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A washing machine shaking violently is a spin problem you can often see. A washing machine vibrating excessively, a washer shaking during spin cycle, and a washer moving during spin cycle are the same family. A washing machine off balance is the usual reason: one wet towel, a comforter on one side, or a tub that rocks because a foot is off the floor. Pause the cycle the way the manual describes. There is no shared button. Unplug the washer before you put a hand in the tub or before you turn a foot.
The load and the feet
Open the lid or door only when the basket has stopped. Spread the clothes. A single bathrobe will walk a machine that was quiet on a mixed load. Add a few towels if the manual allows a larger load, or take the heavy piece out and wash it with other items. With power off, press opposite corners of the cabinet. If it rocks, adjust the feet the way the install guide shows and keep the machine upright. Do not tip it onto its side to reach a foot.
A new washer that hammers on the first spin often still has shipping bolts in the back. Samsung, LG, and other brands tell you to remove those bolts before the first wash. Use the bolt pattern in that model's install guide. Do not guess which screws are cosmetic. A bolt left in place is not a balance setting you can live with.
When the shake is a leak or a drain
A washer that walks can yank the drain hose out of the standpipe. The next sound is water on the floor. That puddle is washing machine leaking from the bottom, and the hose goes back only with the machine unplugged. If the tub is full and the spin never starts because the water never left, use washer not draining. Forcing a spin on a full tub is how a machine shakes and then leaks.
Suds from too much detergent can throw a spin off. The dose is the one in the manual, which is also the point of how to clean a washing machine. Do not add more detergent to "balance" a load.
| What you see | Likely cause | Safe check |
|---|---|---|
| Shake only with one heavy item | Load piled on one side | Stop the basket. Redistribute |
| Cabinet rocks when you push a corner | A foot is off the floor | Unplug. Level from the install guide |
| New machine, bolts still in the back | Shipping bolts | Remove only the bolts the install guide names |
| Hose on the floor after a walk | The spin pulled the drain hose out | Unplug. Reseat the hose. Check for a leak |
| Shake plus a burning smell | Stop | Leave it unplugged. Hire a technician |
Checks in order
Stop the spin
Use the manual's pause or cancel. Wait until the basket is still. Unplug before you reach in.
Redistribute the clothes
Break up a ball of fabric. Wash one heavy piece with other items.
Level the feet
Power off. Follow the install guide. Do not tip the cabinet.
Check shipping bolts on a new washer
Remove only what that guide shows. Keep the bolts if the guide says you will need them for a move.
Stop if it still walks
A bearing, a shock, or a suspension spring is cabinet work. Do not open the shell and do not defeat the lid switch to watch the spin.
Questions readers ask
Why is the washer fine on wash and violent on spin?
Spin is the fast part. An off-balance load or a foot off the floor shows up there. Redistribute the clothes and level the cabinet with the power off.
Can I put a brick on the washer to hold it down?
No. Weight on the lid or the top does not replace feet that meet the floor, and it can damage the cabinet. Use the install guide.
The machine is new and it shakes on an empty spin. What should I check?
Shipping bolts. The install guide shows which ones come out before the first wash. Leave every other screw alone.
It shakes and then water is on the floor. Which guide do I use?
Unplug it. If the drain hose came out of the standpipe, reseat it and read the leak guide. If the tub is still full, read the drain guide. Do not start another spin to see what happens.
