5 Best Washing Machine Descalers in India (2025) (that actually works)

Looking to shop for some good-quality washing machine descaling powders or tablets in India? We get it - it’s harder than it seems. Many so-called "descaling powders" are packed with fillers, cheap salts, and harsh chemicals that either don’t clean properly or end up damaging your machine by being too corrosive and eating away the drum’s finish over time. So, how do you find a genuine, effective washing machine descaler that actually works? Thanks to our dimers (users) who are always sharing their expert reviews, we have found the top 5 best washing machine descaling powders, liquids or tablets in India in 2025. This list is based on actual user reviews and personal experience.

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Arguably the best washing machine descaler to remove rust, stains and lime salt from top load or front load washing machines is IFB. Indian Fine Bank (IFB) is an India-based company known for a range of home appliances including washing machines. If you are looking for a safe to use and 100% genuine washing machine descaler, buy IFB descaling powder directly from their official store, suggests our dimer @ nilo09. Further adding that even Panasonic and Samsung technicians recommend the same product. Another user @datatransfer410558 also shares that there are a lot of duplicate descaling products online hence buying IFB washing machine descaling powder from the IFB Store is better.

This is further confirmed by a few more users of ours who have shared that the IFB washing machine descaler powder available on Flipkart is fake and that the IFB descaling powder they brought from Flipkart was literally just salt.

Bottom line: Go shopping for IFB washing machine descaler powder directly from the official store itself.

Buying options: IFB Store, Flipkart, Amazon, JioMart, Zepto, Big Basket

Official Video of IFB Washing Machine Descal Powder

How to use IFB Washing Machine Descal Powder:

For fully automatic washing machines:

• Pour 1 packet of powder into the machine drum and run the longest program, without any clothes, with the temperature between 40–60˚C.

• Once finished, clean and refix the fluff filter.

• Run the rinse program with plain water.

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Bosch, a reputed German manufacturer of home appliances needs no introduction for its quality, does it? If you are in the market in search of an effective, good-quality descaling liquid, this might be it. Dimer @ketan.droidz829 says Bosch descaler is expensive but works better than any other on the market. Speaking of it, the company promises it to be a tested and approved laundry care solution. If you are noticing a lot of white chalky substance deposited on the drum surface, clothes not being cleaned, sour odour from the washing machine, the Bosch descaling liquid can help. Since it contains >25% citric acid (and no harmful chemicals like hydrochloric acid) it won’t damage the stainless steel drum. It’s a mild descaling liquid that dissolves limescale (calcium carbonate deposits) without being too harsh.

Bottom line: Bosch Descaling Liquid is one of the best descalers for moderate limescale removal due to its mild yet effective formula (>25% Citric Acid blend) that is more gentler and causes little to no corrosion. For heavy limescale buildup, we’d not recommend this.

Buying options: Bosch India, Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, JioMart

Official Video of Bosch Top Load & Front Load Descale Liquid

How to use Bosch Washing Machine Descal Liquid:

• Pour the entire sachet of Bosch Liquid Descaler into the detergent drawer or directly into the drum.

• Make sure the drum is empty (no laundry or detergent).

• Do not select Prewash.

• Run the Descaler Cycle

• Select the Descaler / Tub Clean programme (if available).

• If not available, choose the Cotton programme and set the temperature to 40°C or below.

• Allow the entire cleaning cycle to finish.

• Wait for all the water to drain completely before moving to the next step.

• Run a Rinse Cycle

• Add 40ml/gm of liquid or powder detergent to the machine.

• Run the rinse programme again to ensure thorough cleaning and removal of any residue.

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Coming to one of our top 5 best descalers for front load and top load washing machines in India in 2025, Surf Excel is an inevitable name in this space. After digging up a bit, we found that the Surf Excel Descaler Tablets are made from Sulfamic Acid, Sodium Sulfate, and Adipic Acid. Now it’s important for you to understand what these ingredients are so that you don't end up doing more harm than good to your washing machine.

• Sulfamic Acid is stronger than Citric Acid >> thus more effective at removing heavy limescales, moss, mold, strong smell, etc.✔️

• Less corrosive than hydrochloric acid but can still degrade rubber gaskets with frequent use.‼️

• Sodium Sulfate is a filler that prevents excessive foam (good thing)✅

• Adipic Acid is a mild organic acid that helps buffer the descaling process. (good thing too)✅

Bottom line: If you are planning to get this one, we would recommend only using it every 6 months or so for deep cleaning. For regular cleaning, citric-acid based descalers are usually enough. One of our dimer @LordGane recommends buying these Surf Excel descaler tablets from Amazon online.

