Best Washing Machine Cleaner in Australia 2026: 9 Picks Compared, Tablets, Powder and Liquid

A washing machine cleaner is a tablet, powder or liquid you run through an empty machine to shift the residue, grime and smell that detergent leaves behind. It is not laundry detergent, which has its own guide. We compared nine cleaners from eight brands on Amazon Australia, using each listing's own words for what it does, which machines it suits and how it is dosed, plus the star rating and count each listing showed when we checked.

Best overall: Affresh Washer Machine Cleaner, 6 Tablets

Best washing machine cleaner overall: the Affresh Washer Machine Cleaner 6 tablet box, because it is by far the most rated cleaner we found and the listing names front, top and HE machines.

The listing is short: suitable for front, top and HE machines, a 105 wash capacity, a pleasant fresh aroma and a stylish and clean design, with Whirlpool named as the manufacturer. Its directions say to place one tablet in the empty washer tub, not the dispenser, and run a clean washer cycle or a normal cycle on the hot water setting, and the description says to use it monthly or every 30 cycles. It holds 4.7 stars from 287,744 ratings, a count Amazon pools across the Affresh tablet family and still the largest here by far.

It suits anyone who wants a drop in tablet for whichever machine they own. The honest catch: it is six tablets, a small box next to the 24 and 30 tablet packs here, and the bullets are thin.

Best bulk pack of the same tablets: Affresh 5 Month Supply

Best bulk pack of the same tablets: the Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner 5 Month Supply, because the listing says its time release tablets clean deep inside the pump, tub, drum, agitator, filter and hose of top and front load washers.

This listing carries the full Affresh description: the tablets help remove odour causing residues and grime, work with HE machines, and Affresh is recommended by the Whirlpool, Maytag and Amana brands, all owned with Affresh by Whirlpool Corporation. Sold as a five month supply, it shares the 4.7 star, 287,744 rating count with the six tablet box.

It suits a reader who wants the Affresh tablets in a time release pack, with the agitator named for top loaders. The honest catch: the two Affresh listings share one pooled rating count, so the 287,744 is not a separate vote for this pack, and its specification lists five tablets, one fewer than the six tablet box above.

Best powder cleaner: Tide Cleaner, 5 Pack

Best powder cleaner: the Tide Washing Machine Cleaner five pack, because the listing gives five powder packets for front and top loaders, enough for five months, that it says activate faster than tablets.

The listing says the packets activate 20 per cent faster than tablets, lift away odour causing residues and deposits with the cleaning power of Oxi plus TAED, work even in hard water and leave a milder, fresh clean scent. It holds 4.6 stars from 20,627 ratings.

It suits a reader who wants a second brand to Affresh, or who has hard water. The honest catch: five powder sachets rather than tablets, and the box sits at the top of the price range here.

Best value liquid cleaner: Pine O Cleen Lemon and Lime Twin

Best value liquid cleaner: the Pine O Cleen Lemon and Lime Washing Machine Cleaner Twin, because it is a twin pack of 250 mL bottles that the listing says removes 99.9 per cent of bacteria and helps remove limescale.

The listing is brief: removes 99.9 per cent of bacteria, prevents bad odours, helps remove limescale and hidden dirt and provides lasting freshness, in a lemon and lime scent, with Reckitt Benckiser named as the manufacturer. It holds 4.9 stars, but from only 24 ratings so far.

It suits a reader who wants a liquid at the low end of the price range here. The honest catch: 24 ratings is a thin count, and the listing gives no dose or machine type.

Best for hair and limescale build up: Vamoosh 175 g Twin Pack

Best for hair and limescale build up: the Vamoosh Washing Machine Cleaner 175 g pack of two, because the listing says its 6 in 1 formula dissolves human and pet hair while descaling the heating element.

The listing says it deep cleans while dissolving hair, removes 99.9 per cent of bacteria, descales heating elements and rinses away detergent build up. The dose is spelt out: every one to two months, a full sachet in the dispenser drawer, on your hottest, longest cycle at 85 to 95 degrees Celsius. It holds 4.3 stars from 5,005 ratings.

