Dishwashers Also Need Cleaning And These $6 Tablets Will Do It For You

You'll be amazed at how much of a difference they make.

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Have you opened up your dishwasher and noticed that there's an unpleasant odor? Or your dishes and utensils start coming out stained and dull after the wash cycle?

Warner Bros.

This has happened to every dishwasher I've used, and it's always confused me — aren't dishwashers supposed to be self-cleaning?!

One culprit here is food residue that gets stuck in the crevices of the machine over time and starts to smell... well, bad. The other culprit is lime and mineral build-up (usually caused by hard water) that can leave white streaks on your freshly washed dishes.

LG / Via youtube.com

Alas, even dishwashers need to be cleaned sometimes.

Enter these tiny but mighty Affresh dishwasher cleaner tablets. They're actually designed to blast away both food residue and lime deposits and restore your dishwasher to a clean and efficient state. YUSSS.

youtube.com, amazon.com

They're safe to use with both stainless-steel tub and plastic tub dishwashers. The best part is you can use the tablets even when the dishwasher is loaded! Just plop one in the bottom of the machine. You'd only need one tablet unless there's significant build-up, in which case you can use two for a really thorough cleaning. Each box contains six tablets — that's a six-month supply because the recommended usage is once a month to maintain the cleanliness of the dishwasher. For less than a dollar per tablet, that's not too bad of a deal!

You don't have to take my word for it — these lil' tablets have over 1,700 reviews on Amazon with a 4.2/5 rating.

amazon.com, youtube.com

It's no surprise that the internet loves these things — they really, truly work.

amazon.com

"My dishwasher gets a weird odor sometimes so I tried out one of these tablets yesterday, and it worked great! No more stink. And it’s safe to use when washing a load so you don’t use a lot of water and electricity just to freshen up the dishwasher." —Steve B

"The hard water residue I had inside my dishwasher was utterly disgusting. I followed the directions and am amazed that the inside of my dishwasher looks brand-new. Hard water stains and mineral deposits were everywhere but this product got rid of it entirely." —CJ858

"I use this product in my own high-end dishwasher at least once a month to prevent calcification and food build-up. Think of it as an oil change for your dishwasher. Today's HE washers need regular maintenance to keep them operating at their peak. Affresh works just as well as Dishwasher Magic and costs a lot less. Lastly, I use this to maintain tenant dishwashers in a rental property. Highly recommended." —JG (Highflyer)

"Yes, you can clean your dishwasher without utilizing a pre-packaged cleaner. Call me lazy. This was simple to use, smelled good, and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the dishwasher after the recommended cleaning cycle. This product actually did what it advertises that it will do! Great results, fairly economical — and by the way — it works!" —Old Southern Charm

It could potentially save you from having to buy a new dishwasher altogether!

youtube.com

"After using this product, I am happy to report that my $5 investment saved me over $500. I was ready to replace my dishwasher, due to super cloudy glasses, residue, and just not getting clean. Then, I became aware that the water softener no longer was doing its job, so I had the rental company replace it. Dishwasher performance improved somewhat. I decided to do two more loads before deciding to purchase a new one. Then I saw a product test review for Affresh in Good Housekeeping magazine. I was ordering some stuff from Amazon anyway, so I added that to my order. When it came, I tossed one of the tablets into the bottom of the full machine, per instructions, and ran the regular cycle. I did not expect the results I got! The glassware that I thought was permanently etched and ruined came out like new. Same with cutlery. The difference is unbelievable. I will use this faithfully on a monthly basis, as recommended. I am amazed!" —Sheila

"Works extremely well. We haven't done any cleaning on our dishwasher in five years, and the sliding dish trays were tough to pull out or push in, there was detergent build-up all over the inside, and there was a milky film on all our cups. I bought Affresh, ran the dishwasher with two tablets while it was empty, and the difference was astounding. There was still some build-up, and I figured it would require another cycle, so I popped another two tablets in, ran the machine a second time, and now it looks and sounds brand new. No more film on the glasses, no more dirty dishes from clogged sprayers, no more odors, or build up around the door seals." —Martoune

Time to give your hardworking dishwasher the cleaning it deserves!!! Get a pack of six from Amazon for $5.40.

Beko

Reviews here have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Can't get enough of cleaning products? Check these out!

* 25 Cleaning Products With Dramatic Before-And-After Photos

* 21 Incredibly Useful Cleaning Products Under $10

* 30 Cleaning Products That'll Give You Immediate Results

* 27 Amazing Cleaning Products You'll Never Regret Buying

Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!

Allison Krausman / BuzzFeed