Pulling a washing machine out to clean behind it or move it elsewhere is not as easy as it may look. Many are very heavy, and most have no wheels. Two things need avoiding, damage to the flooring and damage to a person’s back.
Pulling out technique
The best way to pull a washing machine out, is to open the door and get hold of the door opening at the top of the door seal. Then lift the washing machine up and pull it forward on its back feet. But don’t rush in because there are potential complications you need to avoid. Read the full article first.
Don't attempt it if you have back trouble
Watch the flooring
The washing machine is most likely on some flooring. If the flooring goes all the way back underneath the washer you just need to worry about not damaging it with the washing machine feet. Place something down to protect the flooring or put something under the feet.
Tip:
Avoid damage to the flooring by placing an old towel (or towels) under the feet. This also helps the machine slide around easier.
Free the feet first
Before pulling the washing machine forward you need to ensure the feet aren’t stuck to the floor. They usually are. It’s not so necessary on a hard floor, but if on something like lino or cushion floor, pulling the washing machine forward with the feet stuck will usually rip the flooring.
First lift it up at the front to free the front feet if they are stuck to the flooring. Lift the washing machine with the door open and with your hands at the top of the door opening. Then tip it forward to lift up the back feet to make sure they aren’t stuck or free them too.
Does the flooring go all the way under the washer?
Often the floor covering stops just underneath the washing machine. This happens when the fitter can’t be bothered to fit it all the way under or if they just don’t realise it’s necessary. As most washing machines are underneath a worktop you may not know if the flooring goes all the way back or not. If it doesn’t, this means when you pull it forward, the rear feet will probably get caught on the flooring. If the flooring is tiles this can stop it coming out altogether (unless you can tilt the washer forward so that the feet lift at the back). If it’s a vinyl covering it can dig right into it and rip it badly.
Washing machine stuck?
If the feet are going underneath the floor covering, try tilting the machine forward onto its front feet or it will rip the floor covering. If this is happening, there are more tips in this article Appliance stuck behind a tiled floor
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How to pull out if door won’t open
If the door wont open due to a fault, then you may be able to get some purchase by taking the soap drawer out and lifting via the drawer opening (not easy). Or by lifting from underneath the front of the machine and pulling it forward (even harder). Or with two people, using a combination of both.
Without access to the door opening it can be tricky – especially if the washer is also full of laundry and water. In this scenario, you need to try and get rid of the water to make it lighter. There are plenty of tips on doing that here – How to drain a washing machine full of water
other things to consider
Make sure the mains cable, and fill and drain hoses are long enough to allow the washing machine to come out as sometimes they are very short. You may need to turn off the taps and disconnect hoses and cables to get it out.
Tips for pushing a washing machine back in place
Most washing machines have feet instead of wheels these days. Pushing a washing machine back in place can be easy, or very tricky depending on the floor surface. Walking the washing machine back by pushing one side a little then the other is the best way. Also, push as low down the front of the washing machine as you can. Be careful, many washing machines have flimsy front panels that easily dent. Using knees to push a stubborn washing machine back can be effective, but it can also put dents in the washing machine front.
It might be tempting to put some lubricant under the feet if it’s hard to push back, but this can cause the washer to slide about a lot on spin afterwards.
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Related articles
- If looking for the best way to move a washing machine transporting to another house or location try this article – transporting a washing machine
- Fitting floor tiles in front of appliances
- How to store a washing machine
Great idea – hadn’t thought of opening the door!! Many thanks
I have to get this off my chest. I really need to have this moan.
I bought my first washer 1979 had it until 1996 a whole 17years had to replace the door seal that was it. It had a boil wash and you knew your bed clothes, towels, tea towels, and whites were hygienically clean. I Had two house moves and my washer came too. Never did I have to think about trying to balance the clothes. Never did it jump or shake about the floor. And there was never anything such as having to insure the washer. It had a guarantee and that was it! You were able to move the washer because it had back wheels. These days buying a washer, you buy a host of problems. I beg to ask the question. ” Are we women so stupid we accept such an inferior product “?
As a repairman I preferred the back wheels. They made it a lot easier to pull a washing machine out and without ripping the flooring too. The 4 feet are a lot cheaper to put on than wheels (which need some sort of restrictor on them). The manufacturers say they make the washing machine more stable.
Put some washing up liquid under the wheels, lie on the floor and use your feet to push.
Thanks Andrew. That would definitely work, but I’m cautious about that. As I say in my last sentence on the article, “It might be tempting to put some lubricant under the feet if it’s hard to push back but this is likely to cause the washer to slide about a lot on spin afterwards”.
If using this method try to lift the washer up a little once in place and try to clear the lubricant off the front feet to discourage the washer moving around during spin.
My washer is literally stuck to my vinyl flooring.. I tried to move it and it started damaging my floor… please help cause I need to get it out asap…thanks
Willetta. The only way is to lift the machine up and try to pull the flooring away from the feet or try to slide something thin between it to separate it. If this can’t be done there’s nothing else I could suggest. If it’s stuck to the feet it’s stuck.
Mine seems stucked despite having moved fairly easily. Before pulling harder I was wondering whether the plug or pipes might actually be on the short side… I cannot see the back as it’s inserted in the kitchen cabinet.
I’d like to avoid flooding the kitchen… is there any risk of breaking pipes or so?
Thanks!
Hello Fred. Sorry for a late reply. Yes the main cause of a washing machine only pulling out so far then stopping is the pipes. The hoses and drain hose supplied are normally only just long enough to reach the taps and drain connection. There’s usually no way to pull a washing machine out without totally disconnecting all the hoses. If pulled hard the connection on the fill hoses could break and cause a flood. It can be very tricky to do and even trickier to get them back if the washing machine is under a worktop and you can’t get behind the washing machine.
Hi, if I have to move mine I tilt the front up clear of the carpet and slide a thin plastic chopping board under each front foot. I can then simply open the door and pull from the top of the opening – the boards glide on the carpet and the washing machine slides out nicely
I also made sure I fitted a long water inlet hose so the machine will come all the way out from under the worktop without disconnecting anything :-)