As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Uproot and Affresh are both tablet cleaners meant for an empty washing-machine cycle. They share a similar backbone — sodium percarbonate (an oxygen bleach) and sodium carbonate (washing soda) — but they are positioned differently and are not identical formulas.
The comparison below is drawn from each brand’s published ingredient lists and directions, so you can match a product to your machine and to how often you want to clean it. For the full cleaning routine, including a caution about vinegar in the drum, see how to clean a washing machine.
Quick comparison
| Affresh | Uproot Pro | Uproot Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main cleaners | Sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate | Sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, plus enzymes (protease, lipase, amylase), citric acid, and surfactants | The same Uproot family of oxygen bleach, washing soda, and enzymes; the brand describes Ultra as a stronger formula than Pro |
| Scent | Fragranced, per the brand’s ingredient list | Unscented | Fragranced, per the brand |
| How often, according to the brand | Monthly, or about every 30 cycles | Every two weeks, or when musty odors are present | Every two weeks, or when musty odors are present |
| Where the tablet goes | In the empty drum, not the dispenser | In the empty drum, not the dispenser | In the empty drum, not the dispenser |
| Stated extras | EPA Safer Choice ingredients, septic-safe, time-release tablet; made for washers including HE models | Marketed for pet hair and pet odor; the brand says the tabs help loosen stuck hair but do not fully dissolve it | Same pet-focused positioning; the brand’s product title describes Ultra as 40 percent stronger than Pro |
| Typical pack highlighted here | 6-count box (about six months if you follow a monthly schedule) | 24-count box (about a year if you follow a two-week schedule) | 24-count box on the same two-week schedule |
Those pack lengths are simple arithmetic from each brand’s stated schedule, not a promise about how long a box will last in your house. If you need more than one cycle to clear a dirty machine, you will use tablets faster. Compare price per tablet on the pack in front of you rather than assuming one brand is always cheaper.
Ingredients, in plain language
Affresh’s published list for its washing machine cleaner is built around oxygen bleach and washing soda, plus tablet binders (including polyethylene glycol, glucono-delta-lactone, and sodium acetate) and fragrance. The company says the washer, dishwasher, and disposal tablets use EPA Safer Choice ingredients and are septic-safe when used as directed.
Uproot’s Pro formula also uses sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate. On top of that, the brand lists enzymes (protease, lipase, and alpha-amylase), citric acid, a surfactant, sodium silicate, sodium polyacrylate, and tea polyphenols. The enzymes are the main formula difference that Uproot highlights for soils and odors associated with pets. The brand also says it has kept that enzyme action from being so aggressive that it would harm the machine.
Uproot Pro vs Ultra
Uproot sells more than one washer tablet. Pro is the unscented version whose ingredient list is the one most clearly published for this comparison. Ultra is the fragranced version; Uproot’s own product pages and the Amazon listing for Ultra describe it as a stronger tablet than Pro. If you want no added fragrance, Pro is the straightforward choice. If you want the brand’s stronger, scented option, that is Ultra.
How to use either tablet
The directions are nearly the same. Remove all clothes. Put one tablet in the empty drum — never in the detergent drawer. Run the Clean Washer cycle, or a hot Normal cycle if your machine and the label allow it. Wipe any leftover residue when the cycle ends. On a front-loader, clean in the folds of the door seal as well; Uproot specifically suggests wiping behind that gasket before a heavy-soil cleaning.
Both products are cleaners, not laundry detergent. Do not wash clothes in the same cycle. Keep tablets dry, away from children, and do not mix them with chlorine bleach or other chemicals. If a tablet irritates skin or eyes, follow the first-aid directions on the package.
Which one to choose
Choose Affresh if you want a widely available, monthly cleaner with a published Safer Choice claim and you do not mind a fragrance. It is the tablet many Whirlpool-family manuals mention by name, which can be convenient if you already follow that use-and-care guide.
Choose Uproot Pro if you want an unscented tablet, a formula that includes enzymes, and a brand that writes its directions around pet hair and odor. Plan on a more frequent cleaning cycle if you follow Uproot’s two-week suggestion. Choose Uproot Ultra only if you specifically want that brand’s stronger, fragranced tablet.
A powder packet cleaner such as Tide’s is another widely available option, with its own monthly directions. It is not a tablet-for-tablet match for Affresh or Uproot, so we cover it in the how-to guide rather than as a third column here.
The boxes below are the official Affresh six-count tablets, Uproot Clean Pro, and Uproot Clean Ultra. They are product examples for this comparison.
Switching brands or using both
You do not need to finish one brand before trying another, and you should not stack two tablets in a single cycle. If you switch from a monthly tablet to Uproot’s two-week schedule, start with the new brand’s directions on an empty machine. If you switch the other way, give Affresh the monthly interval it describes rather than doubling up just in case.
Fragrance is a practical split. Affresh and Uproot Ultra are fragranced; Uproot Pro is unscented. If anyone in the house is sensitive to perfume, or you want the washer itself to stay unscented, Pro is the clearer match. A lingering cleaner scent in the drum is not a sign that the tablet failed — it is a reason to wipe residue and run a short empty rinse if your manual allows it.
Storage and handling
Keep the box dry and closed, and do not store loose tablets in a damp laundry room where they can start to dissolve. Keep them away from children and pets. If a tablet crumbles in the package, check the brand’s instructions; do not improvise by pouring powder from a broken tablet into a dispenser. Wash your hands after handling a tablet, and never mix a leftover piece with bleach or another cleaner.
Frequently asked questions
Is Uproot better than Affresh? Affresh is a monthly, fragranced tablet with a published Safer Choice claim. Uproot Pro is unscented, includes enzymes, and is meant to be used more often. Choose from those published differences.
Can I use Affresh or Uproot in an HE washer? Yes. Both brands say their tablets are meant for HE, top-load, and front-load machines. Still follow your washer’s use-and-care guide for the Clean Washer or hot empty cycle.
Do these tablets remove pet hair? Uproot markets its tablets for pet owners and says they help loosen stuck hair but do not fully dissolve it. You should still pull hair from the gasket and lint areas. Affresh talks about residues that can trap pet odors, not about dissolving hair.
Can I use these more often than the label says? Follow the label first. If a washer is badly soiled, both brands describe running more than one empty cycle. Do not drop a tablet into a load of clothes, and do not mix a tablet with bleach.
Are the tablets septic-safe? Affresh states that its tablets are septic-safe when used as directed. Uproot also describes its tablets as septic-safe on its product listings. If you have a septic system, confirm the wording on the package you buy.
Sources
- Affresh washing machine cleaner product page — ingredients and monthly use.
- Affresh, What Is in Affresh Cleaner Tablets — Safer Choice and septic-safe claims, oxygen bleach explanation.
- Uproot Washing Machine Cleaner Pro — ingredients, unscented Pro vs fragranced Ultra, pet-hair notes.
- Uproot washer tab instructions — placement, cycle, and gasket tip.
1 thought on “Uproot vs Affresh: Washing Machine Cleaner Comparison”
Comments are closed.