Dishwasher Cleaner Tablets vs Liquid: Cost, Steps and Which to Pick
For regular cleaning, tablets win: one goes in the detergent compartment, you run a normal cycle, and a box of 24 BLITZ tablets costs $23.95, about $1.00 a clean. Liquid bottles such as Finish and Glisten work too, but each bottle is one clean ($4.75 to $6.77 in Canada on October 20, 2026) and needs the hottest cycle. We pick BLITZ: one tablet, a normal cycle, and a year of cleans in one box.
Which should you pick?
We pick BLITZ tablets: one tablet, a normal cycle, 24 cleans in one box, and the lowest cost per clean of every cleaner compared here.
Prefer Amazon? BLITZ is on Amazon.ca too, without the 10% store credit.
Shop BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner, $23.95
In this guide
How liquid and tablet dishwasher cleaners work
Both formats target the grease and limescale on the walls, racks and spray arms. The difference is how the dose gets released, which changes the steps, the cycle and the cost.
Liquid bottles: one bottle, one clean
A sealed bottle goes upside down in the empty dishwasher, and the cleaner comes out once the water is hot enough:
- Finish Dishwasher Cleaner (250 mL): peel the sticker, keep the cap on, bottle upside down in the bottom rack, then "a high temperature cycle of at least 60°C," no detergent, about once a month (Finish Canada).
- Glisten Dishwasher Magic (354 mL): keep the wax plug in, bottle upside down in the silverware basket, hottest cycle, "Do not use eco or quick cycles." The label adds: "Water must be as hot as possible to melt wax plug," and a second bottle may be needed for heavy buildup.
Affresh doesn't sell a liquid dishwasher cleaner in Canada: at the retailers we checked, it's tablets only.
Tablets and pouches: one per clean
Most tablets go in the detergent compartment, which opens during the main wash:
- BLITZ: one tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher, a normal cycle, every two weeks.
- Affresh: in the detergent dispenser if the dishwasher is empty, or on the tub floor with a load and your usual detergent, monthly (Whirlpool).
- Lemi Shine: a powder pouch poured on the bottom of the empty dishwasher, monthly.
- Finish In-Wash: a wrapped tablet on the tub floor that runs with dishes and detergent. Finish Canada says weekly; its Amazon.ca listing says monthly.
Don't confuse cleaner tablets with detergent pods. Detergent washes the dishes; a cleaner tablet cleans the machine. Neither replaces the other.
Which is easier? The steps side by side
Both run in an empty dishwasher with no detergent, and both start with a clean filter. After that, the tablet has fewer steps and no bottle to place or throw out.
- Clear the filter (5 to 10 minutes, both formats). Finish asks for it before its bottle, and BLITZ before its tablet: a cleaner can't flush out food stuck in the mesh. Our dishwasher smell guide shows how, brand by brand.
- Load the cleaner (about 1 minute). Bottle: peel the sticker, wedge it upside down so it can't tip. Tablet: drop it in the detergent compartment and close the lid.
- Pick the cycle. Bottle: the hottest cycle (60°C or more for Finish, no eco or quick for Glisten). Tablet: the normal cycle for BLITZ.
- Finish up. Bottle: take it out and recycle it. Tablet: nothing to remove. Open the door so the tub air-dries.
Careful: Never combine cleaners or add detergent to a cleaning cycle. Finish says not to add "any other detergent or cleaning agent," and the Glisten label says never to mix it with chlorine bleach or any other product, because harmful fumes may result.
Cost per clean in Canada (October 20, 2026)
Tablets cost less per clean than liquids, and BLITZ costs the least of the cleaners we compared: $23.95 for 24 tablets is about $1.00 a clean. A liquid bottle is one clean, so its price is the price per clean: $4.75 at best that day.
| Cleaner and format | Regular price | Per clean | A year, at the maker's pace |
|---|---|---|---|
|
BLITZ tablet |
$23.95 for 24, goblitzclean.com | $1.00 | $23.95 (24 cleans, every two weeks) |
|
Affresh tablet |
$19.03 for 6, Amazon.ca; $10.97 for 3, Walmart.ca | $3.17 to $3.66 | $38.06 to $43.88 (monthly) |
|
Lemi Shine powder pouch |
$14.99 for 4, Canadian Tire | $3.75 | $44.97 (monthly) |
|
Finish In-Wash tablet, runs with dishes |
$11.97 for 3, Amazon.ca and Walmart.ca | $3.99 | $47.88 monthly; $207.48 weekly, as Finish Canada advises |
|
Finish Dishwasher Cleaner liquid bottle |
$9.49 for 2, Canadian Tire; $5.99, Amazon.ca; $6.77, Walmart.ca | $4.75 to $6.77 | $56.94 (monthly) |
|
Glisten Dishwasher Magic liquid bottle |
$5.29, Canadian Tire (excluded from free shipping) | $5.29 | $63.48 (monthly) |
| Shop BLITZ |
At the same pace, the gap grows. Clean once a month like the makers suggest and one BLITZ box lasts two years, about $12 a year, against $56.94 for Finish bottles or $63.48 for Glisten. Even with $7.95 shipping on a single box, BLITZ comes to about $1.33 a clean.