It suits households with long hair, pets or hard water. The honest catch: it needs that hottest cycle at 85 to 95 degrees Celsius, and its 4.3 score sits below every tablet here.

Best tablets for pet households: True Fresh Enzyme Pet Hair Dissolver

Best tablets for pet households: the True Fresh Deep Clean Washing Machine Cleaner Enzyme Pet Hair Dissolver, because the listing says its triple enzyme formula powers through pet hair, dander and organic build up, with 24 unscented tablets.

The listing describes oxygen based cleaning that reaches the drum, gasket, agitator and drain lines, a descaling action for hard water limescale and no scent, for HE, front load and top load machines. The dose: two tablets in the empty drum on the hottest cycle, 24 tablets for 12 months. It holds 4.5 stars from 27,679 ratings, pooled across the True Fresh tablet family.

It suits homes with dogs or cats. The honest catch: it is unscented and enzyme based, so a reader who wants a fragrance or an antibacterial claim should look at KNAUS or Pine O Cleen.

Best bulk tablet pack: NATRUTH 30 Pack Tablets

Best bulk tablet pack: the NATRUTH 30 Pack Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets, because the box holds thirty 15 g tablets for drum type, top loading and portable machines, the biggest tablet count on this page.

The listing says the tablets remove stubborn dirt, oil stains and soap residue from the tub and clear the odours found in dirty washer tubs: one tablet in the tub, add water, run the regular wash cycle, whatever the brand of machine. It holds 4.4 stars from 3,710 ratings.

It suits a reader who wants a long supply of a simple drop in tablet. The honest catch: the listing makes no limescale or bacteria claim, so treat it as an everyday tablet rather than a descaler.

Best for mould and grime in front loaders: KNAUS 300 g Antibacterial Cleaner

Best for mould and grime in front loaders: the KNAUS Washing Machine Cleaner 300 g, because the listing describes an antibacterial appliance cleaner that deep cleans to remove mould and grime, suits all types and brands of washing machine, and gives three measured doses per bottle.

The listing calls it a high performance antibacterial appliance cleaner that deodorises the machine, removes household grime and residual smell, leaves a fresh eucalyptus forest fragrance and suits all types and brands of washing machine, with the three dose levels marked on the side of the bottle. It holds 4.4 stars from 230 ratings.

It suits an owner whose complaint is mould, grime and smell in a machine of any type, since the listing says it suits all types and brands. The honest catch: three doses a bottle means you rebuy after three cleans, and 230 ratings is a modest count.

Best for door seals and dispenser drawers: GLASSGUARD Drum and Seal Tablets, 24 Pack

Best for door seals and dispenser drawers: the GLASSGUARD Deep Drum and Seal Cleaning Tablets 24 Pack, because the listing says each tablet lifts detergent residue, softener build up and mineral deposits from the drum, door seal, dispenser drawer and internal pipes.

The listing says regular use helps eliminate musty smells and inhibit mould, mildew and bacteria growth, that the tablets work with front loaders, top loaders, HE and standard machines, and that the method is drop and go: one pre measured tablet in an empty drum on a hot wash. It holds 4.4 stars from 84 ratings.

It suits a front loader owner whose door seal and drawer are the problem; it is the one listing here that names both. The honest catch: 84 ratings is far fewer than the long running brands here, so the score may move.

How to choose a cleaner for your machine

Tablet, powder or liquid

Five picks are tablets: both Affresh boxes, True Fresh, NATRUTH and GLASSGUARD, dropped into the empty drum or tub. Tide is a powder packet its listing says activates faster than tablets, Vamoosh a sachet for the dispenser drawer. Pine O Cleen is two 250 mL bottles with no dose given, and KNAUS is a 300 g bottle with three dose levels marked on its side.

Front loader or top loader

Every listing but Pine O Cleen and Vamoosh names the machines it suits; the table below lists them. Top loader owners can look for the word agitator, which the Affresh five month supply and True Fresh listings use; front loader owners for door seal and dispenser drawer, which GLASSGUARD names. Still choosing the machine, or asking which washing machine to buy? Our washing machine guide compares front loaders, top loaders and budget picks.

