I use clorox bleach in the bathtub and in sinks and in toilets for freshness and to unclog drains. Pour about 1 cup in sink drains and in the toilet and 1/2 to 1 gal in the tub and leave sitting overnight. (try not to run water afterwards) odor will be strong, so do not do more than one room in a night. Works great for hair clogs etc. Much cheaper and works better than a bottle of drain opener.
I put rubber bands around sections of a piece of clothing or cloth and then I pour bleach on it and rinse with water and then dry it and take out the rubber bands and it's like a Tie Dyed item.

I think you should create a slow dissolving tablet that you can "hook" to one of the drain holes in you washing machine. That way you can buy a tab, and it lasts, maybe 30 loads and you never have to continue adding the cleaning power of bleach to your laundry!