How to Stop Your Washing Machine from Vibrating and Shaking
If your washing machine enjoys walking across the room with the strength of its own vibrations, you've definitely got a problem. Aside from being incredibly annoying, strong vibrations can damage both your washer and the floor beneath it, so follow these tips to keep yours running smoothly.
Use Either a Mat or Anti-Slip Pads
Washing machines are usually kept in kitchens or utility rooms, which are often floored with tile, or another surface which isn't well padded. These smooth surfaces provide less grip for a washing machine, and their hardness means that vibrations can be more damaging. Vibrations can also get incredibly noisy.
Help your washing machine out by putting it on top of a plastic mat, or place individual non-slip, anti-vibration pads beneath each leg. This will reduce shaking and lessen the wear on your floor. It's is also a great way to mollify any irritated downstairs neighbours.
Stay on the Level
If one of the legs on your washing machine is a little shorter or longer than the others – or if the floor beneath is irregular – then the machine's uneven distribution of weight and its lack of stability will cause it to rock around.
Use a carpenter's level to make sure your washing machine is on the level. Make small changes by either adjusting the legs or placing an appropriate thickness of cardboard beneath the shorter ones. It helps to start with all legs screwed in as far as possible.
Avoid Washing Heavy Loads
People commonly fail to consider how much they're putting in their washing machine, but each one has a load capacity for a reason. Find out the maximum weight that you can put in your machine, then stick to it. This information can either be found in your manual or online.
Try holding your laundry before stepping on the scales, then subtract your own body weight to find out the weight of the laundry. Of course, you don't have to weigh every single load, but it helps to know roughly how much the machine can deal with. Soon enough, it will be second nature.
Avoid Washing Uneven Loads
Uneven loads are probably the most common reason for a heavily vibrating washing machine. If you wash a mix of large and small items, try to balance them out to stop one part of the drum from getting too weighty. You should even do this with heavier items. For example, it's far better to wash two bath towels rather than one.
A vibrating machine is a cause for concern, but it's usually an easy problem to fix.