We compare regular shelf prices, before tax, sold by the retailer or the brand, so the math holds after a sale ends. Sale prices are not counted. Affresh is also sold at Canadian Tire, at a regular price of $11.99 for 3 on October 20, 2026, or $4.00 a clean. Prices move.
What dishwasher makers say
No major maker asks for a liquid. Those that name a format name a tablet or a pack in the detergent dispenser; the rest say to use any dishwasher cleaner and follow its package.
| Maker | What it says |
|---|---|
| Whirlpool | A cleaner tablet in the detergent dispenser of the empty dishwasher, monthly. Vinegar used too often "could damage your dishwasher." |
| KitchenAid | Clean "approximately every 30 days," with a cleaner tablet. |
| Bosch | Its US page says: one pack of cleaner in the detergent dispenser of the empty dishwasher, then the Machine Care program or the hottest, longest cycle, every 1 to 2 months. |
| GE Appliances | For odours: "Run an empty hot cycle using a commercially available dishwasher cleaner." No brand or format named. |
| Samsung Canada | Lists "a dishwasher cleaning tablet in an empty dishwasher," on the Self Clean or Normal cycle, with the agent added mid-cycle. |
| LG Canada | For odours: "Use dishwasher cleaner or deodorizer." No format named. Warns that "Excessive use of vinegar may cause damage." |
How to choose in four questions
- How often will you clean? Every two weeks or every month: tablets, bought by the box. One BLITZ box covers a year.
- Will you run the hottest cycle every time? Liquids need it (60°C or more for Finish, no eco cycle for Glisten). A BLITZ tablet runs on the normal cycle.
- Do you want to place or remove anything? A bottle gets wedged upside down, then thrown out. A tablet goes in the detergent compartment, and that's it.
- What does one clean cost? Divide the price by the number of cleans, not by the box. That's where tablets pull ahead.
Comparing brands, not formats? Our best dishwasher cleaner in Canada roundup ranks them, and we compare BLITZ head to head with Finish and Glisten Dishwasher Magic.
Why BLITZ tablets
- About $1.00 a clean. 24 tablets for $23.95, about a third of the next-lowest cleaner in our comparison ($3.17 for Affresh) on October 20, 2026.
- A year in one box. One tablet every two weeks lasts 12 months; at the monthly pace makers suggest, two years.
- One tablet, nothing to place. No bottle to wedge upside down, no hottest cycle, nothing to take out after: detergent compartment, normal cycle, done. Light lemon scent, for all household dishwashers, stainless or plastic.
- A Québec company based in Laval, with service in French and English. Free shipping in Canada from $40 ($7.95 below), most orders in 2 to 3 business days, 10% back in store credit and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Also on Amazon.ca.
- Septic-safe, like every BLITZ product, and rated 5.0 out of 5 (15 reviews) on goblitzclean.com.
Frequently asked questions
Are dishwasher cleaner tablets better than liquid?
For regular cleaning, yes: a tablet runs on a normal cycle and costs less per clean ($1.00 for BLITZ vs $4.75 or more for a bottle on October 20, 2026), with nothing to place or remove.
Can you run a dishwasher cleaner tablet with dishes in it?
It depends on the product. BLITZ, Lemi Shine and the liquid bottles go in an empty dishwasher. Affresh can go on the tub floor with a load, and Finish In-Wash is made to run with dishes and detergent.
Is a dishwasher cleaner tablet the same as a detergent pod?
No. A detergent pod washes your dishes; a cleaner tablet cleans the dishwasher itself. Run the cleaner without detergent unless its label says otherwise.
How often should you use a dishwasher cleaner?
Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Finish say about once a month, Bosch every 1 to 2 months. BLITZ suggests every two weeks, so a box of 24 lasts a year. Clean the filter on the same day.
Can I use vinegar instead?
Not as a routine: Whirlpool, KitchenAid and LG warn that using it too often can damage the dishwasher. If it's white film on your glasses you're fighting, start with our white film on dishes guide.
Sources: Finish Canada product pages, the Glisten Dishwasher Magic label (US EPA), Lemi Shine, Whirlpool and KitchenAid product help, Bosch (Canadian and US sites), GE Appliances, Samsung Canada and LG Canada support pages; prices on canadiantire.ca, Amazon.ca (sold by Amazon.ca), Walmart.ca and goblitzclean.com, checked October 20, 2026. Prices change often; check before you buy. Finish, Glisten, Affresh, Lemi Shine, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Bosch, GE, Samsung and LG are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with them.
ONE TABLET, ONE NORMAL CYCLE
BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner & Deodorizer
One tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher breaks down grease, grime and limescale buildup, with a light lemon scent. 24 tablets for $23.95, about $1.00 a clean and a year at one clean every two weeks. Rated 5.0 out of 5 (15 reviews).
Free shipping across Canada on orders of $40 or more, 10% back in store credit, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Cleaning the washer too? The Essentials Kit (24 washer + 24 dishwasher tablets) is $43.95, $4.95 less than buying both.
