I can agree with you that a washing machine is one of the important appliances at home. It does good work with the laundry instead of using our own hands and saves a lot of time; however, it can sometimes make a lot of unwanted noise. A loud washing machine is one of the common challenges faced by most people who use it. There are various reasons why the machine can be producing that excess noise or a lot of vibration, they include;
Washing machine shakes violently- Reasons?
a) Unbalanced laundry load
When doing your laundry, it’s essential to separate the items according to their weight to balance the load; for instance when washing sheets you can add t-shirts because they are lighter compared to sweaters and towels. This is a problem that is overlooked by most people because many manufacturers don’t insist enough on the advantage of balancing the load in the washing machine during laundry.
b) The unbalanced position of the washing machine
This is the most common and a lot of people ignore it even when it results in a very loud vibration and noise which sometimes can make the washing machine to start moving from its initial position
c) Loosening of the nuts and bearings
As the washing machine ages, it is most likely to have loose nuts and bearings due to wear and tear. This is however not a common one.
Reasons why washing machine noise reduction is important
If you have kids around the house, it could be impossible to run the machine at night because of the noise it would make. I’m you’ve had neighbors downstairs complain about the vibrations the washer makes.
Having a quiet machine or sound insulating the existing one can save you from all these troubles. You’ll run the machine at night without worrying about waking the kids or your neighbors calling the cops on you or complaining to the landlord or the property manager.
How to Make Washing Machine Quieter
1. Balance the laundry load
This means washing the items according to the weight instead of mixing heavy and light items on the washing machine.
2. Anti-vibration mats for washing machines
3. Shaking/moving the washing machine
Have you ever noticed that your washing machine tends to move a bit whenever you put a heavy load? Your laundry machine can also move a bit due to improper position and this results to too much noise.
If your laundry machine moves in the position it not only becomes a noise menace but can also develop mechanical problems such as leaks.
Additionally, to prevent the cause of the noise, you can as well shake it from all the four sides and also move it side to side until there is no more shaking.
4. Try kitchen sponges
Kitchen sponges naturally muffle vibration and absorb the sound that’s why it’s commonly used in the industrial ear muffs and recording studios to protect workers from ear damage due to the daily exposure of the loud noise. All you need is to raise one corner at a time and place a sponge under each of the four corners of the washing machine. You can try using these kitchen sponges (check them on Amazon).
The sponges will also reduce the echo made by the wobbly drum ageing motor and also prevent the machine from moving around the laundry room as it operates.
Kitchen sponges will only work only if the noise problem is not severe- but the noise is too much- I suggest that you try other options.
5. Using a garage mat
You will need to buy foam garage flooring sheets- you can source this from your local hardware store or get them on Amazon. You can get this (AmazonBasics Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles) garage mat online which costs less than $25.
I guess that depending on the size of your washing machine, you will probably need 2-4 sheets. I only used three sheets to soundproof my laundry machine. You will need some bit of assistance probably from your masculine/weight lifting friend to help you lift the machine and place the mat under-and that’s it
6. Cover the washer with moving blankets
So here is how you should do it:
- Take any old blanket or buy these moving blankets and cover your wash-machine.
- The blankets should be big enough to cover the washer all the way to the floor.
- Ensure that you cover the machine with at least two blankets for effective noise reduction.
Here are Moving Blankets/Soundproofing blankets I recommend.
7. Consider padding the sides of the washer
If the machine is located in a small room, you might have already discovered that it moves around hitting walls as it spins which can cause unwanted noise. To counter this, you can use different materials and pad the sides.
You can use acoustic foam or use a Dynaliner which comes with a self-adhesive insulation material.
But the cheapest solution you can try is using a sponge to encase your wash-machine. You can use a two-sided tape or glue to attach the sponge to the sides of the washer.
8. Soundproof laundry room
You can skip all the methods mentioned above and just soundproof the whole damn laundry room. Here is an article I wrote on how you can soundproof the laundry room.
You will have to consider all the six surfaces in the laundry room (floor, ceiling, 4 walls) and then the door and the windows. You can use soundproof curtains if you have doubts if noise reducing curtains work check out this article. If the laundry room contains any air vents- you can read this article and learn how you can sound dampen the vents.
If any gaps exist between the door and the floor, you can use these door sweeps to seal the space.
9. Lessen the load and tighten loose nuts
If your washer is still loud, I would recommend you reduce the load. If you do this, you’ll notice that the speed reduces and this reduces the noise levels.
In addition, you should also consider tightening those loose nuts and bearings. You might think the process requires any handy skills but it a simple one. You only need to:
- Open washing machine cap
- Take a screwdriver and tighten those loose nuts
- Close the cap
10. Call the handyman
If none of my suggestions seems to work-I, know they’ll work unless you’ve got an old washer. These are do-it-yourself hacks, and if they seem not to work fine, you will need to hire a professional.
Make sure you get estimates for any repairs and ask the handyman if his services will fix the problem for good. If the repairman cannot guarantee that- it’s time to start saving for a new quieter washing machine.
Alternatives to Soundproofing a washing machine
The only alternative I would recommend is buying a new quietest washing machine. According to a report published on the quiet home lab, some of the quietest models you can get on the market today include: Electrolux EIFLS60LT Washer and Giantex Portable Compact Full-Automatic Laundry 8 lbs Load Capacity Washing Machine
Average noise ratings for wash-machine
Most washers on the market today have an average of 40-80 decibels and with quietest ones having less than 50decibels. Such machines are less to disturb the television or your conversations. Below is a chart that to give you an idea of what I’m saying.
Just to give you an idea of what I’m saying let’s equate to: a person talking is approx. 50-60 decibels, vacuum cleaner about 70dB and a quiet library is about 40
How to stop washing machine moving when spinning
Does your washer take strolls around the laundry room? Back in the 90’s engineers decided to answer one question that got everyone around the world worried.
Washing machines in Europe could walk while those in States couldn’t. (Read the article here)
So what made them walk?
Let me answer your question- the European models were front-loading washers, but the US models were top loaders.
Laundry was loaded unevenly in the washer causes the drum to spin un-uniformly causing the whole machine to vibrate. These vibrations can be so intense at times to make the washer “walk”. In most cases, it happens when the floor is uneven when the drum is spinning very fast.
- Ensure that the machine is levelled
- Use some non-slip anti-vibration pads to the legs of your washer
- Balance the load every you
Are walking wash-machine a problem?
Yes. A “walking” washer can damage the machine itself and the laundry room floor. Furthermore, the movement itself is annoying.
Conclusion:
There you have it- different methods you can apply to soundproof your washing machine. What method do you think you’re going to implement right away? Have any question or suggestions? Please let me know in the comment section down below. You can also read this article on how you can soundproof your basement ceiling. Thank you.