Best Dishwasher Cleaner in Canada (2026)
BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner is the best dishwasher cleaner in Canada: one lemon-scented tablet in the empty dishwasher on a normal cycle every two weeks, in every household dishwasher. It comes from a Québec company in Laval that sells in Canadian dollars, with a full French-language store and service in French and English. One box of 24 ($23.95) lasts a year, with free shipping from $40 and a 30-day money-back guarantee. At regular prices on October 20, 2026, that's $1.00 a clean, against $3.50 to $5.29 for Affresh, Lemi Shine, Finish and Glisten.
BLITZ makes one of the products on this list. Here is how we compared them.
Our pick: BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner
- Every household dishwasher: Bosch, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire and others. One tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher, a normal cycle, no detergent.
- Every two weeks: 24 tablets last a year, for $23.95.
- Septic-safe when used as directed, says BLITZ.
- Where to buy: goblitzclean.com, with 10% back in store credit, or Amazon.ca.
In this guide
All 7 options compared
Regular prices on October 20, 2026, before tax and shipping. Prices move, sometimes daily.
| Product | Pack and regular price | Per clean |
|---|---|---|
| BLITZ | 24 tablets, $23.95 (goblitzclean.com, Amazon.ca) | ✓ $1.00 |
| ACTIVE | 24 for $28.95, 48 for $49.95 (Amazon.ca) | $1.04 to $1.21 |
| Affresh | 6 for $20.99 (Amazon.ca) to 3 for $11.99 (Canadian Tire) | $3.50 to $4.00 |
| Lemi Shine | 4 pouches, $14.99 (Canadian Tire) | $3.75 |
| Finish | 2 bottles, $9.49 (Canadian Tire); In-Wash 3 for $11.97 (Amazon.ca) | $4.75 (bottle); $3.99 (In-Wash) |
| Glisten | 1 bottle, $5.29 (Canadian Tire) | $5.29 |
| Vinegar or citric acid | Vinegar 6¢ per 100 mL (Walmart.ca); citric acid 1 kg, $9.99 (Amazon.ca) | Not a dishwasher cleaner |
| Shop BLITZ |
How we compared
Ingredients and directions from each brand's own label or site, regular (not sale) Canadian prices on October 20, 2026, and maker advice from seven support sites. Published facts, not lab tests: we did not measure how much grease or scale each one removes.
The best dishwasher cleaners in Canada, ranked
1. BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner & Deodorizer
Our pick: best dishwasher cleaner in Canada
- What's in it: sodium carbonate and citric acid, per the product page. Light lemon scent.
- How to use it: rinse the filter, one tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher, a normal cycle, no detergent. Every two weeks, so 24 last a year. All household dishwashers.
- Price: 24 for $23.95 at goblitzclean.com, $1.00 a clean; same regular price on Amazon.ca. Rated 5.0 out of 5 (15 reviews). Washer too? The Essentials Kit (24 + 24 tablets) is $43.95.
- Verdict: our pick. The lowest cost per clean of the six products and the least work, from a Québec company. GE, LG and Samsung tell owners to run a dishwasher cleaner in an empty machine, which is how BLITZ works.
2. ACTIVE Dishwasher Cleaner
- What's in it: "a blend of dishwasher cleaning agent and citric acid," per useactive.com; no full list. Lemon scent.
- How to use it: like BLITZ: one tablet in the dispenser, empty dishwasher, normal cycle, twice a month.
- Price: on Amazon.ca, 24 for $28.95 ($1.21) or 48 for $49.95 ($1.04); two BLITZ boxes are $47.90. ACTIVE's own store charges in US dollars (US$27.95), from Minneapolis.
- Verdict: the same format as BLITZ, at a higher price per box on Amazon.ca and in US dollars on its own store. More in BLITZ vs ACTIVE.
3. Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner
- What's in it: eight ingredients per affresh.com, led by sodium carbonate, sodium bisulfate and citric acid.
- How to use it: monthly. Empty machine: one tablet in the dispenser, a second on the bottom for heavy buildup. With dishes: the tablet on the bottom, detergent in the dispenser.
- Price: 6 for $20.99 list price on Amazon.ca ($3.50; shown 9% off on October 20), 3 for $10.97 at Walmart.ca ($3.66) or $11.99 at Canadian Tire ($4.00).
- Verdict: scented and monthly, at $3.50 to $4.00 a clean, more than three times BLITZ.
4. Lemi Shine Dishwasher Cleaner
- What's in it: citric acid, sodium carbonate and fragrance, per lemishine.com: the same two cleaning ingredients BLITZ lists. Lemi Shine says it is "EPA Safer Choice certified," a US program.
- How to use it: one pouch poured into the bottom of the empty dishwasher, run as normal, once a month; heavy buildup may take 2 the first time. "Do not mix with liquid bleach."
- Price: 4 for $14.99 at Canadian Tire, $3.75 a clean.
- Verdict: similar chemistry, sold in stores, at almost four times the cost per clean. See the Lemi Shine alternative.
5. Finish Dishwasher Cleaner (bottle) and In-Wash tablets
- What's in it: water, citric acid, a surfactant (trideceth-4), tetrasodium etidronate, fragrance, BHT and a dye, per the Canadian 250 mL label on Reckitt's SmartLabel site.
- How to use it: the bottle goes cap on, upside down in the bottom rack of the empty dishwasher, on "a high temperature cycle of at least 60⁰C," about monthly. In-Wash tablets run with a load, but Finish says "once a week for optimal results."
- Price: 2 bottles for $9.49 at Canadian Tire ($4.75) or one for $5.99 on Amazon.ca. In-Wash: 3 for $11.97 on Amazon.ca ($3.99), about $207 a year weekly.
