Best Washing Machine Cleaner in Canada (2026)
BLITZ is the best washing machine cleaner in Canada: one unscented tablet in the empty drum every two weeks, in front-load, top-load and HE washers. It comes from a Québec company in Laval that sells in Canadian dollars, with a full French store and service in French and English. 24 tablets are a year of cleans for $24.95, or $1.04 a clean, about a third of Affresh ($3.25 to $4.00 at regular prices on October 20, 2026), with free shipping from $40 and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
BLITZ makes one of the products on this list. Here is how we compared them.
Our pick: BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner
- Every washer brand: one tablet in the empty drum. Tub Clean on an LG, Clean Washer or the hottest cycle on a Whirlpool, Maytag or KitchenAid, Basket Clean on a GE, a separate hot cycle on a Samsung.
- A year in one box, unscented, septic-safe.
- Prefer Amazon? BLITZ is on Amazon.ca at the same price, without the 10% store credit.
Shop BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner, $24.95
In this guide
All 8 options compared
Regular prices, October 20, 2026, before tax and shipping. Prices move.
| Product | How it's used | Pack and regular price | Per clean |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLITZ | One unscented tablet every two weeks | 24 tablets, $24.95 (goblitzclean.com, Amazon.ca) | ✓ $1.04 |
| Affresh | One scented tablet a month | 12 for $38.99 (Amazon.ca) to 3 for $11.99 (Canadian Tire) | $3.25 to $4.00 |
| ACTIVE | One tablet every two weeks | 24 for $28.95, 48 for $49.95 (Amazon.ca); US$ on its own store | $1.04 to $1.21 |
| Tide | One scented pouch a month | 3 pouches, $8.97 (Walmart.ca) | $2.99 |
| OxiClean | One scented pouch a month | 8 pouches, $39.99 (Amazon.ca, third-party seller) | $5.00 |
| Liquid bleach | Not made for detergent residue or scale | 3.6 L, $4.27 (Walmart.ca, Great Value) | Not a washer cleaner |
| White vinegar | Whirlpool, Maytag and Bosch advise against it in the drum | 4 L, $4.49 (Canadian Tire, Allen's) | Not a washer cleaner |
| Lysol laundry additive | Laundry, not the washer | 2.7 L, $14.99 (Amazon.ca) | Not a washer cleaner |
| Shop BLITZ |
How we compared
We used each brand's published ingredients and directions, regular Canadian prices on October 20, 2026 (not sales) divided by cleans per pack, and the cleaning cycles washer makers describe. These are published facts, not lab tests.
The picks, ranked
1. BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner & Descaler
Our pick: best washing machine cleaner in Canada
What's in it: citric acid, sodium carbonate, sodium percarbonate, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate, sodium sulfate, sodium silicate and zeolite, per the product page. No chlorine or bleach, and no fragrance: it's unscented.
How to use it: one tablet straight into the empty drum, not the drawer, then the hottest cycle or Tub Clean (largest load on a top loader). On a Samsung, a separate hot cycle, since Self Clean takes bleach. Every two weeks, so 24 last a year. Heavy buildup: two cycles back to back the first time.
Price: 24 for $24.95, $1.04 a clean ($24.95 ÷ 24). Rated 4.9 out of 5 (14 reviews) on goblitzclean.com.
2. Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner
What's in it: sodium percarbonate, sodium carbonate, polyethylene glycol, glucono-delta-lactone, sodium acetate, time-release ingredients and fragrance, per affresh.com.
How to use it: one tablet in the empty washer, not the dispenser, on Clean Washer or a hot cycle, "monthly or every 30 wash cycles" (up to 3 cycles in a row "in extreme cases").
Price: 12 for $38.99 ($3.25) or 6 for $20.99 ($3.50) on Amazon.ca, 3 for $10.97 at Walmart.ca ($3.66), 3 for $11.99 at Canadian Tire ($4.00): three to four times a BLITZ clean. Its Amazon.ca listing calls it the "#1 Selling washing machine cleaner in Canada" (Nielsen, 2025). Full comparison: BLITZ vs Affresh.
3. ACTIVE Washing Machine Cleaner
What's in it: "proprietary ingredients", sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium silicate and zeolite, per its Amazon.ca listing. Unscented.
How to use it: like BLITZ, one tablet in the empty drum every two weeks, hot water, largest load or Clean Washer.
Price: on Amazon.ca, 24 for $28.95 ($1.21) or 48 for $49.95 ($1.04). Its own store lists 24 for US$26.95, its terms say "All payments shall be in US dollars," and the site has no French version. More in BLITZ vs ACTIVE.
4. Tide Washing Machine Cleaner
What's in it: a powder led by sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate and an oxygen bleach (sodium carbonate peroxide), plus TAED, surfactants, fragrance and a pigment, per its Amazon.ca listing.
How to use it: "Pour in and run the machine on hot", then "Repeat monthly."
Price: 3 pouches for $8.97 regular at Walmart.ca and Amazon.ca: $2.99 a clean (a temporary $7.97 on October 20).
