HeySunday vs. Affresh: Which Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets Should You Use?
If you've ever pulled a load of "clean" towels out of the washer and caught that sour, wet-basement smell, I see you. I've been there in my own laundry room, and I've smelled it in a lot of my clients' homes.
The first time it really got me was the week my son had soccer. I washed his uniform twice and it still smelled like a locker room. I finally pulled back the rubber gasket on my front-loader and found a gray, slimy ring of gunk I'd never once thought to look for. The clothes weren't the problem. My washer was.
That's normal, and it's fixable. Every load leaves a little detergent, fabric softener, minerals, and grime behind in places you can't see: the drum, the rubber door gasket, the dispenser, and the hoses. Researchers have measured it. A 2025 study in Frontiers in Microbiology found the highest bacterial counts in front-loaders at the door seal and the detergent drawer's water spray port, and noted that odors thrive in the "damp, soil-laden environment of household washing machines" (Whitehead et al., 2025).
A monthly washing machine cleaner tablet is the easiest habit to fix it. Affresh, made by Whirlpool, is the brand most of us grew up seeing next to the washer. HeySunday makes a newer tablet, eco-friendly and biodegradable, with a different formula and price. I've used both in my own home and in clients' homes, and here's what I tell other moms when they ask me which to buy.
At a glance: HeySunday vs. Affresh
What is HeySunday Washing Machine Cleaner?
HeySunday makes laundry and kitchen cleaning products, including laundry detergent sheets. Its Washing Machine Cleaner is a tablet that breaks down the detergent residue, hard-water limescale, and odor-causing buildup that collect inside a washer.
The formula has nine ingredients, all clearly listed on the label. One thing I really appreciate about Hey Sunday is their complete transparency regarding product ingredients, and if you have any questions or want to learn more, their team is always happy to help clarify things.
What I like as a cleaner: I can read the whole label in about ten seconds and know what's going into the machine my family's clothes come out of: sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, citric acid, protease, sodium percarbonate, C12-16 alkyl glucoside, sodium silicate, sodium polyacrylate, and a colorant. There's no added fragrance. Each box holds 24 tablets.
What is Affresh?
Affresh is Whirlpool Corporation's appliance-care brand. Its published ingredient disclosure lists sodium percarbonate, sodium carbonate, glucono-delta-lactone, polyethylene glycol, sodium acetate, and fragrance.
HeySunday vs. Affresh: How they clean
The core chemistry
You're not choosing between a "harsh" product and a "mild" one. You're choosing between two versions of the same approach.
Here's the thing most moms don't realize until they read the labels side by side: these two tablets are built on the same two workhorses.
- Sodium percarbonate releases oxygen in hot water. It's the "oxygen bleach" behind most washer cleaners, and it lifts organic residue and freshens.
- Sodium carbonate (washing soda) softens water and helps break down greasy, soapy buildup.
What I look for in a cleaner: something oxygen-based rather than chlorine-based. Chlorine bleach does clean, but the door gaskets. An oxygen-type cleaner (sodium percarbonate is the usual active ingredient) lifts the grey detergent scum and mildew without chewing on rubber.
Marcos De Andrade
Founder & Owner, Green Planet Cleaning Services
Where the formulas differ?
HeySunday adds three things Affresh's doesn't list:
-
Citric acid, which targets mineral scale (limescale) from hard water.
Protease, an enzyme that breaks down protein-based residue such as body soil and sweat. Think sports uniforms, gym clothes, and baby spit-up. - C12-16 alkyl glucoside, a surfactant that helps loosen and rinse away residue.
Affresh adds fragrance and uses a time-release tablet designed to keep working through the whole cycle. Affresh notes that any scent is "a byproduct of the ingredients."
I'm the mom who doesn't want my towels to smell like anything other than clean. After an Affresh cycle, I noticed a faint scent on the next load, whereas with Hey Sunday, I didn't smell anything at all. Your nose may disagree with mine, and that's totally fine, but I believe the unscented option is the best choice here for a washing machine cleaner. Laundry detergents already carry fragrances, and avoiding a mix of competing scents helps reduce the chances of irritation or allergies.
I avoid anything heavily fragranced. Perfume in a machine cleaner is there to cover the smell, not remove the cause, and it leaves its own film. Short ingredient list, no chlorine, no fragrance, dissolves fully in warm water.
Marcos De Andrade
Founder & Owner at Green Planet Cleaning Services
My side-by-side test
What I can tell you is what I saw in my own machines. I run a cleaning company, and I'm a mom, so I have a rule: I don't recommend anything to a client that I haven't used in my own laundry room first. So I tested both tablets at home, in the washer my own family's clothes come out of every day.
How I tested
One machine, one routine. I used my own front-load washer for both, so the only thing that changed was the tablet.
