How to Move a Washing Machine
By Igor S.Red Cat co-founder, moving people since 2012
A washing machine is heavy, holds water you can't see, and its drum hangs on springs. Here's how our movers get one out: drained, the drum locked with its transit bolts, the controls covered and strapped to an appliance dolly.
The short version
- 1Unplug it, turn the water off and drain the hoses.
- 2Hoses taped to the back, transit bolts back in.
- 3A flat box over the buttons and the controls.
- 4Strap it to an appliance dolly and tip it back.
Drain it
How to drain a washing machine for moving
There's always water left in the hoses. Get it out before the machine leaves the laundry room, with a towel down and a bucket ready.
Step 1
Unplug it, tape the cord
Pull it out from the wall, unplug it, coil the cord and tape it to the machine so it can't drag on the floor or catch.
Step 2
Turn the water off
Close the hot and the cold valves on the wall behind it.
Step 3
Take the hoses off the wall
With pliers, loosen the couplings at the valves on the wall and take the hoses off there. Leave them on the machine.
Step 4
Drain them into a bucket
Point the loose hose ends down into a bucket and let the water in them run out.
Ready to travel
Lock it, cover it, strap it
The drum, the controls and the hoses are what get damaged on a move. Each one gets taken care of before it goes on the dolly.
Step 5
Tape the hoses to the back
Leave the hoses on the machine. Don't undo the quick-connect couplings, so the water still inside stays inside. Coil them and tape them to the back, the ends up at the top.
Step 6
Transit bolts back in
If it came with those big bolts, screw all four back into the back, in their square. They lock the drum so it can't swing on its springs during the move.
Step 7
A flat box over the controls
Lay a flattened box over the buttons and the control panel and tape it down, so nothing knocks a dial or cracks the display.
Step 8
Strap it to a dolly
Strap it to an appliance dolly, put a foot on the axle and tip it back onto the wheels. On stairs, a second person goes below.
Transit bolts
Washing machine transit bolts
A front-loading washer comes from the factory with four long bolts, in a square on its back panel, screwed through into the drum. They hold the drum still, so it can't swing on its springs and shocks while the machine is moved.
They come out when the washer is installed. If you kept them, screw them back in before moving day.
No transit bolts?
99% of the time, nothing happens. We've moved around 14,000 washing machines, and only 4 of those customers still had their bolts for us to put back in. If your machine is expensive, don't take chances: order the set for your model online ahead of time.
Rather have a crew move it?
Our movers drain, bolt, wrap and move washers and dryers across DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia every day, up the stairs and out of the tight laundry rooms, for one flat price set before we start: from $240.
Moving the fridge too? See how to move a refrigerator.
FAQ
Washing machine moving questions
answered
What people ask before they move a washer themselves. Anything else, give us a call.
Talk with Red Cat- Unplug it and tape the cord, turn off the water, take the hoses off the wall valves and drain them into a bucket. Leave the hoses on the machine and tape them to the back, screw the four transit bolts back in, lay a flat box over the controls and tape it down. Then strap it to an appliance dolly, put a foot on the axle and tip it back onto the wheels.
Know your price.
Then let's move.
Your stuff moves. Your price doesn't.
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