- Verdict: easy to find tonight; costly as a routine. See our Finish alternative guide.
6. Glisten Dishwasher Magic
- What's in it: citric acid as the active ingredient: 25.0% on its 2020 US label, 27.7% in Health Canada's listing (DIN 02415569). No full list online.
- Germ claim: Health Canada lists it as a drug product with a DIN, and the US label claims action against E. coli and Salmonella only. BLITZ makes no germ claim.
- How to use it: one 354 mL bottle per clean, wax plug in, upside down in the empty dishwasher, hottest cycle, monthly. The label says "Harmful if absorbed through the skin."
- Price: $5.29 at Canadian Tire, "Excluded from free shipping." See the Glisten alternative.
7. Vinegar or citric acid
- Vinegar: Whirlpool: "using it too often could damage your dishwasher."
- Citric acid: a loose powder from the bulk aisle (1 kg, $9.99 on Amazon.ca), not a dishwasher cleaner.
- Verdict: not made for dishwashers, and makers limit how often you can use vinegar. BLITZ comes as one ready tablet.
Careful: One product per cycle. Never add bleach to a vinegar, citric acid or cleaner cycle: Health Canada warns bleach reacts with acids and can release toxic gases.
Cost per clean and per year
- A year at each brand's own pace: BLITZ $23.95 (24 cleans), ACTIVE $28.95 (24), Affresh $41.98 (12), Lemi Shine $44.97 (12), Finish bottles $56.94 (12), Glisten $63.48 (12), Finish In-Wash weekly about $207.
- BLITZ cleans twice as often and still costs less per year than any monthly brand.
- Shipping: one BLITZ box alone ships for $7.95 ($1.33 a clean in all); free from $40, such as two boxes or the Essentials Kit.
What dishwasher makers say about cleaning
| Maker | What it says |
|---|---|
| Bosch | Clean every 1 to 2 months, with "the Machine Care Program or the hottest, longest wash cycle." |
| Whirlpool | Clean monthly. Vinegar: "using it too often could damage your dishwasher." |
| KitchenAid | Clean "approximately every 30 days." Vinegar, too often, "could damage your dishwasher." |
| GE | An empty hot cycle with "a commercially available dishwasher cleaner." Rust stains: "a citric acid cleaner or specialized dishwasher cleaner." |
| LG | "Use dishwasher cleaner or deodorizer": a tablet in the dispenser, then Machine Clean. "Excessive use of vinegar may cause damage to the appliance." |
| Samsung | A cleaning agent such as "a dishwasher cleaning tablet" in an empty machine, added mid-cycle on Self Clean or Normal. No bleach in a stainless tub. |
| Frigidaire | Clean the unit "every 3 months" with an empty Heavy cycle, and the filter and glass trap "every 2-3 months." |
Every maker here calls for a regular clean, and GE, LG and Samsung name a dishwasher cleaner in an empty machine. BLITZ fits every one of these brands: one tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher, a normal cycle, every two weeks.
Which cleaner for your problem
- Smell: a cleaner can't empty a clogged filter. Clean it by hand first, then run the tablet. The five checks: why your dishwasher smells bad.
- White film on glasses: do the vinegar test first. Etching won't come off with any cleaner. See white film on dishes.
Tip: Clean the filter on the day you run the cleaner. Whirlpool says once a month as a rule (every two weeks for large families); Frigidaire says every 2 to 3 months for its filter and glass trap.
Why we pick BLITZ
- A Québec company, in Canadian dollars. BLITZ is based in Laval, with a full French-language store and service in French and English.
- One tablet, one normal cycle. No bottle to balance upside down, no hottest-cycle rule. A year in one box.
- $1.00 a clean, under a third of Affresh and a fifth of a Glisten bottle. BLITZ says all its products are septic-safe when used as directed.
- Free shipping in Canada from $40, most orders in 2 to 3 business days, 10% back in store credit on goblitzclean.com and a 30-day money-back guarantee (refund policy).
Frequently asked questions
What is the best dishwasher cleaner in Canada?
BLITZ, from a Québec company in Laval: one tablet every two weeks on a normal cycle, $1.00 a clean, a year for $23.95.
Does BLITZ work in my dishwasher brand?
Yes. BLITZ is made for all household dishwashers, including Bosch, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung and Frigidaire: one tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher, a normal cycle, no detergent.
Can I run a dishwasher cleaner with dishes inside?
Only Affresh and Finish In-Wash allow it. BLITZ, ACTIVE, Lemi Shine, Glisten and the Finish bottle go in an empty dishwasher, with no detergent.
How often should I clean my dishwasher?
KitchenAid says about every 30 days, Bosch every 1 to 2 months, Frigidaire every 3 months. BLITZ is made for every two weeks, and the filter needs a rinse at least monthly.
Sources, checked October 20, 2026: goblitzclean.com; ACTIVE; affresh; Lemi Shine ingredients and directions; Finish Canada label and directions; Glisten 2020 label; Health Canada DIN; Bosch; Whirlpool; KitchenAid; GE; LG; Samsung; Frigidaire; Health Canada on bleach; Amazon.ca, Canadian Tire and Walmart.ca. Prices move.
ACTIVE, Affresh, Lemi Shine, Safer Choice, Finish, In-Wash, Glisten, Dishwasher Magic, Bosch, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung and Frigidaire are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with any of them.
ONE TABLET, ONE NORMAL CYCLE
BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner & Deodorizer
5.0(15)5.0 out of 5 stars, 15 reviews$1.00 a clean
One lemon-scented tablet in the empty dishwasher removes grease, grime and limescale buildup. 24 tablets for $23.95: a year at one every two weeks.
Free shipping in Canada from $40, 10% back in store credit, 30-day money-back guarantee.