Buying options: Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, Zepto

How to use Surf Excel Descaler Tablet:

• Put 2 descaler tablets (40gm) directly into the drum.

• Make sure the drum is empty (no laundry or detergent).

• Run the Tub Clean Cycle or the longest wash cycle

• Once done, run a rinse cycle (3-4 times) to do thorough cleaning.

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Atomic is one of the top-sellers when it comes to choosing the best washing machine descalers in India. Founded in 2014, TGC Innovations Private Ltd, the company that manufactures Atomic descaler powder is based in New Delhi. What we like about the Atomic Descaling Powder is that it doesn’t have too harsh chemicals like hydrachloric acids. Here’s what it has.

The ingredients include

• Carbonic Acid Disodium Salt (pH adjuster)🧪

• Sodium Alumino Silicate (anti-caking agent)❤️‍🩹

• Ethoxylate (reduces surface tension)🌊

• Limonene (natural citrus extract)🍋

• Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine (TAED) (bleach & stain-removal)🧴

• Monosodium Carbonate (buffering agent)🟢

Our dimer @tyagi.aakarsh73 shares that the Atomic Tub Cleaner is far better than ScalGo Descaler and it worked perfectly well upon using it in their LG Top-load Washing Machine (7-years old one).

Bottom Line: Atomic Descaling Powder can work the best if you live in an area with soft water or you want a mild to moderate washing machine descaler (not for heavy buildup) to use every 3 months or so. For heavy build, we would still recommend going with Surf Excel (as it contains more stronger acids) but keep in mind, stronger acid >> chances of corrosion

Buying options: Amazon, JioMart, Flipkart, Big Basket

How to use Atomic Descaling Powder for washing machines (official video):

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Fortune Descaling Powder is a 100% biodegradable drum cleaner made from organic acids, non-ionic and cationic surfactants and Limonene. If you are looking for a washing machine descaler that dissolves grime, grease, removes limescale (mild), removes foul smell and adds a refreshing fragrance to your washing machine tub, this just might be up your alley. Incorporated in 1985, Excel Rasayan based in New Delhi is the company that produces Fortune descaler powder and other chemical cleaners for home appliances.

Bottom Line: Fortune Descaling Powder is a good choice if you are looking for a cheap and effective descaler for your washing machine.

Buying options: Amazon, Big Basket, Flipkart, JioMart, Meesho

How to use Fortune Descaling Powder (official video):

• Ensure the washing machine is empty

• No clothes or detergent inside.

• Add 1–2 liters of water to the drum.

• Add Fortune Descaler powder directly into the drum.

• Set the program

• Run a full wash cycle in hot water mode.

For fully automatic machines –

• Add the descaler powder to the detergent container.

• Run a full wash cycle with hot water.

• Then, run an empty wash cycle for 15 minutes for thorough cleaning.

Optional (for deep cleaning) – Remove the drain filter, clean it separately, and then refit it.

So this was all about sharing our top 5 picks for the best washing machine descalers in India in 2025 for removing mold, rust, pet hair, grease, grime and limescale. Do share with us in the comments below in case we missed adding any other good-quality washing machine descaling powder, liquid or tablets. A big thanks to all our dimers for their helpful suggestions and reviews.

You can also try to create your own DIY descaler for washing machines. How? Here’s some info from our dimers.

Our dimer @archat68 shares a simple DIY Descaler hack – just buy the cheapest 1kg citric acid powder from Amazon and use half a cup per cycle for effective descaling.

"Scales are mostly insoluble calcium and magnesium phosphate and carbonates. These dissolve in acid. Citric acid is a mild acid that works wonderfully. I use this regularly," Archat68 adds further.

Fellow dimer @hana25 asked for a reliable product recommendation, and @archat68 suggested KOR Citric Acid Crystals (available on Amazon), which they use for both their washing machine and dishwasher. If your washing machine has a moldy smell, they also recommend using half a cup of Rin liquid bleach instead of citric acid.

Another useful tip comes from @harishgayatri, who suggests a DIY deep-cleaning descaler combo:

• Baking soda, warm water, and vinegar for regular cleaning🧴

• Baking soda and citric acid with warm water for tougher descaling (but be careful, it froths up once you add warm water)

That’s all for this one. We hope you found this article useful in selecting the best washing machine descaler powder, liquid or tablet to remove stains, rust, foul smell, limescale and buildup.

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