Each brand on its own schedule. I used HeySunday the way HeySunday says to, one tablet twice a month, for a month. The following month I switched to Affresh on its schedule, one tablet once a month.
Same cycle every time. Empty drum, one tablet, the Clean Washer cycle.
Same wipe-down after every cycle. I pulled back the gasket, wiped the folds, and cleaned the detergent drawer.
Before-and-after checks. A smell check right after each cycle and again a week later. A load of towels after each one.
My takeaway
When it came to the cleaning itself, both tablets did the job in my washer. Where HeySunday won me over was everything around the clean. It's one tablet twice a month from a single box that lasts the whole year, at about a dollar a cleaning. There's no added fragrance, and the label lists every ingredient, so I know exactly what's going into the machine my family's clothes come out of.
HeySunday's instructions include wiping the gasket as a step, not an afterthought. Whatever tablet you use, here's the routine I do in my house:
- Run the tablet cycle with the washer empty.
- Pull back the gasket folds and wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth. For black mildew spots, use a little diluted cleaner and a soft brush.
- Pull out and wipe the detergent drawer, including the little spray holes above it.
- Wipe the door glass.
- Leave the door or lid open between loads so the drum dries out.
For the full deep-clean, including the filter and the drain pump, see our step-by-step guide on how to clean your washing machine.
The mistake that actually ruins machines is too much detergent, especially in cold water. Modern machines use very little water, so the excess doesn't rinse; it coats the drum, the hoses and the sensors, and it feeds the mildew that makes the whole thing smell. Then the owner adds more detergent to fight the smell. So a cleaner has to do two things: dissolve that greasy detergent residue, not just bleach it white, and rinse away clean. If a product leaves the drum smelling like anything at all, it didn't finish the job.
Marcos De Andrade
Founder & Owner at Green Planet Cleaning Services
Real laundry rooms: which tablet I'd pick for each family
These are the situations I run into most with other moms and clients.
Case 1: The front-loader that smells like a wet towel
The home: A family of five with a front-load washer, lots of towels, and the door always shut to keep the toddler out.
The problem: Musty smell on towels, gray film in the gasket.
What I did: Wiped the gasket clean first, ran a cleaner tablet on the hot cycle, and taught them to prop the door open.
My pick: Either works; the gasket wipe did the heavy lifting. For a family that needs to do this every month, I'd lean HeySunday for the cost per cleaning. Also worth reading: why you shouldn't wash towels with clothes, because heavy towel loads leave more lint and residue behind.
Case 2: The hard-water top-loader
The home: A mom with a top-loader and white, chalky crust around the agitator.
The problem: Mineral scale plus detergent buildup.
My pick: HeySunday, because citric acid in the formula targets limescale and Affresh's doesn't list an acid. If she already trusted Affresh, I'd tell her to keep it and add a hot rinse cycle with a cup of white vinegar every few months, never mixed in the same cycle as the tablet.
Case 3: The sports-uniform household that washes everything cold
The home: Two kids in sports, practice four nights a week, everything washed in cold to save energy.
The problem: Sweat and body soil build up faster when you mostly wash cold. The Bonn researchers noted that modern machines running "well below 60°C (140°F)" create hygiene trade-offs.
My pick: HeySunday, for the protease enzyme aimed at protein-based soil, plus a monthly hot cleaning cycle. Keep washing cold for everyday loads; our guides on cold water laundry and hot vs. cold water explain when to switch.
My maintenance hack is boring and it works: leave the door and the detergent drawer open between loads, and once a week wipe the inside of the door gasket with a dry microfiber cloth, folding it back so you reach the inner lip where the water sits. That thirty seconds prevents most of what a cleaner tablet later has to fix. Once a month, on most front-loaders, pull the drain pump filter at the bottom front of the machine and empty it. People are shocked by what's in there.
Marcos De Andrade
Founder & Owner at Green Planet Cleaning Services
HeySunday vs. Affresh: How to use each one
HeySunday
- Empty the washer.
- Place one tablet directly in the drum.
- Run a hot cycle, or your washer's "Clean Washer" / "Tub Clean" cycle.
- Wipe down the gasket afterward.
- Repeat twice a month. One 24-tablet box lasts a full year.
Affresh
- Empty the washer.
- Place one tablet in the drum, not in the dispenser.
- Choose "Clean Washer," or a Normal/Heavy cycle on hot. Hot water matters for dissolving.
- Wipe out any residue with a microfiber cloth. Some tablet bits left at the bottom are normal.
- For strong odors, repeat. Affresh says heavily soiled machines may need up to three cycles in a row.
- Repeat once a month or every 30 cycles.
Mom tip: I put the cleaning on the calendar twice a month, the first and third Sunday, right after the sheets load. If it's on the calendar, it happens.
The mistake I watch people make most is overdosing detergent. Extra soap leaves a film that feeds the smell, and it collects in the folds at the bottom of the door seal. Cold, short cycles make it worse because the residue never fully rinses out. Front loaders show it first, usually as a gray slime in that fold.
