website, read on the date each product record shows. Nothing was retrieved from a retailer listing. Odor statements, machine compatibility, intervals and certifications are quoted from each manufacturer and are the manufacturer’s own claims. Runlow has not tested any of these cleaners and makes no claim about how well any of them clears a particular machine. No prices are shown. Every retailer link goes to a search results page for the exact product, not a specific listing, so it stays accurate regardless of what’s currently in stock.