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Your washing machine needs cleaning too — here's an easy way to do it

Reviewers love how easy this product is to use.
Woman putting shirt into washing machine
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When it comes to spring cleaning, we often forget that our appliances might also be in need of some freshening up. For instance, when was the last time you gave your washing machine a good deep cleaning? If you can't remember — or the answer is "never" — now is the perfect time to give your washer the attention it deserves.

We noticed that searches for the Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner tablets have recently become a top query on Google Trends, and it looks like reviewers are loving them for a quick and easy way to maintain their washing machines.

Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner

We spoke with cleaning expert and owner of cleaning service Wizard of Homes, Kadi Dulude, to find out if the interest in these washing machine cleaners is worth the hype. Though she hasn't tried these tablets herself, she does think regularly cleaning your machine is very important.

"The first logical thinking might be, 'It's a washer, it washes things and so washes itself too!'" Dulude tells Shop TODAY. "But from experience, we can say that is not the case. If you don't take good care of (it), you'll soon start noticing a funky smell coming from your washer. It can even go so bad that it gets on your freshly laundered clothes. The washer happens to be a perfect environment for germs and bacteria to breed and for mold to grow. You might not even see it and can't physically touch the parts that are getting moldy."

So what's the best way to keep mold and bacteria from growing in your washing machine? Dulude suggests cleaning it on a monthly basis, if possible.

"In most cases, every one-to-three months would be a safe bet," advises Dulude. "Definitely do keep the washer door open and only close it when using the washer. This way, it can dry out between loads."

The Affresh cleaner comes with five tablets that the brand recommends you use once per month. The tablet is made to dissolve slowly so that it can last throughout an entire wash cycle.

The product has become a popular choice among shoppers, with 82 percent of Target users giving it a full five-star rating. Some were surprised by how effective the cleaning tablets are.

"I didn't expect it to work as well as it did, but it left the inner tub looking like new," said one five-star reviewer. "I purchased it in an online order just because I wanted to deep clean my washer and I thought the price was worth that. But it's a big bonus that I get several deep cleanings for the price. This is going on my reorder list."

Even verified Amazon shoppers are loving how effective the small tablets are.

"My washer smelled like mildew even after a deep clean this product took that away!" raved one reviewer. "We’ve never used anything like it so I was intrigued. This made my washer smell fresh and new! I also noticed that my laundry smelled fresher too. I will say my washer needed three cycles and it was perfect after that."