How to Make a Washing Machine Quieter?

The coronavirus pandemic hitting the world affected many industries across the globe. However, the washing machine industry seemed immune to the effect as sales never plummeted because people were at home and needed household appliances to make their domestic obligations easier. The chart above was created by the information provided by the Statista Research Department, and it shows the global washing machines and dryers unit sales from 2013-2015 (projection).

Washing machines have become very popular across the globe, and it’s evident in the chart above, which shows by 2025, the global washing machines and dryers unit sales will predictably hit 169.92 million, although that would not be the greatest sales year for washing machines and dryers.

In 2021, after the pandemic-ravaged 2020, which still managed to record global sales of 161.75 million, several brands across the globe sold a whopping 170.65 units of washing machines and dryers, making it the most successful year yet for the sales of these important machines. As evidently shown in the chart above, the continuous growth of the global washing machine and dryer market has been more than impressive, with figures steadily rising from 2013 up until 2021 before dipping in 2022.

If you have a washing machine in your laundry room, you should be concerned about how to make the washing machine operate as quietly as possible. Although it is normal for washing machines to make some sounds, if a washing machine sounds like a train, it’s a clear sign that something is wrong and needs to be fixed as soon as possible, hence it might damage the washing machine itself after a while. Investing in the best anti-vibration pads for washing machine and a washing machine sound absorber are several washing machine sound reduction methods you can choose from.

Having a quiet washing machine in your laundry room will save you from stress, especially when you live in an apartment with people above and below you. Some machines have even gained quite a reputation as “second-floor washers” because they’re perfect for second floors as they don’t make a lot of noise that will disturb others in the building. Suppose you’re having issues with the noisy washing machine in your home. In that case, we have many methods you can adopt to make the washing machine quieter than it currently is, although it’s unrealistic to expect a washing machine to be totally quiet without any sounds.

How To Make A Washing Machine Quieter

If you buy a washing machine with the expectation that it won’t make any sound whatsoever, you’re not being realistic, and you’ll end up disappointed because a washing machine will always make sounds. However, that doesn’t also mean that you should compromise that you’ll accept a washing machine that sounds so loud that the sound becomes very disturbing or affects other people in the house. Even if you’ve been using the washer for a while, you may notice that the sound is changing, and it’s becoming louder than ever before, so it might not even have anything to do with a perfect buy.

Having the best knowledge on how to make washing machine quieter will help you a lot when you start encountering problems with your washing machine as it makes a lot of noise that you find very disturbing. While some people will invest in soundproof washing machines, others will only opt to place a soundproof mat under the washing machine, which is not bad. To know how to make your washing machine quieter, we’ll be exploring different methods you can adopt to achieve this.

Knowing how to make your washing machine is very important, but we think what’s even more important is knowing what causes a washing machine to make loud noises because only then can you truly understand what the best solution to the problem is. Before we get into our washing machine noise reduction guide, let’s quickly look at some of the reasons why your washing machine may shake violently, resulting in some banging noises in the process.

Rust in the washer tub

This is something most people don’t pay attention to, but it’s one of the common reasons for noisy and shaky washing machines. We know you’re wondering how rust can cause a washing machine to shake, and you’re trying to connect the dots; we were once in the situation, but we’ll be making it clearer soon enough. The washing machine tub is one of the most important parts of any washer, and since most washing machines come with stainless steel tubs, it’s very easy for these tubs to have rust in them because even stainless steel is susceptible to rust and corrosion.

Once your stainless steel tub starts rusting, there’s a problem, and if you leave it to stay for too long, you can get the tub damaged, and that may result in you having to change the washing machine because once the tub is damaged, you’ll most likely not have any other option other than replacing the washing itself.

When the rust goes down to the bottom of the washer tub, especially a top-loading washing machine with an agitator, the agitator grinds so hard against the small pieces of metal, and that causes the machine to make a grinding sound. You need to fix this as soon as possible to preserve your washer’s life.

Unbalanced laundry load

Most also ignore the fact that the laundry load can cause their washing machines to vibrate and make annoying sounds because, at that point, it’s being forced to overwork. It’ll only take a while for you to separate items according to their colors and weight, but the weight is an important factor when trying to get the load balanced for the washing machine.

If you’re washing sheets and comforters, it would be very wrong for you to add towels and sweaters to the load because these items can get heavy and soaked in water and affect the washing machine’s efficiency. Don’t mistake overlooking the problem because besides making you very uncomfortable with the funny sounds, you may find yourself on the market for a new washer because the washer can be destroyed as a result.

You’ve most likely been told that packing all your laundry into the washing machine without sorting them will damage your clothes, or even worse. If you’re using a portable washing machine, you need to load it with the right amount of load to avoid overloading because that comes with some serious consequences, with the worst case being losing your washing machine. If you aren’t conscious about how you load your washer, you might as well prepare for what’s to come because you’ll be forced to deal with a lot of noise, and that’s not even the only thing you’ll have to deal with.

Loose nuts and bearings

You can try to revive the machine by fixing and putting some things together, but when a washing machine is nearing its end, you’ll have to put sentiments aside and start putting plans in place to get a new, hopefully, better one. An aging washing machine will most likely begin having its nuts and bearings get loose due to wear and tear, and you probably should expect that when this happens, the washer will make some cranking sounds. Although very uncommon, if your washing machine is aging, you will experience cranky sounds coming from the washer, and if you have kids at home, operating this machine at night may not be ideal because it’ll most likely disturb the children and everyone else sleeping at the time.