Match the pick to the problem

Every listing here claims to deal with smell; beyond that the claims split. Hair: Vamoosh and True Fresh. Limescale and hard water: Vamoosh, True Fresh, Pine O Cleen, GLASSGUARD (mineral deposits) and Tide (works even in hard water). Mould: KNAUS removes mould and grime, GLASSGUARD inhibits mould, mildew and bacteria growth. Bacteria: Pine O Cleen and Vamoosh claim 99.9 per cent removal, KNAUS is sold as antibacterial. Scent: True Fresh is the pick whose listing says unscented; NATRUTH and GLASSGUARD say nothing about scent. We repeat these claims as each listing words them and do not rank them.

How often and how, as the listings state it

None of this is our advice; it is what each listing prints. Affresh: one tablet in the empty tub, not the dispenser, on a clean washer cycle or a normal cycle on the hot water setting, monthly or every 30 cycles. Vamoosh: the full sachet in the dispenser drawer on the hottest, longest cycle, every one to two months. True Fresh: two tablets in the empty drum on the hottest cycle, two a month. Tide: five packets for five months. GLASSGUARD: one tablet in an empty drum on a hot wash. NATRUTH: one tablet in the tub with water on the regular cycle. KNAUS marks three dose levels on the bottle, and the Pine O Cleen listing gives no directions. For the other cleaning products a home keeps, our cleaning products list covers what is worth buying.

The nine cleaners compared

Frequently asked questions

What is the best washing machine cleaner in Australia?

The Affresh Washer Machine Cleaner six tablet box is our top pick: the listing names front, top and HE machines and a pleasant fresh aroma, and it holds 4.7 stars from 287,744 ratings, more than any other cleaner here. The Tide powder five pack is the second brand choice.

What is the best washing machine cleaner for a front loader?

Most tablets here name front loaders, and the Affresh tablets are our overall pick for front, top and HE machines. If the door seal and dispenser drawer are the problem, the GLASSGUARD tablets name both, and the KNAUS cleaner is the pick for mould and grime.

What is the best cleaner for a top loader washing machine?

The Affresh tablets name top load washers, and the five month supply listing says they clean the agitator, tub, pump and hose. The Tide packets are made for front and top loaders, True Fresh names top load and the agitator, and NATRUTH names top loading and small portable machines.

How do you get rid of mould in a washing machine drum?

Two picks name mould. The KNAUS cleaner is sold as an antibacterial cleaner that deep cleans to remove mould and grime, with three measured doses a bottle. The GLASSGUARD tablets say regular use helps eliminate musty smells and inhibit mould, mildew and bacteria growth. Neither listing promises a one go fix.

Which washing machine cleaner is better, Affresh or Uproot?

Uproot is not one of the nine cleaners here, so we cannot compare it. Affresh is our top pick because its tablets hold 4.7 stars from 287,744 ratings and its listing names front, top and HE machines. If pet hair is the reason, the True Fresh tablets and Vamoosh sachets both name hair.

Can I use vinegar and bicarb to clean my washing machine instead?

No listing on this page mentions vinegar or bicarb, so we cannot compare them, and we do not give our own cleaning method. What the listings give is a dose made for the job: two True Fresh tablets in the empty drum, or a Vamoosh sachet on the hottest cycle.

Is there a Bosch, Omo or Sard washing machine cleaner on this list?

No. The Bosch branded cleaner showed only five ratings when we checked, so it did not make the page, and no Omo or Sard machine cleaner surfaced in our Amazon Australia searches. The brands that did make it are Affresh, Tide, Vamoosh, True Fresh, NATRUTH, KNAUS, GLASSGUARD and Pine O Cleen.

How often should you use a washing machine cleaner?

Only as each listing states it. Affresh says monthly or every 30 cycles. Vamoosh says every one to two months. True Fresh says two tablets a month, 24 to a box. Tide sells five packets as five months of cleaning. NATRUTH, KNAUS, GLASSGUARD and Pine O Cleen give no schedule.

Which washing machine cleaner is best for pet hair?

The True Fresh Enzyme Pet Hair Dissolver is the tablet made for it: the listing describes a triple enzyme formula for pet hair, dander and organic build up, unscented, 24 tablets a box. The Vamoosh sachets also say they dissolve human and pet hair and act as a descaler.