Carolyn Vasquez
Founder, Ready Rental Cleaning
HeySunday vs. Affresh: Cost
HeySunday costs less per cleaning.
- HeySunday: $23.95 for 24 tablets = about $1.00 per cleaning. Buying 3 boxes at 30% off brings that to about $0.70.
- Affresh: $11.29 for 5 tablets at Target = about $2.26 per cleaning. Bob Vila put Affresh at $2–3 per tablet depending on pack size and retailer.
On each brand's own schedule, a year of HeySunday (24 cleanings, twice a month) costs $23.95, and a year of Affresh (12 cleanings, once a month) costs about $27 at Target's price. You get twice the cleanings for less. HeySunday ships free on every order.
Affresh's advantage is convenience: it's stocked at most grocery, big-box, and appliance stores, so you can buy it the same day.
With kids, a few dollars a year isn't going to change my life. But one box of HeySunday lasting a full year means one less thing on my shopping list, and that does.
Compact products can free up cupboard space and make supplies easier to carry or put away. Pre-measured products may also remove a step when you are rushing. But convenience does not tell you whether a product suits your washing machine, laundry, or the surface you are cleaning. Check the directions, cost per use and ingredients.
Joshan Anwar
Contracts Manager at LZH Cleaning Group
HeySunday vs. Affresh: Packaging
- HeySunday ships in a flat, recyclable cardboard box, with no plastic jug or tub.
- Affresh packaging varies by pack size and retailer; check the pack and your local recycling rules.
More ways to cut waste in the laundry room: 10 easy eco-friendly laundry tips.
So which should you choose?
Why I'd suggest trying HeySunday
What HeySunday gives a busy mom is the same monthly routine at under half the cost per cleaning, with no added fragrance, a label that lists all nine ingredients, and a box that outlasts a 5- or 6-pack by a lot.
If that sounds right for your laundry room, try HeySunday Washing Machine Cleaner with free shipping.
Frequently asked questions
Is Affresh better than HeySunday washing machine cleaner?
It depends on what matters to you. HeySunday costs about $1.00 per cleaning versus about $2.26 for Affresh, comes 24 tablets to a box, has no added fragrance, and adds citric acid for limescale plus a protease enzyme. Both use sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate as their main cleaning ingredients.
What are the ingredients in Affresh washing machine cleaner?
Affresh's ingredient disclosure lists sodium percarbonate (oxidizer), sodium carbonate (builder), glucono-delta-lactone, polyethylene glycol, and sodium acetate (processing aids), and fragrance.
What are the ingredients in HeySunday washing machine cleaner?
HeySunday is fully transparent with it's ingredients. Hey Sunday Washing Machine Cleaner contains nine ingredients: sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, citric acid, protease, sodium percarbonate, C12-16 alkyl glucoside, sodium silicate, sodium polyacrylate, and a colorant. It has no added fragrance.
Does washing machine cleaner contain bleach?
Most tablet cleaners, including both Affresh and HeySunday, contain sodium percarbonate, an oxygen-based bleach that releases oxygen in hot water. Neither contains chlorine bleach.
How often should you use a washing machine cleaner tablet?
Affresh recommends once a month or every 30 cycles. HeySunday recommends one tablet twice a month, so a 24-tablet box lasts a full year. Clean more often if you mostly wash in cold water, use liquid fabric softener, have hard water, or notice a musty smell.
Do washing machine cleaner tablets clean the rubber door gasket?
Not completely. Tablets clean what the water reaches, and gasket folds often need wiping by hand. After the cleaning cycle, pull back the gasket and wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth.
Can you use washing machine cleaner in an HE washer?
Yes. Both Affresh and HeySunday are made for high-efficiency (HE), front-load, and top-load washers. Put the tablet directly in the empty drum, not in the detergent dispenser
How much does Affresh cost per tablet compared to HeySunday?
As of 2026, Affresh costs about $2.26 per tablet ($11.29 for 5 at Target). HeySunday costs about $1.00 per tablet ($23.95 for 24), or about $0.70 when you buy three boxes.
Sources
- Whitehead K., Eppinger J., Srinivasan V., Ugalde J.A., "Microbial cross contamination in household laundering and microbial ecology of household washing machines," Frontiers in Microbiology, 2025 — frontiersin.org
- University of Bonn, "Antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread by washing machine," September 30, 2019 — uni-bonn.de;
- Study: Schmithausen et al., Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2019 — journals.asm.org
Author: Hey Sunday Editorial Team
Cleaning Expert Contributors:
Joshan Anwar, Contracts Manager at LZH Cleaning Group
Carolyn Vasquez, Founder, Ready Rental Cleaning
Marcos De Andrade, Founder & Owner at Green Planet Cleaning Services