Other causes include;

• A very fast spin cycle.
• Damaged washing machine feet.
• Having loose coins and solid items in the washer tub.

Now that you know the things that can make a washing machine noisy, it’s time to explore how to make washing machine quieter.

Invest in kitchen sponges

This may seem absurd for those who never knew they could use their usual kitchen sponges to stop the loud and banging noise and aggressive vibration their washing machine makes. These sponges are made with elements that naturally absorb sounds and reduce vibration, so you’ll often see them in recording studios and industrial ear muffs to help protect people from ear problems. They’re usually exposed to loud noise being produced in these places. Kitchen sponges work very effectively, but you need to ensure the noise is not too much because you may be forced to explore other options if the noise is too much as kitchen sponges may not be able to control that kind of noise.

If you’re going to use kitchen sponges, you’ll need to place one at each corner of the washing machine, which means you’ll need four kitchen sponges to be placed at the right spots. Having these sponges under your washing machine will ensure that echo that is produced by the drum or aging motor is reduced. It also works perfectly for washing machines that dance around when they’re being operated, as it will stop them from moving around the laundry room.

Covering the washer with moving blankets

It’s amazing how the most effective ways to keep your washing machine quiet are the most absurd ones, but who cares whether or not they’re absurd as long as they get the job done at the end of the day? Investing in moving blankets can also make sure that the noise coming out of your washing machine doesn’t disturb you or anyone around the house because the blankets will absorb all the sound, leaving you with a washer that will operate very smoothly. If you can’t buy moving blankets, you can put any old blanket to good use and still be confident it’ll get the job done.

For effective noise reduction, make sure you’re using at least two blankets to cover the washing machine because if you don’t, you may not get the result you want, and that might make you think the method is not effective at all. You also need to ensure that the blankets you’re using are big enough to cover the washing machine to the floor.

Soundproof your laundry room

If you’ve ever been to the studio, you’d have realized that most music studios are padded to reduce echo and noises. If you don’t have the time to try some of the basic methods involved in making your washing machine quieter, you can opt for this all-in-one method by padding your laundry room and making it soundproof. Making your laundry room soundproof also includes reducing the noise coming out of your washing machine, which you can do by investing in some washing machine anti-vibration pads. To learn more about soundproofing your laundry room, check out this detailed guide by Persona UK.

If you’re opting for this method, you have to consider all the six surfaces in your laundry room: the four walls, ceiling, and floor, all of which are primary factors to consider. Thankfully, it’s very easy to get soundproof curtains, so you don’t have to go through stress trying to make your laundry room soundproof.

Garage Mat

This might be the most difficult process on this list, but if you’re able to get it done the right way, you’ll be very happy with the results you’ll get afterward because all the hard work is always worth it. You can always get foam garage flooring sheets from your local hardware store or Amazon if you want them to be delivered right to your doorstep. The number of sheets you’ll end depends on the size of your washing machine – if you have a large-capacity washing machine, you’ll need more sheets than you’d have needed if you had a portable washing machine.

People don’t often opt for this period because it needs an extra pair of hands, which most people won’t easily get, so they usually opt for easier and more convenient options. If you’re using this method, you will need some assistance lifting the washing machine to place the garage mat right under because that’s where the sheets are supposed to go. Once you can find someone that will help lift the machine so you can place the mat underneath, the rest is pretty easy.

Just know that having a garage mat under the washing machine will considerably reduce the noise coming out of your washing machine, and the kids can finally enjoy their sleep at night when you’re operating the machine.

Other ways to make sure your washing machine operates quietly include;

• Not overloading the washer.
• Check your pockets before tossing your clothes in the washing machine to avoid having keys and other solid items get to the bottom of the washer tub.
• Replacing worn-out and broken parts such as drains, pumps, drive pulleys, tub bearings, drive belts, and many more.
• Unclogging the drain pump when you think something might be obstructing this motor from taking water out of the washing machine can cause the machine to make noise.
• Use anti-vibration pads.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I reduce the noise in my washing machine?

Every method we’ve discussed in this article is very effective when it comes to reducing the noise in your washing machine, but the most effective one might be putting garage mats under the washer to absorb noise and also reduce vibration.

2. How do you soundproof a noisy machine?

You can soundproof your noisy machine in different ways. You can pad the sides of the washing machine, invest in garage mats to put under the washer, and purchase anti-vibration pads or even kitchen sponges because they are also perfect for reducing noise in your washing machine.

3. What is a quiet washing machine?

It is very unrealistic to expect your washing machine not to make any sound whatsoever. However, a washing machine’s normal sound is not supposed to be enough to disturb other people, so you should always note the differences between every sound you get.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever had to deal with a noisy washing machine, we’re guessing that it’s not something you’ll want to go through again, and if you’ve never had the experience, it’s not something you want to even go through at all because, according to Homelyville, it can be “incredibly frustrating.” Since washing machines are supposed to make our lives easier and bring comfort along, it can be particularly frustrating when those machines are now the reason behind our persistent headaches. Thankfully, there are several ways to fix noisy washing machines, and if you manage to get a good grip on one and you do it right, you’ll most likely enjoy what you’ll get from your washing machine after the process.