5. OxiClean Washing Machine Cleaner with Odor Blasters
What's in it: sodium carbonate, an oxygen bleach (sodium carbonate peroxide), a surfactant, fragrances, salt, a pigment and a dispersant, per Church & Dwight's disclosure.
How to use it: one pouch in the empty drum, Clean Washer or a hot cycle, then wipe the drum, door and gaskets. "Once a month", or "once per week for three consecutive weeks" for an odour or buildup.
Price: we found it only from third-party sellers: 8 pouches for $39.99 on Amazon.ca ($5.00 a clean).
6. Liquid chlorine bleach
Great Value Concentrated Liquid Bleach is $4.27 for 3.6 L at Walmart.ca. Whirlpool's Clean Washer takes "1 cup (236 mL)" and warns that more "could cause washer damage over time." It isn't made for detergent residue or mineral scale.
Careful: one product per cycle. Health Canada warns never to mix bleach with other cleaning products: with an acid such as vinegar or a descaler, the gases can be deadly.
7. White vinegar
Allen's white vinegar is $4.49 for 4 L at Canadian Tire. Whirlpool, Maytag and Bosch advise against it in the drum, and it isn't made for detergent residue. The full answer: washing machine cleaner vs vinegar.
8. Lysol laundry additive
Sold in Canada under a new name (2.7 L for $14.99 on Amazon.ca). Lysol Canada presents it for "most washable fabrics", with "0% Bleach", as "a pre-soak step in your laundry routine." It gives no directions for cleaning the washer, so it isn't a washer cleaner.
Cost per clean and per year
- Among cleaners made for washers, BLITZ costs the least per year: $24.95 for 24 cleans, twice as many as the monthly brands (Tide $35.88, Affresh $38.99 to $47.96).
- One BLITZ box ships for $7.95 (free from $40): $32.90 for the year, still under Tide or Affresh.
- Bleach and vinegar aren't washer cleaners: Whirlpool, Maytag and Bosch advise against vinegar in the drum, and neither is made for detergent residue.
Not sure you need one? Read are washing machine cleaner tablets worth it.
BLITZ in your washer brand
One tablet in the empty drum every two weeks, whatever the brand. The cycle to pick:
- LG: Tub Clean, which LG Canada recommends monthly. Steps: how to clean an LG washer.
- Samsung: a separate hot cycle, since Self Clean takes liquid chlorine bleach only. See how to clean a Samsung washer.
- Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid: Clean Washer or the hottest cycle.
- GE: Basket Clean, which takes "a washing machine cleaner."
- Bosch: the hottest cycle. Bosch says "we do not recommend using vinegar."
- Top loaders, any brand: the hottest cycle at the largest load size.
Why BLITZ is our pick
- A Québec company, in Canadian dollars. BLITZ is based in Laval, with a full French store and service in French and English.
- One unscented tablet in front-load, top-load and HE washers. It breaks down detergent residue, grime and mineral deposits in one cycle. Septic-safe, like every BLITZ product.
- A year in one box: 24 cleans at one every two weeks.
- Free shipping in Canada from $40, most orders in 2 to 3 business days, 10% back in store credit and a 30-day money-back guarantee (refund policy).
- $1.04 a clean, about a third of Affresh.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best washing machine cleaner in Canada?
BLITZ: one unscented tablet every two weeks, a year for $24.95, from a Québec company that sells in Canadian dollars with service in French and English.
Which cycle do I use with a washer cleaner tablet?
Tub Clean on an LG, Clean Washer on a Whirlpool, Maytag or KitchenAid, Basket Clean on a GE, and the hottest cycle on other brands. On a Samsung, run BLITZ in a separate hot cycle, since Self Clean takes bleach only.
Can I use BLITZ in an LG washer?
Yes: one tablet in the empty drum, then Tub Clean. BLITZ is a citric acid tablet with no chlorine or bleach, made for front-load, top-load and HE washers.
Is Affresh better than Tide washing machine cleaner?
Both are scented, oxygen-based and monthly. Tide costs less per clean ($2.99 vs $3.25 to $4.00); Affresh is a tablet rather than a pouch. BLITZ is $1.04 a clean, unscented, every two weeks.
Can Lysol laundry additive clean my washing machine?
Lysol Canada presents it as a laundry pre-soak for "most washable fabrics" and gives no washer-cleaning directions. Use a cleaner made for the machine.
Sources: goblitzclean.com product page; affresh ingredients and directions; useactive.com; Church & Dwight; OxiClean; Lysol Canada; LG Canada; Samsung owner's manuals; Whirlpool; Maytag; GE Appliances; Bosch; Health Canada; Amazon.ca, Walmart.ca and Canadian Tire listings. Checked October 20, 2026. Prices move.
Affresh, ACTIVE, Tide, OxiClean, Odor Blasters, Lysol, Great Value, Allen's, Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung and Bosch are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with any of them.
A YEAR OF CLEANS IN ONE BOX
BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner & Descaler
One unscented tablet, one hot cycle, for front-load, top-load and HE washers. 24 tablets for $24.95, $1.04 a clean.
Free shipping in Canada from $40, 10% back in store credit and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
