Whirlpool Corporation

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While the aroma of baking pies and browning roasts are welcome in the kitchen, dishwasher and disposal odors are not. To keep smelly kitchen odor at bay and ensure appliance workhorses run smoothly, Whirlpool introduces the new affresh(TM) Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner, the only national two-in-one cleaner for dishwashers and garbage disposals.

If not properly cleaned as indicated in the Use & Care guide, all brands of dishwashers and garbage disposals have the potential for odor. Dishwashers in particular can be a problem when dirty dishes sit for multiple days or when food residue is not completely rinsed away. Until now, no product on the market removed both dishwasher and garbage disposal odors.

"Appliances are designed to make consumers' lives easier, and maintaining them properly helps to ensure smooth and odor-free operation," said Tremitchell Wright, engineer lead, Whirlpool Corporation. "When consumers adopt a monthly maintenance routine as indicated in the appliance Use & Care guide using a product like affresh((TM)) Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner, they can rest easy knowing that the kitchen is clean and fresh, right down to the dishwasher and disposal."

An extension of the affresh® washer cleaner brand, the affresh(TM) Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner is simple to use. Simply place one tablet in the main dishwasher detergent tray and another tablet in the prewash tray or in the bottom of the dishwasher. Run on the heaviest cycle - without dishes - using the hottest wash temperature to activate the affresh(TM) chemistry to dissolve and neutralize odor, leaving behind a crisp citrus scent. If consumers have a garbage disposal, they should follow up with a tablet in the disposal to remove odor in the drain pipe, which connects to the dishwasher. To clean the garbage disposal, place one tablet into the disposal, slowly run hot water through the disposal for 15 seconds. Turn off water and disposal, and wait 30 minutes before flushing with hot water.

Affresh((TM)) Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner is safe for septic tanks, dishwashers, disposals and plumbing, and is the #1 recommended cleaner by KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag and Amana brands. For more disposal and dishwasher maintenance tips, consumers should review their appliance Use & Care guides.

The MSRP for a package of six affresh(TM) Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner tablets is $5.99 and is available at major home appliance dealers and www.affresh.com.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion in 2008, 70,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation

Monica Teague, +1-269-923-7405, Media@whirlpool.com; or Melissa Einfrank, Peppercom for Whirlpool, +1-212-931-6171, meinfrank@peppercom.com