How to Move a Washer and Dryer

Sergio Ocampo

Last Updated: Jun 16, 2020 · 6 min read

As you’re getting ready to move, you may look around at all of your furniture and household goods and ask yourself…

How am I supposed to move all of this?

Take a deep breath, 3 million Americans move every year.

You can do this.

Truthfully, with general knowledge of moving tips and hacks, you can pull off most of the move.

Washers and dryers are some of the more difficult parts of a move, however. But we’re here to help!

Before we jump into how to move these large appliances, budget your move using our moving cost calculator.

Now, let’s jump right in.

How to Prepare a Washer and Dryer for Movers

Moving with professional movers? There’s a couple of things to note:

Make sure you discuss this aspect of the move with your moving company early on.

Last-minute decisions can lead to additional charges.

It’s also important to note that professional movers won’t disconnect your appliances for liability purposes.

They may use a third-party professional if you aren’t comfortable disconnecting and reconnecting them yourself, but remember that this comes at a price. Professional movers are there to do the moving, that’s it.

How to Prepare a Washer and Dryer for Moving

Before you can even think about how to move a washer and dryer, you’ll need to prepare them for the move. Make sure you have the right supplies and a plan in place or you’ll find yourself with more stress on moving day.

Gather Manuals

Every washer and dryer comes with an owner’s manual and warranty information. Moving can be rough on these appliances, so make sure you know how to properly care for and move them according to the manual.

You should also familiarize yourself with the warranty so you know what’s covered in the event that your appliance arrives damaged.

It’s best to keep these documents in a plastic bag so they don’t get wet. Put them in a safe place where you have access to them when you need them.

Clean It Out

There’s nothing like a fresh start in a new home, so make sure your appliances are fresh too! Many new washing machines come with a clean cycle that cleans the drum. Simply add a store-bought or homemade cleaner, run the clean cycle (or a short, normal cycle), and let the washer clean itself!

Once the cycle ends, open the lid and let the inside dry out for at least 24 hours. You only need a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to clean out your dryer. Even if you remove lint from the lint trap after every load, there’s bound to be pieces that fall back into the dryer. With a vacuum, removing any stray lint is a cinch!

Acquire the Necessary Supplies

There are several steps to moving a washer and dryer, and you need all the right supplies to do it with ease. This includes items like the following:

Wrench
Pliers
Bucket
Gloves with good grip
Moving blankets
Packing tape
Moving straps
Appliance dolly

These are crucial to ensure a safe move for you and your washer and dryer.

These appliances are heavy, and you can’t move them effectively without good supplies and a plan.

Secure a Route

To save yourself time and effort on moving day, map out the route you’ll take when moving the washer and dryer out of your home. Measure doorways, hallways, and stairways to ensure you have enough room for the appliances, you, and a friend to fit through. If you find that the route you want to take won’t work, devise a new plan.

Ask for Help

Don’t even think about figuring out how to move a washer and dryer without help. For your own safety and the safety of your appliances, ask friends or family to help you move them.

They should be physically fit enough to help and wear appropriate clothing, like gloves and closed-toe shoes.

How to Move a Washer and Dryer Yourself

Once you’ve done all the prep work, it’s time to learn how to move a washer and dryer. While the process is very similar for both appliances, there are key differences between the two. When you follow these processes, you’ll have no problem transporting these heavy appliances to your new home.

Moving a Washer

If you want to know how heavy a washing machine is, just know that it’s heavy. It takes careful work to disconnect and move it properly, but you can do it yourself with a few helpful tips.

Shut Off Electricity and Water

Before you even touch your washing machine, shut off the electricity to the appliance. You can do this with the breaker box in your home.

If you aren’t sure which one supplies power to your washing machine, shut off all of the power. Only after you’ve turned off the power should you unplug the washer from the wall, gather the cord, and tape it to the side of the appliance.

Next, turn off the water supply to your washing machine. There are valves behind the washer that control the hot and cold water supply. Place a bucket under the hoses and use a wrench or pliers to remove the hoses from the wall. The bucket will catch any extra water. Let the hoses dry, and store them in a place where you won’t lose them during the move. If you’re uncomfortable shutting off the water yourself, call a professional plumber.

Protect the Drum

The drum of the washing machine is the part that spins inside the appliance. It has a delicate suspension, and all the jostling of a move can damage it. To protect your washer, secure the drum so it doesn’t move. Most new washers come with shipping bolts that attach the drum to the stationary parts of the appliance. If yours didn’t come with them, you can easily find them online. For extra protection, place cardboard or foam around the drum.

Add Padding

Moving blankets do a great job protecting the exterior of your washing machine. Use as many as you need to completely cover it. Then, secure the blankets with packing tape or plastic wrap. Don’t wrap a washer with tarps or plastic sheets. These materials will trap any residual moisture inside the appliance and cause mildew—and you just cleaned your washer, right?

Load It Up

Once your washer is disconnected from utilities and wrapped up, you’re ready to move it. With help from others, move the washer onto the appliance dolly. Secure it to the dolly with straps or rope. Slowly and carefully move the dolly through the planned route. You’ll want at least one person rolling the dolly and one person holding the washer in place. If the route involves stairs, use forearm forklifts and move slowly. Have several people help you roll the washer up the moving truck’s ramp and into the trailer, toward the cab of the truck to even out weight distribution. Secure the washer in an upright position with straps to prevent it from moving around in transit.

Moving a Dryer

Next, it’s time to get the dryer ready to move. Dryers tend to be lighter than washing machines, but they come with their own unique challenges during a move. However, following each tip will help you move with ease.

Shut Off Electricity and Gas

Just like when moving a washer, turn off the power to your dryer before unplugging it from the wall. This may seem like an unnecessary step, but it will prevent any sort of electrical accident. It’s always best to err on being too cautious than not enough. If you have a gas dryer, you need to turn off the gas before disconnecting the dryer. If you’ve never done this before, don’t mess around with it. Call a plumber to do it for you.

Disconnect the Vent

As you shift the dryer away from the wall, you’ll see a wide hose connecting the two. Remove the hose and connectors, storing them in a safe place. Ideally, you would keep these items in the same place as the hoses for your washing machine.

Add Padding

Once you tape the electric cord to the side of the dryer, it’s ready for padding. Like your washing machine, wrap moving blankets around each side and use packing tape to keep them in place. You can then move the dryer to the moving truck.

Load It Up

Place your dryer on an appliance dolly, secure it with straps, and roll it carefully to the moving truck. As always, have others help you so you can keep yourself and your appliances safe. Load it in the trailer toward the cab of the truck and secure it with straps. Make sure the dryer is in an upright position.

Move with Ease Knowing How to Move a Washer and Dryer

You can learn how to move a washer and dryer yourself, or you can hire professionals to make the move easier for you. Doing it yourself is perfect if you know what you’re doing and want to save money during the move, and professionals are a great choice if you want the convenient option. You know your needs better than us, so make the decision that’s best for you.