How To Move a Washing Machine Without Damaging It or Your Home
Moving a washing machine is a tricky, laborious process. One slip-up, and you're looking at water damage to floors, a cracked drum suspension, or a back injury before you've made it halfway through moving day. This guide tells you everything you need to know about how to move a washing machine, from prep to plugging it back in.
And if hauling a 200-pound appliance through doorways and downstairs isn’t how you want to spend your moving day, College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving can help. Our trained crews handle loading and transport so you don't have to.
How To Move a Washing Machine Safely
Transporting a washing machine isn't something you want to rush. Moving too fast is how appliances get damaged and people get hurt. Not sure if you are fully move-ready? Getting organized before the big day makes everything easier. Just follow these steps, and you’ll be on your way.
1. Disconnect First
Unplug the washer and shut off the water supply valves, drain any residual water from the hoses, and secure both the hoses and power cord to the back of the machine with tape or a zip tie.
2. Keep the Machine Upright
Washing machines should stay upright throughout the entire move. Laying one on its side puts pressure on internal components and can stress the suspension system, especially in machines that rely on a suspended drum. If the machine has to tilt briefly to clear a doorway or load into a truck, get it back upright immediately.
3. Use an Appliance Dolly
An appliance dolly is the right tool for this job. A standard furniture dolly won't give you the control you need for a tall, heavy unit. Slide the base of the dolly under the machine and tilt it back slowly until the weight is balanced on the wheels. If you have to lift it, use moving straps to protect your back. Attempting to drag or carry a 200-pound appliance without a dolly risks injury to you and your floors.
4. Secure the Appliance With Straps
Once the washer is on the dolly, tie it down with ratchet straps before moving it anywhere. The machine should feel locked in place, not just resting against the dolly frame. Double-check the straps before navigating stairs, ramps, or uneven surfaces.
5. Bring at Least One Helper
Moving a washer by yourself isn't worth the risk. You need at least one other person, and for stairs or awkward routes, two helpers is a smarter call. One person controls a dolly while one or two others guide it around corners, hold doors, and offer spot support on stairs.
6. Move Carefully Through Doorways
Standard interior doors often run around 32 inches wide, and most washers around 27 inches, but dimensions vary by model. A narrow hallway or tight corner can cause just as many problems as a doorway itself. Measure both before moving day. Angle the machine slightly if needed and move slowly. If it's a tight fit, taking the door off its hinges can buy you the extra inch or two you need.
7. Protect Flooring During Transport
Hardwood and tile floors scratch easily, so you need to protect the path from your laundry room to the door. For short repositioning on a finished floor, use felt furniture sliders under the washer feet to ease the machine away from the wall without scratching it. Once it’s on the dolly, drape a moving blanket over the machine to protect walls, doors, frames, and baseboards as you wheel it toward the moving truck.
8. Load the Appliance Securely Into the Vehicle
Use a ramp, lift gate, or professional assistance to get the washer into the vehicle rather than attempting to lift it manually. Position it upright against the cab wall or a side wall of the truck and secure it with tie-downs so it doesn't shift in transit. Don't stack anything on top of the washing machine.
9. Avoid Excessive Tilting
Brief tilts are sometimes unavoidable when loading or navigating tight spaces, but keep them minimal and short. Tilting a washer too far stresses the drum suspension. Internal damage from improper angling sometimes doesn't reveal itself until after the move.
What You Need To Move a Washing Machine
Knowing how to move a washer safely starts with having the right equipment on hand. Need to store gear between moves? Organize your garage so you can find what you need on moving day.
- Appliance dolly: Look for one with built-in straps or strap attachment points.
- Ratchet straps: Secure the washer to the dolly and again inside the truck. Two straps are a safe minimum.
- Work gloves: Washing machine edges are sharper than they look. Gloves protect your hands and improve grip.
- Towels or rags: These are useful for wiping down hose connections, catching drips during disconnection, and wrapping hose ends to prevent leaks during the move.
- Bucket: Keep one nearby when disconnecting hoses, as residual water in the lines needs somewhere to go.
- Moving blankets: Drape these over the machine once it's on the dolly to protect walls, doors, frames, and the appliance itself during transport.
- Packing tape or zip ties: Keep the power cord and hoses secured to the back of the machine so nothing drags or gets caught during the move.
- Measuring tape: Check doorway widths in the floor route before moving day.
Prepare the Washing Machine for Moving
The most important washing machine moving tips are about what happens before you start lifting and sliding. A washer that hasn't been properly drained, disconnected, and dried before it moves is a liability. Take the time here, and you'll be ready to pull off a successful move.
- Clean and dry the drum early: If possible, run a cleaning cycle a day or two before moving day. Then, wipe down the drum and detergent drawer and leave the door open for at least 24 hours so everything dries fully.
- Disconnect the power supply: If your laundry area has a dedicated breaker switch, turn that off first. Then unplug the machine from the wall outlet before touching any hoses or connections.
- Turn off water valves: Locate the hot and cold supply valves behind the machine and turn both off completely before disconnecting anything.
- Disconnect water hoses: Use pliers or a wrench to loosen the hose connections at the back of the machine. Have a towel ready. Even with the valves off, some water collects in the lines.
- Drain excess water: Lower the drain hose into a bucket to clear any residual water. Some machines also have a small drain filter near the base; if you’re not sure about yours, check the user manual. Empty it before the move.
Why Transit Bolts Matter When Moving a Washing Machine
Most front-load washing machines suspend the drum on springs and shock absorbers, a system designed for laundry, not road vibrations. Transit bolts are metal rods that insert into holes at the back of the machine to lock the drum in place during transport. Manufacturers recommend reinstalling them whenever the machine moves.
If the originals are gone, replacement bolts are available from the manufacturer or an online appliance parts supplier. Transit bolts aren't universal, so model-specific replacements matter here. Once the machine is in place at your new location, the bolts must be removed before it runs. A washer with transit bolts still installed has no suspension and is at risk of serious damage.
If managing all this around moving days sounds like too much, College HUNKS includes appliance moving as part of our loading and labor services.
Let College HUNKS Handle the Heavy Work
Getting a washing machine from one home to another without damaging it starts well before moving day. Disconnecting it properly, draining residual water, securing the drum, and protecting the appliance in transit are all part of the job. Skip any of those steps, and you're taking on real risk to the machine, your floors, and yourself.
If you'd rather hand the work off to someone who does this every day, College HUNKS is worth a call. Our crews provide appliance moving assistance, loading and unloading services, and labor support for exactly this kind of job. Whether you need a team to handle the whole move or just someone to safely move a washer and dryer onto a truck, we’ve got the equipment and training to do it without guesswork.
Ready to make moving day easier? Get a free estimate and see how College HUNKS can help.